ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ann Arbor is spending about $56,000 to refresh parts of its outdoor tornado-warning network after residents urged the city not to scrap the sirens.
Safety staff lined up West Shore Services Inc. to swap five aging controllers and cabinets that run the 22-siren system. The firm is the state’s sole-source vendor for that federal outdoor-warning gear and already handles inspections and repairs under a deal that runs through June 2030.
Council cleared a $55,870 package for the work on Sept. 22. Officials say pairing the swaps with annual maintenance will save about $2,500, and brief quieter chirps may sound this week while crews are on site.
City leaders had studied shutting the sirens down, citing upkeep costs and smartphone alerts, until an April tornado — the first to hit Ann Arbor since 1988 — ripped through overnight and left millions in damage. Many people were asleep when the horns went off.
A later survey found most respondents wanted the horns kept as a backup for people outdoors or without a phone alert. Staff now peg repairs near $60,000 a year for three years, then about $17,000 yearly to keep the system going.
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