Elkader Council continues budget work, weighs sign code updates
By Kaitlyn Kuehl-Berns | Times-Register
At recent meetings, the Elkader City Council continued work on the fiscal year 2027 budget and discussed potential revisions to the code of ordinances relating to sign regulations.
Budget discussion included upcoming and ongoing infrastructure projects, department salaries and budgets, as well as sewer and water rate schedules. Council members noted significant increases in multiple line items within the police department budget and requested additional clarification on the reasoning at the next meeting.
Updates to the sign regulations included removing contradictory requirements and sections deemed overly restrictive or specific. Some inconsistencies across different zoning districts were considered appropriate.
Throughout the discussion, council members voiced a desire to consider varying structure types and business needs.
Relating to sign regulations, specific material requirements for signs and sign fixtures were discussed, with the council agreeing to remove the incombustible material requirement that was discussed at past meetings.
The council asked the city administrator to research and verify whether the dimension requirements for various types of signs are adequate for standard uses.
Budget discussion will continue, and potential revisions to the ordinance will be drafted and reviewed at a future meeting.
A request to consider adding regulations to reflect Main Street’s structural design recommendations within the city code was also discussed.
It was explained that, while projects that fall outside typical Main Street recommendations are allowed under current code, incorporating those standards could help maintain the character of the Main Street district.
Council member Hauber noted, “I think maybe we should find some time to figure out what our goal with downtown is. Do we have a concerted effort to make downtown retain its historic significance? And if we do, are we willing to put some rules into place to enforce it?”
Council member Bob Garms commented, “That’s always been the purpose as far as I’m concerned.”
He then reflected on different recognitions Elkader’s Main Street district has received over the years and its benefit to the community.
Hauber explained how the lack of Main Street recommendations reflected in the city code can cause tension. “It gets tough when there are people who are taking a more expensive route to invest and maintain that historic district while others within the district are benefiting from it in some way through increased tourism, but not also doing that.”
Expressing his desire for regulations to be applied equitably, council member Randy Henning said, “You’ve got to make it accountable for everybody the same, regardless of your name, what you do or how long you’ve been in business in town.”
To address the topics Garms raised, he added, “It would be nice to come up with some reasonable guidelines. But we’ve got to make it fit Elkader.”
“We have to try to keep it economically feasible to the person who owns the building,” Henning added.
Hauber added, “I do feel like we need to look at it as an entirety and not one particular building or situation. Maybe next time we could come back after looking at the Main Street requirement recommendations more and determine what of those things we need to take out and also have planning and zoning and Main Street weigh in.”
