Douglas County is growing, and that means more storm sirens are needed, county commissioners were told today.

A request for three new sirens costing $20,000 each will be included in the county’s 2008 budget proposal when it is presented to commissioners later this month, said Teri Smith, interim director of Douglas County Emergency Management.

Although Smith is only asking for three sirens, she identified five areas that could use sirens. They are mainly in the Baldwin City and Vinland areas and northwest of Lawrence around Interstate 70 and the Kansas Highway 10 bypass.

Commissioners Bob Johnson, Jere McElhaney and Charles Johnson were receptive to the request and even left the door open to funding all five sirens. They asked Smith to develop criteria for determining when and how new storm sirens should be located.

Smith said she came up with the latest recommended locations by consulting with the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Department about where growth is occurring. She said she also considers requests from the public for sirens.

Commissioners will begin 2008 budget discussions sometime in the next few weeks.

Among other business, Commissioners also granted a request from County Administrator Craig Weinaug to hire Linda Finger for a newly created, full-time position as planning resource official. Her job is to work with the public and the county departments of Building and Zoning and Public Works in implementing the subdivision and access management regulations approved late last year.

Finger will be paid a $54,000 salary and begins work Monday. She has been working as a part-time consultant for the county since she resigned in November 2005 as Lawrence planning director.