Common Council codifies ordinances

By Melissa R. Collum

The June 20 Prairie du Chien Common Council meeting addressed a number of ordinances meant to clarify existing ordinances and make them easier to enforce.
All four were unanimously adopted  after discussion.
Ordinance 2023-02 dealing with the garage sale signs. The new ordinance repealed and recreated the prior one. According to the new code, garage sale signs must be taken down at dusk, each day - not at the end of the sale. Additionally, the new code clarified where garage sale signs can be placed and why they can be removed. Violations of placement include being placed 1) on private property without consent, 2) as to create a view obstruction, and 3) in violation of state law. The questions was raised by Alder person Karen Solomon about the placement of sale sign on utility poles. This is a violation, because a utility pole is private property.
The signs that violate the ordinance will be taken down and destroyed. Continued violations, by the same property owner or seller can result in a citation of not more than $100. Chief of Police Kyle Teynor noted the following, “It is time consuming for the police to regulate sale signs. Our time is better select informing traffic laws.”
The second issue that came up for discussion is related to parking regulations for city parks parking lots. According to Chief Teynor, there have been issues over the past few months related to people overnight parking in city lots, especially those adjacent to the parks.  The parking times will reflect the times the parks are open as Ordinance 2023-03, creates Chapter 7.06 which reads: No person may park in city parking lots  from 11:00 p.m. - 6: 00 a.m. while city parks are closed.
Chad Abrams, City Administrator, brought up the changes to Section 11.07 related to Garbage and Rubbish collection. “In years past we have had problems at the dumpsters on the boat landing. It gives law enforcement the ability to better enforce these laws,” noted Abrams. There is a specific line in the ordinances that states that ‘it is unlawful for any person to deposit household or commercial waste/refuse into another residents, business, or city garbage receptacle or dumpster.’
The issue at hand is not only the illegal use of dumpsters, owned by others, but also states that scavenging in dumpsters, without express permission of the owner is prohibited.
Ordinance 2023-06  created Chapter 11.14 related to the Compost and Brush site, the purpose of which is to ‘enforce rules established by the Common Council.’ The three items as stated in the Ordinance are paraphrased here: 1) Compost and brush site will ONLY accept materials from Prairie du Chien property owners and must be from a property within the city limits, 2) Compost site hours are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday from April 1 - November 20, and closed on holidays, and 3) the  brush site hours of operation are from 8 a.m. -12 p.m. the second and third Saturday of the month from April to the second week of November. Brush, branches, and tree limbs must be under six inches in diameter. Items from brush contractors will not be accepted.
Chief Teynor stated that there have been violated identified on the Compost and brush pile, but no fines have been yet to be issues.
The Common Council went back to old business related to the Waterfront Improvement Project. The bid for the project went to Badger Works and Earth Moving, contingent on getting the easement from the Crawford County Historical Society, as noted in the June 21 issue of the Courier Press, this issue has been resolved. On April 18 meeting the finance committee and the subsequent Common Council meeting, it was moved on the following actions regarding payment; Action 5-2: To use the remaining $97,048.50 from the Lawler Park Riverfront Wall of the $1,915,000 GO Promissory Notes for the St. Feriole Island Waterfront Improvement Project. Action 5-3: TO allocate up to $72,951.50 of ARPA funds for the St. Feriole Island Waterfront Improvement Project contingent on receiving the easement from Crawford County.
The Common Council passed the aforementioned Actions into motions at the June 20 meeting.