Town of Germantown

Town of Germantown

Planning Commission Meeting Minutes

November 4, 2025

Present: Commission Chairperson Keith Korbein, Commissioners, Tamaya Loewe, Gervase Thompson, Mike Edwards, Joe Witmer; Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Michaele Korbein

Absent:  Zoning Administrator Dick Martin

Also present were members of the public: None.

–Call to Order

The Planning Commission meeting was called to order by Chairperson Keith Korbein at the Germantown Town Hall at 5:30pm.

–Pledge of Allegiance

–Possible approval of meeting minutes

Joe Witmer made a motion to approve the minutes of the October 21, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, seconded by Tamaya Loewe; motion passed 5/0.   

–Work Session on Signs Ordinance

Discussed the wiry H-style contractor signs.   Contractors are planting those signs in the R.O.W. in front of a jobsite, leaving them after they are done working there, and they never come back to remove them, essentially taking advantage of free advertising.  Who should police them?   No sign should be located in the R.O.W.  Construction jobs that are currently under construction could have one of those signs but locate it on the owner’s property the appropriate distance from the lot line as per the ordinance and only while the job is active; and they must remove it when they are done with that job. Currently, Town workers have to stop their mowers and move them so they do not mow over them and damage equipment or become a hazard. During winter they get plowed up because they are in the R.O.W. and covered with snow.  Another note is that they are relatively cheap, so if they do not retrieve them and they are removed by the town, they are not out much.

Need to make the sign ordinance as it relates to but also looks out for people and also keeps up aesthetics and appearances -do not want to look like neighboring towns with a glut of signs. Sign fees should be what is needed to cover expenses involved in doing the sign officer’s work, such as for wear & tear on vehicles used to view signs and locations,  measuring, safety, processing permits, tracking, etc., or any other office time recording, mailing, notifying, etc.

 –November meeting

The next meeting date will be November 18, 2025, starting at 5:30pm.

–Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 6:54 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Michaele R. Korbein, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer