The Berlin Farmers Market.

BERLIN — After deciding not to repair the town’s tornado siren last month, the Berlin Town Council approved funding to the Berlin Fire Department to purchase weather alert radios for those who are in listening distance of the siren. 

In a special called meeting Monday night, the council opted to give the fire department $6,225 to purchase 250 Midland weather radios, and the fire department plans to apply for a matching grant from the Cullman County Community Development Commission to pay for 250 more. 

Because the town can only purchase and hand out radios for residents who live inside the town limits, letting the fire department make the purchase and hand them out will allow people who are covered by the department, but live outside the town limits to also receive a radio, said Mayor Patrick Bates.

He said he purchased the same Midland radio for around $32 from Walmart, but Midland offers government entities the option of buying in bulk for $24.90 each, and he is also working with the company to program all of the radios before they are handed out. 

Fire Chief Ralph Laney estimated the number of people inside the tornado siren’s audible range at around 600-800, and the council agreed that it can come back and purchase more if there are any people who want a radio but were unable to receive one after the initial purchase of 500.

“I think that would be a good start,” said Councilman Jimbo Quick.

Bates said the town and fire department both received a few complaints from residents who were upset that the town elected to not spend around $5,000 to repair the siren, but the town has also received many more complaints from residents who have been upset that the sirens went off too often when there weren’t any warnings that included Berlin. 

“Making it where the individuals have more of a choice on how they’re getting their notifications is probably going to be the closest we can get to a good solution to the combination of those two issues,” he said.

The council also approved a bid for a structure for the town’s farmers market from AGCOR Steel in an amount not to exceed $27,000. 

The council discussed the two bids for the project during last month’s meeting, and opted to wait until another meeting to make the decision to clarify the wind resistance factor on both options and make sure the town’s insurance carrier would cover the structure.

Bates said AGCOR’s bid included a wind resistance factor of 115 mph winds, and the town’s insurance carrier will cover it. 

AGCOR also said they could get the structure raised by the end of February, he said.