It was a pretty eventful City Council meeting Tuesday night — our only meeting for July.
Among the items discussed were changes to three city ordinances dealing with payday loan stores, portable storage units and open intoxicants. Each amendment passed 7-0, with Ald. Joe Bukowski excused from the meeting. It was the final approval for the open intoxicants ordinance. The others will likely receive final passage — after two more readings — at our next council meeting in August.
Here is a closer look at each:
- “Convenient cash” businesses. After having a complete moratorium on these businesses in recent years, the council passed a fairly strict set of guidelines as it relates to location, hours of operation, security and other requirements for check cashing, payday loan, car title, cash/loan advance and other businesses like this. For instance, such “convenient cash businesses” will not be able to be located within 1,500 feet of each other, and they can’t be located within 250 of residences. The businesses won’t be able to operate between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. All such businesses will also have to have an outdoor surveillance camera and submit a security plan addressing areas like cash on hand, lighting and security.
- Portable storage units. The proposed new ordinance relating to portable storage units is also pretty strict. Among the highlights: There must be no more than one unit per property, and they can not remain at a property in any zoning district for more than 30 straight days, or 30 days total in a 12-month period. The property owner must also ensure that the structure is kept in good condition, and the units (such as PODS) can’t be used for storage of business inventory or commercial goods without approval by the Plan Commission.
- Donation drop-off boxes. We also voted to regulate these, requiring that these boxes be used only by nonprofit organizations and “placed within the buildable area of the lot in a side or rear yard and screened from view of any public right-of-way.”
- Open intoxicants. Under the new ordinance, you can no longer possess any glass or open container containing beer, liquor or other fermented malt beverages “on any thoroughfare, street, sidewalk or other public way” without a permit granted by the Common Council.
Of course, I supported all of these ordinance changes. All of them are examples of common-sense government regulations, areas where government can and should make a difference in making communities better places to live and do business in.
Our next meeting is August 17, keeping with our once-a-month summer schedule. Join us!
South Milwaukee Blog 
Kudos to the payday (loan shark) stores regulations. I would rather see a pawn shop go in, but it is, what it is.
PODs – does this also go for dumpsters? There are some people who are doing some major remodeling and fixing up their homes. They need long term dumpsters. Does this rule apply to that?
Open intoxicants? Does this apply to Grant Park? They seem to waive the open container law during major holidays when the park is full of picnics (like the 4th).
Also what about the bars on Milwaukee Ave who are offering outside cafe dining on the sidewalk? will they get dinged to buy another permit because they choose to offer outside dining?
Rocket Mom: All good questions. Here’s a couple answers. The PODs ordinance does not include Dumpsters, but I hear you on those. I am not sure about the open intoxicants language, but I will check. I’ll also have to check on the outdoor dining issue. We do separately permit outdoor dining establishments, and I would not expect (nor want) them to pay a second time for an open intoxicant license. That is not the spirit of the ordinance — in fact, it was aimed first and foremost at outdoor festivals like Lionsfest.
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