Lake Geneva sends proposed traffic control device policy back to committee level
Traffic signals near the intersection of North Edwards Boulevard and Highway 120 have been completed and are operational for through traffic.
A proposed traffic control device policy has been put in reverse in the city of Lake Geneva.
Members of the Lake Geneva City Council were set to vote on the policy during their Nov. 24 meeting; however, they approved to send it back to the City Council’s Public Works Committee for further discussion and recommendation.
The motion to send the policy back to the committee level was approved by a 6-2 vote, with aldermen Joel Hoiland and Brian Smith voting “no.”
Hoiland and Smith are the two aldermen who drafted the policy.
The proposed policy establishes guidelines for installing, maintaining and removing traffic control devices on city-owned streets, roads, sidewalks, crosswalks and alleyways.
The policy also establishes guidelines for how residents may request to have a traffic control device installed in their neighborhood, which includes completing a request form, conducting a petition and submitting the request to city officials for review.
Residents also would be required to pay an application fee depending on the type of traffic control device they want installed: $50 for a standard stop sign, $75 for a crosswalk or pavement marking, $150 for a traffic signal or flashing device and $200 for a traffic calming device such as a speed bump, bollard, curb extension or raised crosswalk.
The application would be submitted to the city clerk’s office and reviewed by representatives from the Public Works Department and city engineering firm Kapur & Associates, Inc.
A traffic study would be conducted if necessary, and the request would then be voted on by the Public Works Committee and full City Council.
Lake Geneva City Council members have approved to send a proposed traffic control device policy back to the Public Works Committee for further review and recommendation.
Aldermen question policy
Alderwoman JaNelle Powers feels the policy needs further review and should be voted on by the Public Works Committee for recommendation before it is sent to the full City Council for a final vote.
“I think it needs further consideration and it did bypass Public Works and that confused me,” Powers said. “Why did we do that?”
Alderwoman Linda Frame said the policy is not needed because Lake Geneva already has a traffic control ordinance.
“Are we going to start taking everything and redoing every ordinance for something to do?,” Frame asked. “We don’t need this, because we already have something in place. If your intent is to change an ordinance that we already have, then we have a problem.”
Alderwoman Sherri Ames feels the policy would make it more difficult for a resident to get a traffic control device installed in their neighborhood.
“So, they’re going to have to pay money to get a stop sign in and then we’re going to have to get a study done,” Ames said. “At some point, we have to realize this is for the safety of our community.”
Alderwoman Cindy Yager said the policy does not encourage residents to contact their district aldermen if they have a concern, and it does not include the aldermen in the review process.
“In this policy, it pushes us out. There’s no connection with an alderperson at all,” Yager said. “It goes straight to staff and then the survey has to be done and all this other stuff has to be done and there’s no direct communication with alders or with the council as a whole, and that really bothers me.”
The policy requires applicants to obtain signatures from at least 55% of the residents or business owners who would be located within two blocks of the traffic control device as part of their petition.
Yager feels that is an unfair provision because several residents do not live in Lake Geneva full time, and it may be difficult for applicants to obtain the required amount of signatures.
“How are they going to get 55% of that community to sign on something when they don’t know when they’re going to be there?,” Yager asked. “The residents aren’t going to be there full time, so I think that number is quite high and needs to be relooked at if this policy is to move forward.”
Alderwoman Catherine Stoodley said she is not against the policy but feels it should be reviewed by City Administrator Dave De Angelis, City Attoney Dan Draper and representatives from the police and fire departments before it is discussed by the Public Works Committee members.
Mayor Todd Krause said he would be willing to review the policy with De Angelis and Draper before it is voted on by city aldermen.
“In house, if Dave and I and Dan were able to sit down and go through it at a legal level to make sure we understand the can’s and cannot’s, that would be helpful,” Krause said.
Hoiland argued that Public Works Committee members began discussing the policy in August. He said the policy has been reviewed by representatives from the Public Works Department and Kapur & Associates.
He said the policy sets standards for installing and maintaining traffic control devices in the city.
“It brings consistency, fairness and engineering discipline to how we handle traffic control devices citywide,” Hoiland said. “We should adopt this policy before we make any decisions for installing traffic control devices. If we install a device without proper justification and an accident occurs, the city is exposed. The policy ensures we follow defensible, professional standards.”
Next step
The Public Works Committee’s next meeting is scheduled to be held at 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26 in the city hall building, council chambers, 626 Geneva St.
Stoodley said that should give city officials enough time to review the proposed policy and address any concerns.
“I’m not against the policy, but we want to make sure that whatever we do we can sail clear through it,” Stoodley said. “So at the time it comes back to the Public Works Committee and council, those questions have already been taken care of, and if any changes need to be made, they can be made.”
Representatives from the Lake Geneva Business Improvement District conducted their annual Maxwell Street Days, Aug. 22-24 in downtown Lake Geneva.
Representatives from the Lake Geneva Business Improvement District conducted their annual Maxwell Street Days, Aug. 22-24 in downtown Lake Geneva.
