Marion billboards to get $40,000 upgrades
Staff writer
Two city billboards soon will be replaced after Marion City Council unanimously approved the upgrades Monday.
Total costs will be close to $40,000. Miracle Signs of Wichita provided estimates.
“Instead of just replacing the billboard that was on there, we’ve been talking about completely rebuilding the structure,” Megan Jones, director of economic development, said.
The city will install a double-sided 8-by-16-foot billboard north of K-256 and US-77 interchange, replacing a sign that Kansas Department of Transportation identified for repairs. The city must repair or replace it by Dec. 1 or it will have to spend $250 to reapply for a sign license at that location.
Two billboards at the location now will be combined.
A second double-sided billboard will be installed at US-56 and Old Mill Rd. near the reservoir, replacing a billboard that was knocked over, probably during recent storms.
“It wasn’t pulled down intentionally,” Jones said. “It just got knocked over somehow and got broken.”
Mayor Michael Powers said the city could pay for the billboards from an industrial promotion fund. Administrator Brian Wells said transient guest tax money could be used if necessary.
“We have a surplus in there,” Jones said. “I don’t know that the surplus would cover it all.”
Wooden posts will be removed and replaced with steel posts set in concrete. Current billboard signs will be replaced with ones printed on a flexible vinyl material.
The signs will be held with brackets and framing designed to be replaced without future modifications.
A message akin to “Welcome to Marion” will face incoming traffic, while a message similar to “Thanks for coming” will be displayed to outgoing traffic.
KDOT will need to approve any mock-ups for new sign designs.
A timeline has not been set, but installation must be completed by Dec. 1.