Coldwater council adopts policy allowing blind, deaf and autistic child warning signs after public testimony

The City Council of Coldwater on Sept. 8 adopted Resolution 25-99 and Policy P-25-03 to create a citywide process for installing blind, deaf, autistic and other disabled-child warning signs on local streets following extended public comment from families and caregivers. The policy permits signs on local rights-of-way placed between 100 and 150 feet from the requesting property, requires a signed application from a medical professional, and calls for an annual confirmation each January that the sign is still needed.

City Manager Keith (City Manager) told the council staff prepared a revised policy after the council's prior discussion and that the policy would create a governance process for accepting applications, managing installation and removal, and monitoring placement. "Based on your discussions, we're bringing forward to you resolution 25 99, which would adopt this revised policy p-25-03 and establish a process by which we would accept applications," Keith said.

The council heard more than a dozen public commenters during the meeting's public-comment period. Dominique Prater, committee chair of the Branch County Parent…