With little discussion, the Unified Government Commission tabled ordinances on electronic billboards at tonight’s meeting.
Commissioner Hal Walker asked to take the ordinances off the agenda. He said there would be additional amendments to the language of the ordinances based on a discussion he had with billboard vendors, Planning Director Rob Richardson and Patrick Waters, a UG attorney.
The item is expected to return to the Dec. 4 meeting.
Some of the language of the ordinance was designed to remove billboards in the city that have fallen into disrepair.
The ordinance that had been proposed tonight would have required owners of new digital billboards to agree to remove twice the amount of square footage in signs that it already owns that were existing nonconforming billboards.
Another proposed ordinance set an occupation tax for all persons engaged in the digital outdoor advertising business at $2,500 per year for those working with digital signs of less than 300 square feet, and $10,000 per year for those working with digital signs of 300 square feet or more.
Other planning items on the agenda passed as were recommended by the Planning Commission.