Board seeks community input on outdoor sirens

The members of Laketown Township Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, put a hold on a proposal for outdoor warning sirens so they can get input from residents.

The total price tag for proposed equipment and installation is more than $250,000. There would be ongoing costs of maintenance and upkeep as well.

The sirens would be used to signal an emergency such as a tornado or strong winds. There are currently no outdoor warning sirens in the township.

Residents can send their comments about outdoor sirens to Public Information Coordinator Jim Hayden at jimh@laketowntwp.org or call (616) 335-3050.

The board will address the issue again in January 2027.

The information is available on Page 152 here, and updated information is on Page 17 here.

Discussion

On July 1, a resident told the board that a storm knocked out her power and internet and there was a possibility of a tornado in the area.

“I had no way of knowing if that tornado was north of us, south of us, or heading straight for us,” she told the board. No tornado was reported.

A siren is important for resident safety, she said.

“I really think we need to do something about getting a tornado siren in operation,” she added.

Supervisor Steven Ringelberg asked Graafschap Fire Department Chief Doug DenBleyker to meet with Manager Stephanie Fox to research the issue.

Locations

West Shore Services Inc. of Allendale submitted a proposal for warning sirens. The company suggested eight locations based on priority, each costing $31,800:

Priority 1: 62^nd Street and Blue Star Highway. Covers Shangrai-La Mobile Home Community, 6180 Blue Star Highway. There was a siren here for many years, but the fire department discovered in 2025 that it was not functioning. That siren was from the old fire station.

Priority 2: 62^nd Street and 138^th Avenue. Covers Felt Estate area.

Priority 3: Wolters Woods Park, 6281 147^th Ave., or, if not in the park, on 147^th Avenue.

Priority 4: 142^nd Avenue and 66^th Street. Covers Laketown Beach area.

Priority 5: Laketown Township Hall, 4338 Beeline Road.

Priority 6: Graafschap Fire Department, 4534 60^th St.

Priority 7: 146^th Avenue and 66^th Street.

Priority 8: Township property end of 62^nd Street north of 140^th Avenue.

Ringelberg said on Sept. 9 that when he loses power at home, he loses cell phone communication as well, so he understands the need for warning towers in certain parts of the township.

“I’m not unique,” he said about losing internet access.

The proposed eight locations would not cover all of the township – “There are some holes,” DenBleyker said — and their effectiveness is limited because houses are far apart in the rural township.

Trustees Mike Koeman and Mark Timmerman said they wanted to improve overall cell phone coverage in the township to help boost safety but would consider warning sirens if necessary.

Park Township, just north of Laketown, put seven new emergency sirens in operation over the summer in response to a storm in May 2025 that destroyed several homes and damaged many others. Before that, the Ottawa County township had two warning sirens.