The Kenosha Public Safety & Welfare Committee on Oct. 27 approved an agreement with Kenosha County to lease rooftop space for a freestanding radio antenna, approved a no-parking designation on a stretch of First Street and changed stop/yield control at a nearby intersection. The committee deferred a dangerous-animal declaration appeal and postponed a parking restriction request for two weeks for further discussion.

The antenna agreement authorizes the City of Kenosha to lease 25 square feet on top of the county public-safety building to install a freestanding radio tower intended to improve interoperability among public-safety radio systems. “is a agreement between the city and the county to lease 25 square feet of space on top of the county public safety building building the county owns, with the intention that we put a radio tower, a freestanding radio tower on top of it,” a deputy chief told the committee. He said the antenna would add a “portable repeated channel” for downtown incidents and would be a freestanding, nonintrusive installation anchored by cinder blocks; the deputy chief said 14 cinder blocks would secure the unit and that there is no cost to the city for the lease. The committee approved the agreement by voice vote.

During public comment on a staff request to restrict parking on the east side of 203 Third Avenue for 160 feet north of 50 Seventh Street, a local business representative asked the committee to delay action so staff and the fire department could meet with nearby businesses and consider options such as a short-term parking zone. Committee members moved to defer that parking request for two weeks to allow staff, the city engineer and nearby property owners to confer.

A separate staff request to designate no parking on the south side of 60 First Street for 205 feet east of Fourteenth Avenue was approved after staff explained the street is a narrow dead-end where existing signage and driveway access made additional posted no-parking zones appropriate. A committee member said the measure would make signage “doubly clear.” The motion passed by voice vote.

The committee also approved changing stop/yield control at the intersection of 40 First Street and 50 Fourth Avenue, switching yield control to the east–west approach after an engineering review found heavier north–south traffic. Staff told the committee the intersection did not meet warrants for a stop control but that the yield-control change reflected observed traffic patterns; the committee approved the change by voice vote.

On an appeal of a dangerous-animal declaration by Ellen Frey, a committee member moved to defer the appeal for two weeks so more members would be present for a full vote. The committee approved the deferral.

Committee members closed the meeting by reminding members of an upcoming budget session for public safety and welfare and adjourning.