Manitowoc Public Safety Committee forwards three traffic-code amendments to City Council

The Chair called the June 8 meeting of the Manitowoc Public Safety Committee to order at 5:30 p.m. and the committee unanimously voted to forward three traffic-related ordinances to the City Council for consideration.

The measures would amend three sections of the Manitowoc Municipal Code: section 10.170 (regulating through intersections), section 10.150 (regulating arterial-street through-traffic exceptions) and section 10.230 (regulating four-way stops). The committee solicited public comment (calling three times for speakers, per legal guidance) and, after receiving none, proceeded to the agenda items.

On ordinance 260509, which would amend section 10.170 to update rules for through intersections, the Chair introduced the item and the committee moved and seconded a recommendation to the City Council. There was no substantive discussion recorded and the committee approved forwarding the ordinance.

Ordinance 260510, amending section 10.150 on exceptions for through traffic on arterial streets, prompted brief discussion about wording and how the municipal code cross-references different stop configurations. A committee member said reading the existing verbiage was difficult; the Chair noted having spoken with the city attorney, who "said it has to do with…" the way the code treats four-way stops versus one-way or two-way stops. The committee agreed to forward the ordinance to the City Council "with any language or direction corrections that may be needed." The motion to forward 260510 was recorded as made by Committee member Bean and seconded; the committee approved the recommendation unanimously.

The committee also considered ordinance 260511, to amend section 10.230 regulating four-way stops. Members confirmed a motion and second and noted a minor written-reference correction in the ordinance text; the committee voted to recommend approval to the City Council, with the motion seconded by Committee member Anderson and the vote recorded as unanimous.

All three items were recommended to the City Council (the Chair noted they will appear on the City Council's non-consent agenda). No roll-call tallies with individual member votes were specified in the transcript; the committee's recorded outcomes were unanimous approvals. Alder Cummings was marked excused for the meeting. The committee adjourned following the votes.