MENOMINEE — The Menominee City Council last week voted 6-2 to send a sign ordinance back to the Judicial & Legislative/Personnel & Labor Committee (JL/PL). Council members Bill Plemel and Donna Marineau voted no, while Josh Jones was excused.
City Manager Brett Botbyl said he was directed to revamp the city’s sign ordinance. He suggested a six-month moratorium on signs to give the matter time to run through all the proper committees, as well as create a buffer zone if there was a delay in the process.
When it came time for discussion last Monday, council member Joe Dulak was the first to express his displeasure.
“I have a concern here when I see a six-month moratorium, basically putting the city on hold for a six-month period,” he said. “The question is, why?”
Dulak, who handed out to council members sign ordinances from the cities of Marinette, Green Bay and Houghton, said he believes the city’s attorney (Michael Celello) could put together a new sign ordinance very swiftly.
“We don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “Have the city attorney create one very quickly. In a matter of two hours we could have a completely redone ordinance for signs. It’s simple. To put the city on hold for six months, I don’t see a reason for it.”
Dulak amended a motion to send it back to the J&L/P&L Committee by having a two-month moratorium on signs.
Plemel stated he’s against any moratorium. “My concern is a moratorium,” he explained.
“The city of Menominee is supposed to be helping business and industries come here. You can come here, but you can’t have a sign for six months? That makes no sense.”
Plemel said the city has had a sign ordinance “forever” and it hasn’t been changed in “forever.” He said when electronic signs came into the fold, the city looked at the ordinance, but nothing was done. He said the ordinance calls for no billboards, yet there are billboards on 10th Avenue (near Dexter’s), on 13th Street and on 10th Street.
Robinson said he spent more than four hours researching the city’s ordinance. “Yes, I think we have an issue here and it has to do more with billboards than signs,” he said. “My concern is 16 billboards on Highway 41 and how do we grandfather them out to clean up Highway 41, the main street running right through town?”
Botbyl expressed frustration with the direction he was given.
“I’m confused,” he said. “I was given direction we needed some changes moving forward, which is exactly what I did and now again, we change our mind halfway through the process. This is where we were in 2013. We basically took the ordinance and changed the dates on it because that is what I was instructed to do.”
Marineau said her concern is the council rushing to quick decisions on matters — something “they’ve done for the last year and a half.”
Robinson asked for examples.
Marineau, paused only briefly, and then brought up “pot stores” and a zoning ordinance “presented by Mr. Dulak.”
“We need to start taking our time and thinking this through,” she said.
Dulak, again, said this is not a complicated matter.
“A sign ordinance is not rocket science,” he said. “I’m looking for solutions. I’m not looking for excuses. This is very simple, and can be done very quickly. Let’s not make it more complicated than it has to be.”
“I can agree with Mr. Dulak,” Botbyl said. “(But this) must run through respective committees so we’re all on the same page, so we’re all fighting the same good fight. That’s all I’m saying.”
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