Freeport council moves to draft overweight/oversized vehicle permit and fee schedule; annual permits and penalties proposed

City staff told the Committee of the Whole they will draft an ordinance to formalize overweight and oversized vehicle permitting, establish fees and add enforcement options after staff reported repeated incidents of heavy loads damaging local streets. City Manager Boyer said the current codified ordinance language is outdated and lacks a fee schedule and a formal permit form. He described proposed changes to “4 60.11” (as cited in staff materials) to add an “overweight and oversized City of Freeport permit,” a required route submission for each trip and invoicing methods. Boyer said staff would add a reference to the state statute noted in staff materials. Public works supervisor Darren Stickel explained the scope and exclusions: “So this is not for standard semi loads. This is not for buses. This would not apply to garbage trucks. It would not apply to the fire department. It would not apply to agricultural during season.” He said the city’s main routes are permitted at 80,000 pounds and that an ordinance should prevent overweight loads across bridges; staff specifically named the Hancock Viaduct as a structure that should not carry overweight permitted loads until repairs are complete. Staff proposed a fee schedule in the memo: a $150 one-time permit, a $1,200 annual permit (tied to a vehicle license plate), and a $500 penalty for noncompliance. The memo also cited a prior penalty amount of $100 in an older code citation (described in staff materials as 04/1999). Stickel and Boyer told the committee that enforcement by weight (pounds) would be difficult because the city does not own certified scales or a weights-and-measures officer and that some jurisdictions charge by the pound while others use flat fees. Manager Weier and Boyer also described examples of impacts: state detours directing oversized loads onto local roads (Henderson Road) and incidents where loads damaged overhead lines or strips of roadway; staff said a permit system would allow the city to track which vehicle was authorized on specific routes so it could seek reimbursement for damage when it occurs. Alderman Shadle moved to advance the item to ordinance drafting; Alderman Klem seconded. The committee voted to move the proposal forward for drafting and first reading; Bo y er and the city attorney said they would return with a drafted ordinance and a permit application for the July 21 council meeting. The transcript records a single “Aye” during the voice vote and no recorded opposing votes. The staff presentation and ensuing discussion focused on creating a clear, consistently applied permit process, notifying carriers at the city limits that permits are required, and allowing annual accounts for frequent haulers. The committee did not adopt final ordinance language or fees at the meeting; the action recorded was approval to draft and bring the ordinance back for formal readings and vote.