Town of Germantown

Town of Germantown

Planning Commission Meeting Minutes

October 21, 2025

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

Absent:  Zoning Administrator Dick Martin

Also present were members of the public: Brad Pavloski, Luke Bacher, Kay,

–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

Thank you to Mick McCormick for just over six years on this committee; he submitted his resignation, to be effective at the end of tonight’s meeting. Also, welcome to Joe Witmer who the Town Board appointed at the October 14, 2025 Board meeting to take Mick’s place going forward.  Mike Edwards made a motion to approve the minutes of the September 16, 2025 Planning Commission meeting, seconded by Mick McCormick; motion passed 5/0.   

–Work Session continued on Short Term Rentals

and

–Work Session continued on Room Tax

Copies of both work-in-progress ordinances were submitted to the town’s attorney, who asked several questions such as properties registered with the state from rooming house license (83), how many additional units for STRs are we expecting to go online in the next year or two (guess of 50), how many motel units/resort cabins here that would be subject to room tax (20), how many would be single units self-managed by owner vs someone managing multiple units (half and half).  Nothing has been received back since submitting those answers.  These will be put on next month’s agenda again.

–Work Session on Signs Ordinance

Mike Edwards voluntarily started creating a list of what signs are in Germantown. He noted there seems to have been an explosion of unregulated signs recently. The biggest problem seems to be enforcement. Political signs are supposed to be removed at the end of an election.  It was suggested to implement a yearly/annual renewal fee for all signs.  There are 100 miles approximately in Germantown.  It benefits a business to have their sign within Germantown. Some signs are not maintained, some are abandoned, some are improperly located in the right-of-way which slows down the Town’s mowing or snow plowing operations and can cause equipment damage.

The main question was, again, on who will enforce. An enforcer needs authority from the Town Board.  According to the current ordinance, the Zoning Administrator is supposed to be enforcing it. However, this does have to do with budgeting, as only 10-11 hours a month are budgeted for the zoning administrator’s position, so the Board would need to allocate more hours so that enforcement can happen.  Including possible annual fees into the budget could help support the zoning administrator’s position.  The percentage of funds the town keeps from property taxes is only about 7%.  Enforcement should be a top priority, as then it becomes a deterrent and makes others follow the ordinance.

Other problems include off-premises signs and wire signs and temporary signs. Wire signs are supposed to be temporary, but it seems businesses place them in the right-of-way during work on and after they have completed work on a property, and then they leave the area and leave them or forget about them -but they are a non-permanent sign. Off-premises signs are popping up all over.

A sign on private property cannot be legally removed by a town worker. A sheriff’s officer can and should be able to enforce the ordinance and write tickets.

An inventory of signs would be especially useful in identifying who owns what and where.  Using that listing, the signs can then be numbered. Also, that listing can then be compared to the list of what was actually permitted over the years to find out who needs to be permitted or those who are illegal. 

The cost of a sign permit and penalties for signs on the fee schedule should be looked at and updated. An annual/renewal fee that could just be a flat fee could be instituted in addition to the initial fee.  Maybe include changing sign size in relation to the fee. Lighting could be an additional fee.

Changes suggested to be made to the sign ordinance could include simplifying it down from its current 15 pages, have no ‘Third Party’ signs, have no ‘off-premises’ signs, show what is not allowed rather than all the different kinds that are allowed, and shorten the definitions section.  We should also check the State for guidance on lumens in lighting signs and how to illuminate a sign so it does not cause traffic issues, and then view what the County, New Lisbon, and other municipalities have for their sign ordinances.

 –November meeting

The date will be November 4, 2025, starting at 5:30pm to focus on the signs ordinance.

–Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 6:50 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Michaele R. Korbein, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer