Examples of Michigan Ordinances
Here are some examples of ordinances from around Michigan. More to follow…
Existing Conditions
For Monday’s meeting, an inventory of existing billboards within the city of Kalamazoo, as well as information about existing regulations.
Monday, March 11 Meeting Agenda
Here it is. You can see some of the information we will be discussing in posts today, and in the future. They will all show up with the “Reports and Studies” category, and can be searched specifically by clicking on the “Reports and Studies” link to the right of these posts.
Kalamazoo Billboards Stakeholder Committee
March 11, 2013
3:30 PM
Agenda
- Welcome (5 minutes)
- Current Conditions (10 minutes: Andrea)
- Kalamazoo’s Existing Ordinance (5 minutes: Andrea)
- Local Jurisdictions and Regulation (10 minutes: Andrea)
- Legal Precedent (30 minutes: Clyde)
- Discussion (30 minutes: All)
- Adjournment
New Media
The Kalamazoo Gazette tweeted an article about this website and our process. We retweeted the article, posted it on the Plan Kalamazoo Facebook page, and are now linking it here. It’s a new media tornado!
Legal Review
On Monday, we are going to be discussing relevant case law with our City Attorney, Clyde Robinson. He has created an initial overview of court cases and precedent that we will be going over, as well as current legal cases in Michigan, 2010-2012. They are attached here so that people can take a look ahead of time.
First Meeting Agenda
Our first meeting of the Stakeholder Committee was held on March 4, 2013. Here was the agenda.
Kalamazoo Billboards Stakeholder Committee
Introductory Meeting
March 4, 2013
3:30 PM
Agenda
- Welcome and Introductions (15 minutes)
2. Background (10 minutes)
3. Overview of Mission and Scope of Committee (10 minutes)
4. Syllabus (10 minutes)
5. Questions and Concerns (10 minutes)
6. Next Meeting (5 minutes)
7. Adjournment
During the meeting, we decided to make the meetings open to the public, though for both the comfort of the committee and the need to keep moving forward, there won’t be a place for public comment (during the meeting… see the post “So You Want To Get Involved” for more options for adding your two cents). The meetings are at the City of Kalamazoo’s Stockbridge Facility at 415 Stockbridge Avenue, the second and fourth Mondays of the month from 3:30-5:00. It would be really useful, if you are planning on attending, if you could send an email to augustinea@kalamazoocity.org. We want to make sure we have room!
Did you know we did a live chat on this subject?
Want some background? Here is a live chat that city staff did with Mlive.com, regarding digital billboards and the (at the time) proposed moratorium:
So, you want to get involved?
We have received many, many volunteers to be part of the Stakeholder Committee to look at digital billboards. The city would like to thank everyone in the community for their passion. As you can imagine, there is a lot of interest on this subject, and we have tried to create a committee that is both 1) representative of various interests; and 2) of a manageable size to be able to be effective. To that end, we have asked 12 people, representing neighborhoods, business interests, officials, and policy experts. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room for everyone who is interested to be on this board…
However, don’t despair! The stakeholder committee will not be the only avenue for public input. We are planning on soliciting input in the following ways, as well.
- There will be two official public hearings: one before the Planning Commission and one before the City Commission, where public comment will be taken and noted by the Commissioners;
- Staff of the city of Kalamazoo (specifically the Planning Office) will make themselves available to the public via phone (269.337.8044), Facebook (Plan Kalamazoo), Twitter (@AndreaKzoo), email (augustinea@kalamazoocity.org), letter, or in person (415 Stockbridge Ave) to hear comment;
- Staff has created a website (www.kalamazoobillboards.wordpress.com). We will be uploading all of the documents and studies that the stakeholder committee reviews, as well as notes from the meetings. There will be opportunity for comments on the site.
- Staff will be happy to come to meetings and update folks on the process as we get going. The bulk of our work will happen from March-May.
What We Do and When We’re Going To Do It
A reminder… what we are charged with accomplishing:
“To discuss major issues related to the size, brightness, sequencing, and location for large, off-premises signs; to become educated on relevant Michigan precedent related to billboard regulation; to investigate appropriate studies and literature and to listen to expert testimony related to property values and traffic safety as it relates to illuminated off-premises signs; to understand illumination and regulations related to illumination; to come to consensus on city staff-generated language related the above topics and to recommend appropriate ordinance changes to the Planning Commission, and ultimately the City Commission for adoption.”
