Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The Port Washington Common Council will continue a discussion about urban chicken keeping inside city limits at its next meeting after the issue was tabled — though not all aldermen were in favor of the move.
The Port Washington Common Council voted to table a discussion about an ordinance that would allow the raising of chickens within city limits during its meeting on Tuesday night. The suggestion to hold the discussion until the council's next meeting came from Ald. Paul Neumeyer, who said a resident in his district had planned to give a presentation about the issue — but was unable to attend because of a medical emergency. Aldermen were split on the issue, voting three in favor and three against tabling — forcing Mayor Tom Mlada to issue the final vote; he chose to allow the discussion to be tabled. Ald. Jim Vollmar was absent from the meeting, causing the even number of council members; Aldermen Joe Dean, Douglas Biggs and Dave Larson …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
After concerns and suggestions from Port Washington business owners surfaced regarding the proposed changes to the city's liquor ordinance, officials have reworked some of the wording in the law, which will now wait until early March for approval.
Port Washington officials continue to clean up wording of the new liquor ordinance while addressing concerns from city business owners, and approval of the law has now been pushed back a couple weeks. City officials met with several business owners on Wednesday afternoon to dicuss the ordinance, and concerns surrounding the required security plan seemed to continue to top the list. In applying for a liquor permit, new business owners will be required to present an agreed upon security plan between themselves and Police Chief Kevin Hingiss, and Ald. Jim Vollmar said that leaves him concerned about the potential tenants' rights to negotiate what a responsible security plan might be. "It's got to be fair for everybody, and there's got to be a…
Friday, February 8, 2013
A meeting next week between officials and business owners will offer a chance for concerns to be aired before the final reading on the Feb. 20 council meeting.
Port Washington business owners and city officials will meet next week to continue discussing an ordinance that would require both a business and security plan from applicants hoping to open an alcohol-related business in Port. Port Washington Main Street Executive Director Sara Grover attended a Common Council meeting on Tuesday to speak on behalf of many of the city's business owners during a public hearing. While Grover came with suggestions regarding details in the ordinance, she also said business owners were interested in having a more interactive role in rewriting the law. "The interaction between businesses and city is what they're looking for," Grover said referring to business owners. "To really mold and craft a really good …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Port Washington couple who thought they might lose their honey bee hives last fall because of zoning and ordinance issues are now the first to apply for a license to continue practicing urban beekeeping under the city's recently passed law.
Bethel and Mike Metz, the Port Washington couple that brought about 25,000 honey bees to their home in July, are officially the first and so far only couple to apply for a license to continue beekeeping under the city's new ordinance. "That’s what we were hoping for, to be the first," Bethel Metz told the Ozaukee Press. "After five months of work, we thought it would be appropriate." Port Washington officially became a bee-friendly community in January, after the Common Council's approval of a beekeeping ordinance — a move that some say will make Port a star player in the urban beekeeping movement. It was the Metzs' beehives that got this issue on the council's to-do list in the first place. The Metzs brought about 25,000 honey bees to …
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Aldermen, bee experts discuss the necessary components of an ordinance that covers all the bases when allowing beekeeping in the city.
The Port Washington Common Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday night to allow beekeeping within city limits, a move sparked by a controversial beehive being housed by Port residents Bethel and Mike Metz. The ordinance, highly modeled off laws recently passed in Milwaukee and Evanston, IL, would require residents to obtain training and to have annual inspections of their hives as well as pay for a license from the city before becoming beekeepers. "I feel like we're in the middle," Bethel Metz said about the law's progress. "You celebrate every little victory (and) I'm encouraged by the openness here. (The ordinance) rivals a lot of communities' final ordinances." That's because city officials are working to make sure they cover all the…
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Port Washington Common Council approved an ordinance banning concealed weapons in all city buildings, adding a requirement for annual security inspections of such buildings by city officials.
City officials point to conversations with their employees about safety concerns in their decision to approve an ordinance banning concealed weapons in all city buildings. "While your number one duty is to represent the city, your employees have asked you that they don’t want the guns," Port Washington Mayor Scott Huebner said to the council Tuesday night. "(City employees) strongly don’t want them in here, and there hasn’t been a strong outcry from the public that they do want them in here." The council voted 5-3 to approve the ban, with aldermen Joe Dean, David Larson and Burt Babcock voting against the ordinance. The ordinance includes an amendment that calls for the city administrator and the police chief to jointly conduct an annual …
Lyssa Beyer
11:02 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
Hey Tim, I do agree that the public comment section went quickly without much time to respond; though — had someone stood up or raised they're hand when the mayor said "OK, moving on then," I assure you they would have allowed the comment. I've seen it before. "Oh someone does have a comment. OK." The public comment session never has a specific topic tied to it, it's always an open forum for any … more ›