Committee receives sign-permit revision; planning commission to review zoning-related changes

The Green Bay Protection and Policy Committee on March 24 received and placed on file a proposed revision to the city's sign-permit process intended to centralize applications and speed approvals.

A staff member summarizing an update from the Department of Community and Economic Development (CED) said the proposal would create a web-based application and a single point of contact for sign permits. The staff member said the CED director is sending related ordinance language to the Planning Commission because some changes affect the zoning code.

The staff member said the city plans to designate one inspector, Mike Botot, as the point of contact for sign permits and to include sign approvals tied to the landmarks ordinance in a single package of ordinance changes. The staff member said the revisions would also authorize the director or the director's designee to sign hold-harmless agreements and streamline approvals that previously required full Common Council action. "Again, all trying to make that a little bit more efficient," the staff member said.

Committee members voted to receive and place the communication on file and noted that more specific edits will be made when the ordinance language is reviewed by the Planning Commission. No specific ordinance language or ordinance numbers were provided at the committee meeting.

The committee's action was procedural; the Planning Commission will review zoning-related amendments and any ordinance edits will return to the committee or council as required.