MONTAGUE — The Montague city council unanimously approved a new ordinance regarding highway access management for Business US-31 at its regular monthly meeting Monday.
The ordinance, which had been placed before the council at work sessions a few times earlier this year, will govern the Business 31 corridor throughout the city limits, said city manager Jeff Auch, and largely revolves around sidewalks, entrances and exits, and frontage. The ordinance states its intention is "to promote safe and efficient travel" within the city limits, minimizing traffic conflicts and potential crashes. The ordinance further intends, in pursuit of that goal, to limit the number of access points to the Business 31 corridor to "the fewest needed to allow motorists reasonable access to" local businesses and homes.
During board discussion, Auch was asked if business owners had weighed in on the proposed ordinance, and replied that only one had. He added that the owner in question would not be greatly affected by the ordinance. Council member Susan Newhof later thanked city staff for its work putting together the ordinance.
The council also approved mayoral appointments to the planning commission and the zoning board of appeals, all renominations of existing members of those groups. ZBA appointees David Schultz, Thomas Eilers and Glen Naughtin were all approved unanimously apart from council member Paul Schultz (who is also on the ZBA) abstaining from the vote on David Schultz.
Planning commission nominee Misty Jaekel was also approved unanimously, and James Lippert was approved by a 4-3 vote. Paul Schultz, one of the dissenting votes, said he would prefer finding a commissioner who could attend more meetings, noting that Lippert, whose work often takes him out of town, "has missed about 33% of the meetings" over the past year.
Auch said during the city manager's update that by popular request, the city has compiled a list of organizations available for contact to help those in need this winter, and is compiling a list of churches who are willing to serve as warming centers in the event of a power outage. Both lists will be available at city hall.
