Ordinance for riverfront signs may change
By Kay James, Dells Events
The Wisconsin Dells Council's Legislative Committee asked the Business Improvement District Committee to review requests for signs along the river in its district and prohibit signs along the river in other areas of the city.
Alderperson Debbie Kinder, a member of the council, proposed changing the city's sign ordinance to prohibit signs along the river, unless approved by the city through its conditional use process. That process requires a fee of $500.
Mayor Eric Helland objected to the broad prohibition. In an e-mail sent to committee members before the meeting, Helland said, "I don't like this. There is already conservancy protection for large stretches of the waterways. The way this reads a 'watch your step' sign would require a conditional use permit. Perhaps we might consider alternatives to the proposed language because the current is unacceptable."
Some signs along the river in the downtown blend in, such as the one for the RiverWalk Pub, Kinder said at the meeting. Others such as flashing ones or neon ones do not, she said. The city needs some control over the signs in terms of taste, she said.
Defining taste has the potential to require many meetings, Helland said.
Then Kinder suggested that only for signs attached to buildings would a conditional use permit be required and the ordinance could exclude safety and directional signs.
Helland then suggested giving the question of signs on the river to the BID, but Kinder questioned whether BID would have jurisdiction in the Lower Dells portion of the river and in the Upper Dells. That lead to the suggestion that the BID review those in its district and outside that area no signs be allowed.
Alderperson Dar Mor said going through BID would not cost a business the $500 conditional use permit.
Assistant City Attorney Joe Hasler will rewrite the ordinance with the new provisions for the committee's review at its next meeting.
The committee also considered changes in ordinances on outdoor fires and privacy in locker rooms.
Kinder said a resident in her ward told her that burning leaves was hard on her asthma. She asked if the city should consider not allow outdoor burning.
Prohibiting the burning of leaves would cause a bigger problem, said Mor. The city would have a huge expense if it took on picking up leaves.
Mostly when leaves are burned, windows are closed and people are inside, said Alderperson Ed Wojnicz. He suggested that the problem is an enforcement issue, making sure that people only burn leaves during the allowed hours. People also should not burn when weather conditions are bad, such as when it was foggy like it was Monday when the committee met. He said people should call the police department if the burning is a problem.
Next month, the committee also will review again the ordinance requiring privacy in locker rooms.
Hasler, after talking to the city's insurer, said the city only has to pass an ordinance prohibiting recording devices such as cell phone cameras and video recorders in its locker rooms, not those in private properties such as hotels. He presented a model ordinance from the insurer, but committee members had problems with a section on who would be allowed in locker rooms to interview people.
The exception would apparently be for members of the media who might want to interview sports people in locker rooms. However, the committee said in the Dells that exception was not needed. The only locker rooms the city has are at the city pool, police department and public works department.
Hasler is to bring a revised ordinance to the next meeting, and he said he would review the Reedsburg School District's policy for the exceptions.
In other action, the committee approved a change in ownership on the liquor license for the RiverWalk Pub. The new owner will be Y Knot 2, LLC, with Dionne Leonhardt as agent. The Leonhardts were the original owners of the Pub on River Road.