Dominican Fundraiser Signs Ordered Removed by Village
The signs are for an Oct. 31 mattress sale fundraiser, with proceeds supporting the athletic booster club. Some money also will be donated to women's shelters in the region.
You've probably seen the signs all around Whitefish Bay. "Help the Kids!" they say. "Dominican HS and the House of Peace. Mattress Fundraiser Sale."
In fact, they're impossible to miss, as more than 100 of them are — or make that, were — scattered throughout the village.
But now the village building inspector has ordered that all of the mattress sale signs on public property or right of ways must come down. And that's most of them.
"We're going out and pulling ones off the right of way," said Paul Launer, village building inspector. Of the fundraiser's organizer, Launer said, "he's been ordered to remove all the signs located in public right of way or in front of businesses. He can't have any off premise; it's not allowed by the village code. If it’s a Dominican fundraiser, it needs to be on Dominican property."
The village is also controlling how many of the signs Dominican can have on its own property, he said, limiting the school to seven.
"This was supposed to help the community," said a frustrated John Geittmann, who organized the fundraiser.
The mattress sale at Dominican will be Wednesday in the cafeteria, from noon to 7 p.m. In addition to mattresses, box springs, frames and other items associated with mattresses are being sold. In response to the spa shooting in Brookfield, $50 will be donated to Milwaukee and Waukesha County women’s shelters for each mattress sold to help efforts to combat domestic violence. Also, the school is urging people to purchase mattresses to donate to the women's groups.
The sale is a fundraiser for Dominican’s Athletic Boosters, which supports student and alumni athletic activities facilities and events
Geittmann’s company buys the mattresses wholesale and sells them at steeply discounted rates — 30 to 60 percent — at the fundraisers. About 60 percent of the money then goes back to the participating high school. He said the sales occur at schools all across the country and 35 in Wisconsin, and only one other community — in Louisiana — refused to allow the signs to stay up.
Geittmann’s fundraising company is based in Waukesha. However, Geittmann has local ties. His brother is the dean of students for Dominican High School and he was previously coach for the North Shore Catholic Basketball League. Brian Geittman, the school's dean of students and athletic director, said he couldn't comment Tuesday.
John Geittmann answered his cell phone out of breath Tuesday afternoon because he was rushing around the village trying to pull signs down.
He said the building inspector told him that if the signs weren't down by 4 p.m., he would start fining Geittmann $200 for each remaining sign that was up. But Launer denied that. "I said he could be fined," he said.
Geittmann said he was ordered even to pull signs off the property of St. Monica Catholic Church, 160 E. Silver Spring Dr. "We had their permission, and it's private property," he said. Geittmann maintained that he was told the signs also couldn't be on private property, but Launer said the signs there are also in public right of ways and, thus, are not allowed. He said rules for signs on private property — such as in someone's home front yard — would be different.
The men also disagreed on what provoked the village response. Geittmann said he was told that a woman had complained because she is not Catholic. "Some lady said she is Jewish and she found it offensive that Catholic schools were putting signs up. That's how the village works. If one person complains about something..." he said.
Launer said he didn't know of any complaints and said the village monitors Silver Spring Drive for sign compliance on an ongoing basis. He said the signs are prohibited by the village's sign ordinance, which is multiple pages long and regulates signage.
A WFB Resident
7:25 pm on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
OH Paul, the inspector everyone loves to hate. You know I went to a State Fair Home and Garden Show and they were talking about how difficult you are. Some vendors won't even do business here in the Bay.
Patch, please post a contact number. I will be happy to host a sign on my lawn.
A WFB Resident
7:27 pm on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
P.S. The Village sits for years on Newspaper Boxes that violated Village ordinance up and down Silver Spring because they were afraid of getting sued for "freedom of speech" and you have real estate and yard sale signs week after week in the right away. you can't let one fundraiser slide and warn them not to do it in the future?
The Donny Show
7:53 pm on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
What a great idea to help the community, How are signs at St Monica in the right away? I smell a heavy handed public employee here!
I urge EVERYONE to stop in at Dominican tomorrow and support a great cause!
NObama 2012
8:09 pm on Tuesday, October 30, 2012
I'm happy that the beautiful Jessica McBride is writing for The Patch.
Carl Friedlin
8:53 am on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The more I read this, the more mad it makes me. The inspector basically admitted to threatening fines on someone looking to help kids and domestic abuse victims? And then told him signs on private property had to be removed? Who is this heavy-handed inspector?
I think we all should go to DHS today and show Inspector Paul that we do support our community and that we do want to stand up for what is right. Even if you dont need a mattress, join me in at least making a donation to help out those in need.
Been there done that
11:50 am on Friday, November 2, 2012
No need to be upset with Paul. He is merely carrying out the orders of the ReichWingers that run the village and the ARC board so this picture perfect community remains so. By the way, we still have room for another coffee shop on Silver Spring.
Phil
8:56 am on Saturday, November 3, 2012
HEY Mr. Inspector, please cite the code that was violated......you know the next wave of fund raising signs is coming. So I guess all the people that had the 'I have an Athlete at WFB H.S.' booster signs were ok......show us the code.
Go Dukes
11:14 am on Monday, November 5, 2012
I might be wrong here, but a neighbor of mine recently had his property surveyed and was told that the 2 feet on the inside edge of our sidewalks is part of the Village right of way. I've seen quite a few "political signs" that are within this 2', and the area between the sidewalk and street. Why aren't these signs being removed Paul? I agree with Harry - post, show, and enforce the code fairly and equally; not just Dominican. What about some of the residents that have done "landscaping" in these areas (e.g. low walls, stone, etc.) Who wil be liable if and when a small child or someone else trips and falls, breaks an arm, or something worse? The homeowner or the Village? Gee, could be quite costly. That "penny wise dollar foolish" mentality, while concerned about, and ordering the Dominican Fundraiser signs to be removed?? How ridiculous, especially since their signs were't up that long.
A WFB Resident
5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
So today, driving by Diversity at Fairmont, there were two election signs on the residents house and two election signs ON THE PARKWAY which is the write away. I certainly hope the village inspector or the Whitefish Bay Police have these two election signs in violation of the Whitefish Bay ordinance immediately removed!
Chris Anderson
5:13 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
You can't put signs on public property. Imagine Klode park with political signs, Cahill with Dunkin Donut ads, Schoolhouse Park with Miller ads.
Doesn't matter how delicious the donut, or wonderful the charity, public property is just that, public property.
You want the Dominican signs on your private property, that is your right. Signs in the business district do have restrictions, and that's where they came up with the 7-signs limit.
The building inspector is following the law: no signs on public property, no exceptions.
And come on, people. You wouldn't want him making exceptions, picking who gets to have signs on public land, and who doesn't.
A WFB Resident
10:12 pm on Tuesday, November 6, 2012
soooooo you are saying the election signs, realtor signs and yard sale signs are OK?
Chris Anderson
6:42 pm on Sunday, November 11, 2012
On private property, those are legal. On public property, no, not legal, not OK.
A WFB Resident
11:52 am on Monday, November 12, 2012
and I am saying they are on parkways, center blvds (ie Santa Monica or Hampton Blvd.) and if they are, they need to be removed. You can't have a policy enforced for one and not another.