Mayor Clough: City Will Review Tornado Warning Policy

Westlake Mayor Dennis Clough said the city will take a second look at options for tornado warnings after receiving numerous calls about the issue.

The calls came after an initial article in Patch on June 17 said that the city used a text service to notify residents of threatening weather, not sirens. Channel 8 news followed up with a similar story on the evening of June 17.

The article was in response to the threat of potential tornadoes on the west side the night of June 16. Several residents heard sirens from neighboring towns and questioned the city’s alert system.

Resident Cecelia Baker addressed council on June 20 on the issue.

“This government needs to decide how important a life is,” Baker said, then referenced Patch’s article.  “Ten years ago this wouldn’t have cost $150,000.

“What we need to do is have a serious discussion and get these sirens operating.”

She said the city might want to go through financial history and look at where money has been spent.

“And then ask people if $150,000 is worth it,” Baker said.

Clough said that money was not the issue.

“We’re not concerned about the cost of the sirens, we’re concerned about the effectiveness of the sirens,” he said. “There are other alternatives as to how people are alerted with technology.

“But we are going to take another look at all options. As a result of additional information that’s been provided to us plus additional phone calls.”

He said council will be updated in the future with any changes to the alert system.

Currently Westlake uses the Nixle notification system, an opt-in cell phone only alert system.