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Committee tightens rules on election signs in right-of-way, aligns with county and DOT practice
Summary
The committee voted to amend Germantown Municipal Code section 9.19 to disallow vertical election signs in the public right-of-way and to rely on GIS-based measurements for enforcement, with staff to post guidance for candidates and the public.
The Germantown Public Works Committee approved an ordinance amendment to section 9.19 of the Germantown Municipal Code that disallows vertical election campaign signs in the public right-of-way and directs staff to use GIS measurements to determine right-of-way lines for enforcement.
Staff said the existing code had exceptions that allowed signs in the right of way with adjacent property-owner permission, a provision staff and trustees called difficult to administer. "What's very common ... is to just disallow vertical signs in the way," Matt (staff member) said, explaining the proposal would align village practice with Washington County and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
How it will work: Staff described how the village will use its GIS parcel and right-of-way layers to show petitioners and candidates where the right-of-way line falls. "If you look at the edge of pavement, I can just draw a line there, and it tells me that's 51 feet from the edge of pavement," Matt said in a demonstration shown to trustees. Staff said they expect a learning curve for residents and campaign volunteers and that enforcement will generally be complaint-driven rather than a daily patrol of signs.
Concerns raised: Trustees and staff noted several high-profile locations (the Pilgrim Road corridor, Division Road curves and certain intersections) where right-of-way is wide and had been commonly used for campaign signage. The ordinance will require outreach: staff said the updated code and GIS guidance should be posted alongside election application material so candidates can confirm allowable placement.
Vote: The committee voted in favor of forwarding the amended ordinance to the village board. Staff said the final language will be posted with GIS guidance for the public before election cycles.
Ending: The change will mean a handful of commonly used sign locations are no longer lawful; staff said most affected parties already maintain driveways or parking lots that can accommodate alternative sign placement.
