The Oconto Falls Chamber of Commerce has gained City Council approval for two new welcome signs.
At the City Council meeting Nov. 12, Chamber of Commerce President Gail Yatso presented three options for one of the signs. The three options, prepared by Jones Sign of Green Bay, consist of 16-foot-tall pylon signs, with 5- by 10-foot rectangular sign faces with electronic, full-color message centers.
The third option has a larger sign face to accommodate a curved band across the top incorporating the year the city was settled, in 1912. The sign fronts all display the message “Welcome to Oconto Falls, Your destination to outdoor recreation.” All three sign options are double-sided, with the backs displaying a “Thank you for visiting” message.
Pole covers vary, with the least expensive built of aluminum. The second option is a faux brick veneer and the third, masonry stone. Yatso recommended going with the third option, explaining that the masonry pole cover matches the natural resources of the area and is visually more appealing.
The sign will cost $24,690 and funds are available, thanks to a $24,000 donation from ST Paper of Oconto Falls. Sharad Tak, owner of ST Paper LLC, is very interested in community efforts to beautify the city, according to Steve Lea, mill manager. A plaque will be placed on the sign to acknowledge ST Paper as a donor.
The city will be responsible for purchasing a modem to operate the message center but will not contribute additional funds for the signs. According to City Administrator Vicki Roberts, the city expects the cost of the modem to be less than $500.
The first sign installed would be located on state Highway 22 and Highland Drive and would replace an existing welcome sign. Minimal excavating would be needed since the area is already landscaped, and access to electricity for the message board center is also available.
According to Yatso, a second sign will be purchased identical to the first as soon as funds are available, but would have no message center. This sign would be placed on the west side of the city on County Road CC and would replace the existing sign.
The chamber has been raising funds with the goal of beautifying the city of Oconto Falls, hoping to encourage tourism. Yatso said with the Highway 22 reconstruction project approaching, the focus is on developing more parks and greenspace as attractions. She said the message center will be vital for the Chamber of Commerce and area businesses to use as a community calendar and advertising option.
“We plan to get the whole community together to promote what Oconto Falls has to offer,” she said.
She expects the first sign to be operational in January.
After the highway reconstruction project ends in 2015, a third sign will be placed on the east side of the city on Highway 22. That sign will also display a message center.
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