After years of work, Belleville Sign Ordinance approved

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
After years of work, by several different committees, the City of Belleville Sign Ordinance was approved unanimously by the city council on Monday.
The stand-alone sign ordinance, called Chapter 66, will be posted on the city’s website in the ClearZoning style used by the newly posted zoning ordinance so people will be able to study it easily without having to call city hall.
The approval came after some fine-tuning revisions, such as a definition of “pole signs,” which are not allowed.
“Thank you to everyone who worked on this,” said Mayor Kerreen Conley. “It’s taken years.” She said the changes to the ordinance will improve the looks of the city of Belleville.
Rick Rutherford, the city’s ordinance officer, said he thinks it will be helpful that it is online.
City Manager Diana Kollmeyer said there will be a public-awareness campaign to let the people know about the changes. She said there will be education and warnings before enforcement starts.
In other business at Monday’s meeting, the council:
• Held a one-minute public hearing on “Penalties and Sanctions,” with no public input and then approved the amendment unanimously. Mayor Conley said the council had no choice but to approve it since it is a response to a Supreme Court decision;
• Held a seven-minute public hearing on an amendment to the Snow and Ice Removal ordinance and then unanimously approved the changes. It gives people and businesses 24 hours (up from 16 hours) after the end of the snowfall to remove it from sidewalks. It also deletes the part that suggests using “ashes and cinders” to remove the snow. The extra eight hours for removal is to give the city time to clear the streets before getting to its sidewalks;
• Approved staying with Republic Waste Services with a five-year contract for refuse collection. There were three bidders and Rizzo was the high bid. Waste Management was $2,200 lower, but DPW Director Tackett said there were some irregularities with the bid and WM required changing the pickup day to Friday, which was not supported by city residents. Tackett said residents in the past have said they prefer Thursday pickup, so they don’t have to see their neighbor’s trash cans blowing around all weekend while they are out of town;
• Watched Clerk/Treasurer Lisa Long open bids for the repair of three fire trucks (Engine 451, Rescue 453 and Engine 461). Bids from R&R Firetruck Repair was $5,035 for Engine 451; $3,308 for Rescue 453; and $9,100 for Engine 461. Apollo Fire Equipment bid $3,850 for Engine 451; $5,178 for Rescue 453, and $7,761 for Engine 461. Emergency Vehicles Plus had a letter in its sealed bid that declined to bid because they had too much work. The bids were referred to the administration for a recommendation. Kollmeyer said the repair of each engine is a stand-alone job;
• Approved on a 4-1 vote (Councilwoman Kim Tindall voting no) the Central Business Community Booville event on Oct. 25 under a tent at the Fourth Street Square that will be set up on Oct. 23. CBC president Bill Wolters said there will be a CAF breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m.; kids’ games, movies, and food from noon to 4 p.m.; and movies, food, and drinks for those over 21 from 6 to 11 p.m., with the Bayou providing the food and drink;
• Approved on a 4-1 vote (Tindall voting no) the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Booville event, the Masquerade Dance, from 6 to 11 p.m. Oct. 24 under the tent at the Fourth Street Square. Bryan Sulliman represented the Chamber. Egan’s Pub will be providing food and drinks. Tindall asked if there is a plan for bathrooms for any of the events on the square and there wasn’t. Egan’s said they get a good price from Parkway and that could be arranged;
• Took no action on an Oct. 26 Booville event put on by the Community Chorus since there was no paperwork presented to the city and no representative of the sponsoring agency, the chorus, was present to talk to the council. Mayor Conley said they could come to the next council meeting on Oct. 20, which is before their event, and, “They still have time, but they’re pushing it”;
• Heard Kollmeyer announce that beginning with the October bill, water/sewer customers will be billed by the gallon. “We think we’re ready to go,” Kollmeyer said, adding they have had a test run;
• Approved Accounts Payable of $1,293,040.58 and departmental purchases in excess of $500: to Blue Ribbon for water repairs, $3,400; to Blue Ribbon for Lear dumping, $4,000; to Dell, computers for police, $2,138.10; and to SMART for service/repair, $1,736.88;
• Heard Steve Jakubik of High Street plead for crosswalk paint for the High/Edison crossing, since he sees BHS students and others crossing there as drivers speed through the stop sign. He said he is afraid someone will be killed. He said former DPW Director Keith Boc would see that it was painted regularly. Police Chief Hal Berriman said he would place the police flashing speed sign there to help people remember their speed and Tackett said the city will make painting of the crosswalk a priority. Jakubik also spoke about how the police came to talk to him about the boat parked in his yard the same day he called to complain about the crosswalk, which he is convinced is directly related. He also said, “I literally blew up when I called city hall and couldn’t get anyone to answer.” He said he kept getting switched from voice mail to voice mail. Jakubik said he helped write the boat parking ordinance about 15 years ago and his boat was OK then. Mayor Conley said Kollmeyer, Rutherford, Tackett and Chief Berriman would sit down and see what the ordinance says and report what the options are at the next council meeting; and
• Heard Steve Jones of the Belleville Area Council for the Arts announce a Halloween decorating contest throughout the Tri-Community, with prizes for homes and businesses in Belleville, Sumpter Township, and Van Buren Township. There is no charge to enter the contest and applications will be available soon. Judging will be Oct. 24 and 25.