Here is the schedule we are aiming for, in terms of our work… as you can see, it is a very aggressive schedule. Though six months can seem like a long time, it actually requires us to be diligent and to constantly move forward.
Proposed Schedule
January 22nd, 2013—Beginning of 6 month moratorium
February 2013—Creation of public participation plan, staff research, creation of stakeholder committee
March 4, 2013—First meeting of Stakeholder Committee
Topic: Discussion of Process, Syllabus, Topics of Conversation, Role of Stakeholder Committee
March 11, 2013—Stakeholder Committee Meeting
Topic: Relevant Michigan-Based Precedent; Guest Speaker Clyde Robinson (City Attorney)
March 19, 2013—Optional Stakeholder Committee Training by Scenic Michigan in Troy, MI related to Sign Regulation and Legal Precedent
March 25, 2013—Stakeholder Committee Meeting
Topic: Traffic Safety, Property Values; Guest Speakers Jim Hoekstra (Traffic Engineer), Aaron Powers (Assessor)
April 8, 2013—Stakeholder Committee Meeting
Topics: Lighting Standards; Guest Speaker TBD
April 22, 2013—Stakeholder Committee Meeting
Topic: Initial Proposal Language
May 6, 2013—Stakeholder Committee Meeting
Topic: Consensus for Proposal Language
Late May 2013—Tentative Stakeholder Committee Meeting, if needed
Topic: Consensus for Proposal Language, continued
June 6th, 2013—Public hearing on proposed ordinance changes at Planning Commission
July 1st, 2013—First reading of proposed ordinance changes at City Commission
July 15th, 2013—Final adoption of proposed ordinance changes at City Commission
July 22nd, 2013—End of Moratorium
Who We Are
The following is to help get you acquainted with who we are and the rules we want to play by…
Charge of the Moratorium
“…that the City Planning Commission, along with City Planners and City officials, shall forthwith proceed to study off-premises advertising signs greater than 200 square feet that utilize internally illuminated digital computer controlled electronic displays and recommend changes to the City Zoning Ordinance addressing size, brightness, sequencing of changing copy and where such off-premises signs might be located.”
Charge of the Stakeholder Committee
To discuss major issues related to the size, brightness, sequencing, and location for large, off-premises signs; to become educated on relevant Michigan precedent related to billboard regulation; to investigate appropriate studies and literature and to listen to expert testimony related to property values and traffic safety as it relates to illuminated off-premises signs; to understand illumination and regulations related to illumination; to come to consensus on city staff-generated language related the above topics and to recommend appropriate ordinance changes to the Planning Commission, and ultimately the City Commission for adoption.
Rules of the Stakeholder Committee
- The Committee will operate on a consensus model. For the purposes of this group, consensus is defined as the absence of concerns that are so important or insurmountable that any individual committee member is unable to move forward. In the absence of consensus, a vote will be taken, with dissenting members noted.
- General summaries will be created for each meeting. These will be for reference only, and will not be transcriptions of every word or discussion, but instead a record of the decisions made by consensus, and the topics of conversation. These meetings are not subject to the Open Meetings Act.
- The Committee will be limited in size and scope, in order to maintain its effectiveness in completing an important task in a short time frame. There will be an attempt to have representatives of all major stakeholders at the table. With the understanding that this topic is one of great importance to the community, there will other avenues for public input as well (see: Additional Public Input Opportunities)
- The Committee will stay within the confines of its charge, both by topic and scope. If we are to complete our work in a timely fashion, it is important that we stay on topic and focused.
- Civility is critical. It is perfectly acceptable to disagree, but it is not acceptable to attack one another. We all care a great deal about our community. Think “Michigan Nice”.
- This Stakeholder Committee is doing good work for Kalamazoo. We may not all agree with the outcome. All members of the community may not agree with what we recommend. But we all are doing our best for our town.
Stakeholder Committee
|
Name |
Affiliation |
| Clyde Robinson | City Attorney’s Office |
| Bob Cinabro | City Commission |
| Nick Boyd | Zoning Board of Appeals |
| Mark Fricke | Planning Commission |
| Kevin Green | Adams Outdoor Advertising |
| Lynne Jarman-Johnson | Consumers Credit Union |
| Brian Peterson | Westnedge Hill |
| Natalie Patchell | Westnedge Hill |
| Brian Persky | Downtown Kalamazoo, Inc. |
| Greg Milliken | Planner |
| Mark Hoffman | Oakland/Winchell |
| Tammy Taylor | Kalamazoo Neighborhoods Coalition |
City of Kalamazoo Billboards Committee 