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Yard signs will again be a topic of debate for the West St. Paul City Council. After losing a court challenge last year, they’re revisiting the ordinance to consider whether or not to allow residents to display more than one sign.
Yard Signs
During the Open Council Work Session (OCWS), Council will start a conversation about readdressing how many temporary yard signs residents can display. Last year the city lost a challenge to the sign ordinance and could no longer enforce their ‘one sign per yard’ rule. In November, Council approved a return to the ‘one sign per yard,’ but only as a stop gap measure until changes could be discussed. Now is the time to discuss those changes.
Council will discuss whether to increase the number of signs allowed and how many, as well as whether or not the allowed size should be increased. Other potential changes are also on the table, which means it could be a good time to address some of our weird sign ordinances.
Other Items on the Agenda:
- Ward boundaries: Council will hold a public hearing and make the final vote to change ward boundaries to bring the city in line with the 2020 census. The shift will move about a thousand residents into new wards to balance population. State law requires cities to complete it by March 29, so even if there are concerns, they’d need to be adjusted immediately. The Charter Commission approved the new maps unanimously, as did Council during the first reading.
- Development: There will be a closed session during the Economic Development Authority (EDA) workshop to discuss a purchase offer for 1619 Oakdale Avenue, a large house and yard on the southwest corner of Oakdale and Wentworth. The land is zoned industrial, so the city is likely looking toward controlling future development.
- Ice arena: Council will approve the site plan for the proposed expansion to the ice arena.
- Charter tweaks: There will be a public hearing and final reading on proposed changes to the Charter. These are relatively minor tweaks to purchasing power that have already been approved once by Council.
- Strategic plan: During OCWS, Council will review the strategic plan. There’s also a progress update if you want to get deep in the weeds on what the city is accomplishing.
- Loading docks: Council will consider a proposed amendment that tweaks where loading docks can be located in industrial zones.
The public can watch the meeting live on Town Square TV or cable TV starting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday (5:30 p.m. for the EDA workshop).
Learn more about how city council works with our Guide to West St. Paul City Council.
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