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Politics & Government

Hudson Council Votes to End Temporary Ban on Electronic Signs Early

The Hudson Common Council voted to end its temporary moratorium on electronic display signs within the city.

The Hudson Common Council met on Monday, Feb. 21, to discuss rescinding the moratorium on electronic message board signs, effective March 11.

The council had originally placed a temporary moratorium on instillation of electronic message board signs in the city of Hudson to allow ample time to review and adopt a new ordinance on signs within the city. The orininal moratorium was to last through March 31.

The council adopted a new sign ordinance on Jan. 31.

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As a result, businesses will no longer be able to put sidewalk signs next to the curb, rather they must be against the building wall. These signs cannot be larger than four feet tall or three feet wide.

Electronic signs cannot have scrolling text, and the text may only fade out or dissolve to change. Also, the text cannot change at a rate faster than four seconds for each message.

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There is even a restriction on how bright electronic signs can be, as each individual bulb cannot exceed 33 watts.

Residents are also affected, as they can no longer place garage sale signs or other signs in the public right-of-way.

Political signs are not allowed on public right-of-way, and political candidates may no longer have portable electronic signs on vehicles or trailers parked in the streets.

It should be noted that the new ordinance does not affect existing signs, only future ones.

Anyone found in violation of the new sign ordinance will be given a written notice asking them to comply with the ordinance, if they fail to comply within 24 hours they could be fined up to $300.

The council unanimously favored ending the moratorium early.

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Other Council News:

  • The council approved (6-0) the application for the Hudson Hockey Association for a temporary class "B" liquor license, to seel beer on March 26 for the Hudson Hockey Association Meltdown event.
  • The council approved (6-0) a motion to allow Police Chief Marty Jensen to begin the hiring process and fill a vacancy in the Hudson Police Department.
  • Mayor Alan Burchill briefly addressed the council on Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget repair bill. Burchill assured the council that its city employees would continue to do their jobs. Burchill said he was "impressed with the phone call that I recieved, that said, 'you don't have to worry about us, we'll do our jobs, because we have contracts,' we should be proud of our employees."
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