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Council declines immediate speed-limit change on Nola Hasse, sends it back to TSAC for study
Summary
Council considered a first reading to lower the prima facie speed limit to 25 mph on Nola Hasse but after member debate the first-reading motion did not carry; the council voted 6'to— to refer the item back to the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee for additional neighborhood outreach and data.
The council discussed a first reading of an ordinance to reduce the prima facie speed limit on Nola Hasse (between Fair Oaks Parkway and DeSelkhorn/Deeds Elkhorn, as described in the packet) to 25 miles per hour. The item originated from the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) after one resident submitted a formal request and two nearby residents supported it during the committee process.
Council members debated whether the change should proceed now, with several members voicing concern that the request was based on a small number of residents and recommending additional outreach or a short radar-based speed study before permanently changing posted limits. Staff described TSAC's recommendation and noted the typical practice is to deploy radar feedback devices or perform a 30-day study to gather data; staff said the city runs most such studies in-house.
A motion to approve the first reading was made and seconded but did not pass on the floor (council recorded a split voice vote). Council then moved and adopted a referral back to TSAC for further review and resident outreach; the minute tally was recorded as 6 in favor of referral and 1 opposed (Reuben). Council asked TSAC to collect response data from the neighborhood and report back rather than rely solely on radar placement.
Representative quotes: "My concern is that we don't paint ourselves into a corner for making a mountain out of a molehill by having different speed limits assigned to different parts of the city," one council member said, expressing caution about proliferating local speed zones. "If we want data-informed decisions, that would be a strong suggestion: look at a 30-day study using radar feedback signs," staff advised.
Next steps: the referral directs TSAC to gather neighborhood response data and any supporting speed measurements, then return to council with results ahead of the second reading if the committee continues to recommend changes.
Note on names and spellings: the street names in the transcript and packet contain multiple variant spellings (e.g., Nola Hasse, Nolihazi, Nollehausen). Council and staff referred to the packet language when discussing the ordinance; official legal text in the ordinance packet should be used for signage and enforcement.
