'Discover Loomis' sign approved at Taylor Road, Sierra College Boulevard

The Loomis Town Council approved a $55,000 deal last week to build a "Discover Loomis" welcome sign at Taylor Road and Sierra College Blvd. The Loomis economic development "Welcome Sign Project" began clear back in 2016, when the Town hired Coastland Civil Engineering to design a sign for the Union Pacific Railroad property at the northeast corner of the intersection. The railroad agreed to a lease agreement with the Town for $250 a year, staff said. After the lease agreement in 2017, the project was put on a backburner for reasons no one on staff can quite recall. Renewed council interest came last December, and plans were revised by Coastland to bring the sign up to current code standards, and the project was advertised for bids. "We now have a lease agreement for that space. I assume, through Covid and other various things, the project tended to not move forward until recently in December," Loomis Town Manager Wes Heathcock said at the regular council meeting Aug. 8. The scope of work includes building a sign structure with concrete footings and the 14-feet-long by 10-feet-high sign approved under the lease agreement, according to the staff report. "I really believe in this sign," Loomis Town Councilperson Jenny Knisely said. "It's supposed to look like a fruit shed." The Loomis Basin Chamber of Commerce and Town staff met as part of an economic development committee with Ken Teichmann of Solace Graphics to discuss design options for graphics, lettering and lighting that would make up the interior portion of the sign. Teichmann explained at the Aug. 8 meeting the sign will be lighted by a solar-powered light system with 3-4 LED light bars. "I think it's a really good idea and I like it in general," Planning Commissioner Jean Wilson said from the floor. Vice-chair Stephanie Youngblood wondered about the fate of the old Loomis welcome sign on Horseshoe Bar Road. Heathcock said the Horseshoe Bar sign near Starbucks will stay. "That's more of a gateway sign and will remain. The new sign is more economic development, a different purpose," Heathcock explained. With Councilmember David Ring absent, the council voted 4-0 to approve spending $55,000 for contracts to JS Construction of $38,000 to build the sign structure and Solace Graphics of $12,300 to design and construct the interior portion. The deal includes a 10-percent contingency for any unforeseen work. Loomis Town Engineer Merrill Buck said work on the sign can begin by the end of August and be completed by the end of the year. Sheriff contract In other business, the Loomis Town Council approved a three-year, $6.7 million contract with the Placer County Sheriff-Coroner-Marshal's Office, beginning fiscal year 2023-24. According to the agreement, the Placer Sheriff shall provide routine patrol and related services for Loomis on a 24-hour per-day basis, with a targeted average response time of less than seven minutes to any priority one (life-threatening) call within Loomis Town boundaries. The Town has contracted with the Placer Sheriff since Loomis Town incorporation, staff said. The contract increases annually at 5.5 percent, with quarterly payments rising from $529,739 the first year to $589,613 the third year, according to the staff report. Meanwhile, officials announced the regular monthly Loomis Planning Commission meeting Aug. 22 has been cancelled.