Council adopts weights-and-measures ordinance requiring annual licensing of commercial scales and meters

The Common Council introduced and adopted Ordinance 1148-2025 to create chapter 194, "Weights and Measures and Licenses," establishing licensing, application and assessment procedures for commercial weighing or measuring devices used in the city.

Why it matters: businesses that use scales, meters or measuring devices to sell goods must be licensed under the new ordinance; the council said the ordinance shifts the licensing and fee responsibility to the device operators rather than the city subsidizing those checks.

Key provisions: the ordinance defines commercial devices; requires an annual weights-and-measures license from the city clerk; exempts occasional sales covered by a special-event permit; requires each business location to obtain a separate license; and sets an annual assessment process where fees "shall not exceed the editable cost of the weights and measures program." The clerk is required to mail proposed assessment schedules to licensees and the council will adopt a final schedule at a later date.

Discussion and vote: council members summarized the measure as replacing a city-paid service with a license-and-fee structure for businesses. The council voted to adopt the ordinance; the motion carried on voice vote.

Ending: Staff will prepare the required application form, fee schedule and administrative procedures for clerk issuance, and the council directed the clerk to proceed with notices to affected businesses.