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Waukesha finance committee approves downtown kiosk advertising policy and fee schedule
Summary
The Waukesha City Finance Committee approved a downtown kiosk advertising policy and a fee schedule, clearing a plan to sell short digital ad slots to support downtown marketing and kiosk maintenance; the motion passed 3-1.
The Waukesha City Finance Committee on Feb. 25 voted 3-1 to approve a proposed advertising policy and initial fee schedule for digital kiosks in the downtown.
Robin Graham, associate planner with community development, told the committee the kiosks already display a downtown map and business listings and that staff proposes adding an advertising slot in the lower-left corner of the kiosk screen. "One week would be $150... one month would be $500 and then two months would be $800 for the... advertisement," Graham said. She said advertising revenue would be used to market downtown, maintain or replace kiosks and help fund city-sponsored downtown events.
The policy, Graham said, was drafted by city staff and reviewed by the city attorney’s office; staff member Miles helped frame the policy and restrictions on content. Graham described the technical display as guaranteeing about 10 seconds per advertisement "seen one to two times per minute," and said the city is proposing four kiosks in downtown that would each carry the ads.
Alderman Alderson Munkey questioned the market rate and whether downtown businesses would pay the proposed fees. "It seems awful high to me," Munkey said, noting that if the slot is small and infrequent, potential advertisers might balk. Munkey urged giving staff flexibility to adjust prices more frequently than once a year so the city can respond to demand.
Committee member Rick and Alderman McElderly also raised rate‑setting and placement questions. McElderly asked how often an advertiser’s slot would appear if many advertisers buy space; Graham said the policy guarantees at least 10 seconds every one to two minutes, yielding roughly six to 12 guaranteed appearances per kiosk depending on rotation, and that staff could further adjust rotation if demand grows.
The draft policy lists categories of ads that would be disallowed; Graham said the city intends to give downtown businesses the first opportunity to buy space and that the communications team did market comparisons with similar communities. She said one local bank, identified in the discussion as State Bank, had expressed interest.
Finance staff clarified where the revenue would be recorded. The cover memo states proceeds will be held in a specific city revenue account; staff confirmed the funds will post to account 581 and said revenue will be matched against kiosk and downtown marketing expenses.
A motion to approve the policy, fees and authority for community development staff to update fees passed on a voice vote, 3 in favor and 1 opposed. An unidentified committee member who voted no said they opposed having advertising on the kiosks. The committee directed staff to proceed under the approved policy and to retain flexibility to revise fees as needed.
The committee's action covers approving the specific fee amounts, adopting the kiosk advertising policy as presented, and giving staff authority to modify fees over time to reflect demand and sponsorship levels.
