City attorney: council already approved yield sign last year; new ordinance referred back to committee

The Belvidere City Council recessed discussion and referred a new yield-sign ordinance for Douglas and Willow streets back to committee on July 6, after the city attorney reported the council had already approved a conflicting ordinance in October 2025.

The city attorney told the council that, when preparing a draft ordinance, he found the city had previously passed an ordinance that set Willow yielding to Douglas and that the signs approved then had not been installed. “We already passed this ordinance,” the city attorney said, noting the earlier ordinance (passed Oct. 6, 2025) remained in effect and recommending the new proposal be referred to committee rather than adopted in conflicting form.

Alderman Peterson urged following the previously approved plan and putting the signage in place. “Id make a motion then that we just go with what we passed in October and just, you know, put the signage up and call it good,” Peterson said. Alderman Albertini said he observed traffic at the intersection and preferred leaving the existing yield pattern in place.

Staff and a public-safety advisor described sight-line concerns at the Willow dogleg but agreed the council could implement the October ordinance rather than create a contradictory new rule. One staff member noted parts of the intersection were currently unmarked.

The council voted to refer the new ordinance establishing Douglas yielding to Willow back to committee and left the prior ordinance in force; the city attorney said the prior ordinance could be implemented and signs installed at any time. The referral preserves the earlier ordinance and prevents the council from creating overlapping yield assignments until committee review.

The committee will take up the item again; the council did not adopt the new ordinance at second reading.