06-10-08 Worksession CC/PC
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING
COMMISSION WORKSESSION MINUTES
Richfield, Minnesota
Special Worksession of City Council and
Planning Commission
June 10, 2008
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Goettel at 6:23 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Council Members
Present: Debbie Goettel, Mayor; Susan Rosenberg; Fred Wroge; Sue Sandahl; and
Bill Kilian.
Planning Commission
Members Present: Rick Jabs; Dennis Schuller; and Jeffrey Karr.
Staff Present: Steven L. Devich, City Manager; John Stark, Interim Community
Development Director; Melissa Poehlman, Zoning Administrator; and
Cheryl Krumholz, Recording Secretary.
Item #1 DISCUSSION REGARDING DYNAMIC SIGNS REVISIONS (COUNCIL MEMO
NO. 89)
City Manager Devich stated the City Council adopted new sign regulations on December
11, 2007 and directed staff to meet with the establishments currently having dynamic signs and
continue researching issues of font size, time limits, and spacing of dynamic signs. Findings were
to be reported back to the City Council. Those establishments, and other interested parties, met
with staff in late April and were invited to tonight’s Worksession.
Zoning Administrator Poehlman discussed the staff recommendations and reasoning based
upon those discussions with interested parties, observations, and continued study:
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Remove minimum font size requirements. (Current minimum font allowed is related to
speed on adjacent roadway.)
Special Worksession Minutes -2- June 10, 2008
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Frequency of change should be no more than once every two minutes. (Current
frequency of change is every five minutes.)
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Remove spacing requirements. (Currently located at least 200 feet from any other
dynamic signs measured from property line to property line.)
Zoning Administrator Poehlman continued that the discussion group of dynamic sign
owners and interested parties indicated that they were generally in favor of staff recommendations.
The group expressed differing opinions on the matter of scrolling or continuing messages.
Currently, messages are required to be complete on one screen. Some parties felt that scrolling or
continuing messages were not distracting so long as the messages scrolled at a speed that was
easily read. Others felt that they themselves were distracted and would continue to watch a sign if
a message was incomplete. Staff believes that the complete message regulation is an important
one that should remain in the Code.
Rev. Mark Wegener, Woodlake Lutheran Church, 7525 Oliver Avenue, read a letter
regarding the Church’s observations and recommendations. (City Clerk’s File No. C-439)
Mayor Goettel asked about the HUB and school district dynamic signs.
Zoning Administrator Poehlman responded that the school district sign is similar to the
Woodlake Lutheran Church sign.
Council Member Sandahl commented that the school sign is hard to read because of the
small font size. She added that the church sign should be able to convey a whole message if it’s
providing information.
Mayor Goettel asked about establishing a distinction between signs using bulbs and those
using videos.
Zoning Administrator Poehlman responded that studies indicate that any change is a
distraction.
Council Member Wroge stated that the right signs also need to be addressed in order to
deal with the wrong signs. He said he did not support scrolling messages. He added that there
should be one sign per property.
Zoning Administrator Poehlman explained that there currently is a limit of one dynamic sign
per property but more than one static sign.
Council Member Wroge said he supported a two minute frequency change in messages.
Council Member Kilian agreed with the staff recommendations.
Council Member Sandahl asked about the length of time the stop lights are red since the
current dynamic signs are located at controlled intersections.
Zoning Administrator Poehlman said the Planning Commission will consider these
recommendations, including the stop light time.
Council Member Sandahl asked about a message change versus a sign change.
Zoning Administrator Poehlman responded that would be difficult to monitor.
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ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned by unanimous consent at 6:46 p.m.
Date Approved: July 8, 2008
Cheryl rumh Iz
Recording Secretary
June 10, 2008
City Manager