By Becky Polaski

Staff Writer

Mayor Sally Geyer addressed members of the Planning Commission at their recent meeting regarding area business owners concerns about the city’s sign ordinance. 

“I would like this board to rectify the sign ordinance or this issue as quickly as possible and not let these business people be hanging in limbo as to what they can do or not do,” Geyer said.

She explained that she had reviewed the minutes from their last meeting and thought that Don’s Pizza owner Don Beimel had made several good recommendations regarding the ordinance.

“I think when we start going ‘you can’t have a banner’ or ‘you’re only allowed to do this’ that is nuts,” Geyer said.

While she agreed with many of Beimel’s points and indicated that she has no problems with the type of signs Beimel has in front of his business, Geyer added that she thought there did need to be a limit on the number of those type of signs that an individual could have.

“I don’t want to see like 10 of them in a row as you’re driving down the road and trying to read them all,” Geyer said.

She also agreed with comments made by Councilman Dick Dornisch, who also addressed the Planning Commission their most recent meeting.

“I do agree with Dick,” Geyer said. “I think you should look at the safety. You shouldn’t have signs where there’s a lot of traffic and you’re going to have people so busy looking at signs and that that they’re going to worry about where they’re going to go.”

Geyer also noted that she did not want the issue to continue to go back and forth between City Council and the Planning Commission.

“I’m just asking this Board to act swiftly on this so that these business people aren’t wondering: What can I do? What can’t I do? Am I going to get fined? That’s all I’m asking, and just use safety and common sense,” Geyer said.

After members of the Planning Commission commented that the current sign ordinance was approved by members of City Council several years ago and there were no problems with it then.

Geyer responded that things change and she also noted that the Planning Commission has several area business owners willing to work with them to come up with something that will better meet the needs of the community. She added that the city is also in violation of several aspects of the current sign ordinance.

After hearing from many local business owners, Geyer also stated that it appeared as though many individuals seem to like the ordinance the way it was back in 2006. She added that she was not saying to just go back to that version of the ordinance and be done with it, but she noted that it seemed like a good place to start when looking to make changes that will work for everyone.