WEBSTER CITY – A group of Webster City High School alumni hoping to inject some school spirit into the community faces an uphill battle as it gets set to go in front of the City Council this evening.

Spearheaded by Kristen Ruppel, the group is looking to replace a sign that read “Lynx Country” that was previously located on the side of a shed on the property of Troy Smith on Beach Street between Blank and Division.

The original sign, painted in purple lettering on an old building, was removed when the shed was replaced with what sits on the site today. Ruppel began her quest simply looking to replicate the original and she says she received overwhelming support from other alumni.

“Growing up in Webster City, I always felt so much pride when I saw that sign and I want my children to feel the same sense of pride that I felt,” Ruppel said in a video she posted to Facebook that has been viewed more than 2,400 times since Friday. “It was amazing feeling like you were completely one community of Lynxmen.”

Once she verbalized her idea, Ruppel says Smith agreed to the replica and a large group of former alumni wanted to help. Eventually, a committee was formed and plans were put into place.

Ruppel said Lampert Lumber offered to donate the lumber and Webster City True Value was willing to supply the paint.

Eventually, the committee opted to go with a wrap that would be done by Kinnetz Signs, and $370 were raised to pay for the new sign, which would be 70 square feet in size. It was to be unveiled on Aug. 26, just two days prior to the Webster City football team’s 2015 season opener at home against Gilbert.

“Members of the Webster City alumni really pitched together and the community has worked hard to make the sign a reality,” Ruppel said. “It’s a great group of people.”

All of the plans were put on the back burner last week, however, when the group was informed that the sign cannot go up because of the city’s ordinance that restricts signs in residential areas.

Webster City City Manager Ed Sadler says the ordinance is in place to protect home owners and neighborhoods, and while he sympathizes with the group, it’s not feasible to make exceptions.

“Do I think it’s well-intentioned? Yes, I do,” Sadler said. “Do I wish they had asked before they got this far along? Yes, I do.

“This is not meant to be mean, but the ordinance says I don’t get to make exceptions. To allow this sign, then you’re going to have to allow signs in other residential areas, and at some point, somebody is going to test you.”

Sadler went on to say that temporary signs, such as political signs, are permitted. Some ground signs are also allowed when used, for example, at a daycare, hospital or school.

The sign would be allowed on Webster City school property, but even there it could not exceed 50 square feet in size.

Sadler didn’t know why the old sign was allowed to remain after the ordinance went into effect.

“To be honest, I don’t know,” he said. “I know it was there long before I came and I do know we got complaints about it.”

Ruppel will go in front of the City Council to plead the alumni committee’s case at today’s 5:15 meeting at City Hall. She hopes members of the community will rally around the cause and also voice their support at the meeting. She asks those that are planning to attend to wear purple and gold.

“We understand that city ordinances are there for a reason, but we would like an exception or to be grandfathered in,” Ruppel said. “We want to express the importance of this gift that we are giving to the next generation of Lynxmen. We want to show our children that the Lynx spirit is alive and well in Webster City.”

Even if the city council agrees with Ruppel, an exception couldn’t be made without rewriting the ordinance, and that would take time, Sadler said.

Regardless of the outcome, Ruppel says her committee will look for other options should the City Council deny the request.

“If it cannot be on the shed, I would like to see it at the high school where the kids can see it every day,” she said. “But no matter what, this has brought our town together. I’ve made amazing friends through all of this.”