The stop signs recently installed on Airport Way at Atherton Drive will soon become more visible.

Councilman Gary Singh noted Acting Public Works Director Koosun Kim has ordered stop signs ringed by LED solar-powered red lights that flash off and on 24/7 to replace standard stop signs recently placed on Airport Way when the intersection was tuned into a four-way stop.

The city’s first stop signs ringed with flashing LED red lights that were installed on Woodward Avenue at Pillsbury Road have been effective at getting the attention of drivers passing through the intersection that up until mid-2019 never had stop signs for the east-west traffic.

Woodward Avenue is posted for 45 mph much like Airport Way making early detection of the stop sign for people not familiar with the road — and those that have become too familiar that may forget there is now a stop sign  there — more likely.

Singh said staff plans to use stop signs ringed the red flashing lights in the future whenever stop signs are put in place where there had been none previously.

The city also is working on installing hand activated flashing amber lights mounted on signs for crosswalks on Moffat Boulevard at Sherman Avenue as well as Garfield Avenue by Manteca High.

Moorhead favors keeping city hall

where it is to stretch tax dollars

Councilwoman Debby Moorhead agrees Manteca needs a new city hall.

But she doesn’t believe the council should pull up stakes from 1001 West Center Street and move the city administration complex back downtown after a 42 year hiatus.

Moorhead is making it clear she favors a phased approach — with a new police station facility getting the highest priority — when decision time arrives later this year for the council to get the ball rolling on a new city hall and whether it should stay put or possibly head back downtown.

“It’s OK to dream big but your dreams shouldn’t break the back of taxpayers,” Moorhead said Thursday.

She noted that the 1001 West Center campus is centrally located and will continue to be so even after Manteca grows past 100,000 residents.

“It is just a two minute drive from city hall to downtown,” Moorhead said alluding to those that contend a downtown city hall would prompt at least some of the city’s workers to access dining spots there for lunch.

She added that the city already owns the land at the civic center. The biggest issue would be re-locating the dog park.

Moorhead also noted the city by staying put would also not trigger the need for an expensive downtown parking structure.

That’s because directly across Center Street from the Civic Center is undeveloped land beneath major PG&E transmission poles that limits the development potential  of the site.

When the time comes, Moorhead believes the city will be able to purchase the land and convert it into an employee parking lot at a much lower cost than a parking structure

The council is expected to receive an analysis of space needs and how five different sites would work — including several downtown locations as well as the current site — sometime in May.

If the current council decides to put in motion plans to work toward building a new city hall, it will come just as the campaign for two seats come up in the November 2020 election.

Mayor Ben Cantu — who is not up for re-election — has made working toward building a  new city hall a cornerstone not just of his successful 2018 campaign but four unsuccessful previous campaigns for the council.

Cantu has repeatedly stated his intention that he will push for a downtown city hall.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com