04-A City Council Min 10-22-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Regular City Council Meeting October 22, 2007 Page 4 Kent McIlyar referred Council to Section 28-24 subsection 5 ofthe proposed Ordinance and stated that Council would need to choose an option pertaining to prohibition of electronic signs in historic districts, as well as electronic signs facing historic districts and residential zoning. He defined the options as follows: (Option 1) not allowing electronic signs to be located in historic districts or residentially zoned districts within the City of Paris; or (Option 2) not allowing electronic signs in historic districts and not allowing electronic signs to face or be located within feet [distance to be determined by City Council] of an existing residence, residentially zone district, or historic district. Council Member Wilson preferred option 2 with 150 feet, while Council Members Biard and Strathem favored option 1. Council Member Wilson made a Motion to pass the Ordinance with a clause that would treat electronic signs with public service messages as nonconforming uses. Mayor Freelen stated the only time they would be limited to the eight seconds would be on commercial messages. Several citizens stated they bought the signs for advertisement purposes and that eight second intervals was too long for them. Council Member Wilson said if they do not have the size and capabilities of running a message image that could be held for eight seconds, they would be grandfathered and could continue to scroll. Council Member Strathem said he was not in agreement with limiting the message to eight second intervals for existing signs. Council Member Brown said he wished the people speaking at the Council meeting would have been at the Task Force meeting. Council Member Fisher made a Motion to adopt the proposed electronic sign ordinance with an amendment to grandfather all existing electronic signs in the city limits and the Motion was seconded by Council Member Strathem. Motion failed, 3 ayes - 2 nays, with Council Member Wilson and Council Member Brown casting the dissenting votes. Council Member Biard did not vote. Council Member Biard made a Motion to pass the Ordinance as presented as it applied to new applications for permits and new installation for new signs. He further included in his Motion that the City not regulate existing signs at that time, but reserve the right to do so in the future. Council Member Wilson seconded the Motion. After additional discussion, Council Member Biard said they also needed to choose one ofthe two options as pointed out by Kent McIlyar. Council Member Biard amended his Motion to approve the Ordinance as it applies to new signs only, that the City not regulate existing electronic signs and the election of option 2 with a distance of 150 feet. Kent McIlyar informed Council a section dealing with nonconforming signs would need to be added to the Ordinance, so the public knows how the City is going to deal with their nonconforming signs. Lisa Wright added that the City needs to be able to regulate the brightness on existing signs, because of the complaints received about some of the animated signs mimicking emergency vehicle lights. Council Member Brown inquired about an Ordinance already in place in T rr--