At the September 19 Paullina City Council meeting the chamber was on the agenda for 2 business items. One item was to request closure of certain streets for the Fall Festival. The other is to share the chamber’s design selection for a new welcome sign and to approve “completion of downtown Paullina sign on boulevard.”
Marlo Ebel served Paullina twice as mayor, volunteered countless hours to improvement work within the city boundaries such as painting curbs and was a backbone member of the Paullina Ambulance for more than 35 years. Marlo passed away June 17, 2018.
The Paullina Ambulance worked the annual fly-in pancake breakfast at the airport. Proceeds from that event were given to the family for a memorial for Marlo. Barb Ebel remembered, “The funds were to benefit the memory of Marlo through the Chamber.” She noted a sign on the boulevard. She explained that the family held the money in a special account for a period of time. During that time the family was kept updated that “the state was the holdup” and other questions. “Finally,” she said, “the family gave the money to the chamber.”
The sign presented says, “Welcome to downtown Paullina” and features a silhouette of the Paullina skyline.
Recently the IDOT allowed a welcome sign to replace the welcome and list of churches that beckoned to passersby since the 1970s.
Rich Frerk, Chamber representative, attended the council meeting to show the design that is to be made of old barn wood. Chamber volunteers will replace rotted parts of the structure, and no funds from the city will be used. He asked permission of the council to do the work and place the sign. State regulations that held up the sign update since 2018 were previously interpreted that the sign could stay as is where is, but no changes were allowed.
A different regulator, Brooks Glasnapp looked at the location and sign. He allowed the removal of dilapidated material and outdated information to be removed from the structure and a new welcome sign to be placed instead. Glasnapp explains that the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) determines placement. Glasnapp also explained that the MUTCD explaining public right of way, such as the boulevard on Main Street and Grand Avenue, has language open to interpretation. He deferred final decision to the city. All city requirements must be met. But he emphasized that a “welcome” sign is fine. Advertising or commercial messaging is not allowable.