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News boxes need to be restricted, Minneapolis official says

The city should follow St. Paul's lead and regulate sidewalk news boxes, a council member says.

By STEVE BRANDT, Star Tribune

Last update: November 9, 2008 - 11:53 PM

Arguing that self-regulation hasn't worked, Council Member Ralph Remington wants Minneapolis to catch up with St. Paul on limiting the spread of sidewalk news boxes. St. Paul passed restrictions in 2000 on the spacing and appearance of news racks, but Minneapolis chose to wait and see.

Remington said issues of accessibility and appearance prompt a need for Minneapolis to act now. He's proposing a $39 annual fee on the boxes, estimated to number 5,000 to 6,000 in 2000. A public hearing on the proposal is expected on Dec. 2.

The fee, which isn't a part of the St. Paul rules, is intended to cover the cost of inspector time spent assuring that box owners follow the new rules.

Remington said long rows of news boxes make it difficult for older people and people with disabilities to exit cars and use sidewalks.

He would limit boxes to not more than four in a row, with a mandatory three feet between each cluster.

Some boxes are covered with graffiti that attracts more, he said. He would require that each box be registered, with a contact name and phone number posted in case a box is defaced or in poor repair. Exterior advertising would be limited.

Remington said St. Paul's restrictions prompted the number of boxes to shrink by about a third, even without a fee. "If you're accountable for your boxes and you're putting money toward them, you're going to put those boxes where you ... get the most bang for your buck," he said.

After St. Paul's rules took effect, Remington said, publishers with boxes in Minneapolis "all tried to work something out and agreed to self-regulation. But that hasn't worked."

Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438

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