The Wadena County Highway Department is sponsoring a free workshop on “Highway and Road Sign Reflectivity” at 7 p.m. Monday, March 8, at the Sebeka American Legion Post in Sebeka. This meeting will help officials from cities and townships learn about the federal Uniform Traffic Control Devices Manual and how they can comply with highway sign regulations.

About 35 seats will be held for township supervisors, cities and neighboring counties to attend. Interested officials should contact the Wadena County Highway Department at 1-218-631-7636 to register, or email: karen. otremba@co.wadena.mn.us (The meeting room size is limited).

Acting Wadena County Engineer Jeff Adolphson informed the Wadena County Board on Feb. 2 of what could be a significant federal unfunded mandate that may affect cities, counties and townships.

Adolphson said the federal manual is the national standard for all traffic devices on any street open to public travel. It requires signs to be either illuminated or made with reflective sheeting materials. Most signs in the U.S. are made with these materials, but they degrade over time and have a limited life.

The 2003 manual requires that all local governments inventory and check all their traffic signs and check them for reflectivity. Signs that don’t meet the minimum requirements must be replaced by January, 2012. However, the federal government does not provide any money to pay for the new signs.