City of Tacoma Planning Commission Meeting Notes
The City of Tacoma Planning Commission met this afternoon, and the first thing on its agenda was an overview of Billboard Regulations and Public Testimony. The Commission seemed to express a sense of being blindsided by the visceral characteristic of the public comment on March 16th, as if it had borne the brunt of the commentary, anger and disbelief that should have been directed at the City Council. Largely, the Council had avoided conflict of that level due to a last-minute addition of the settlement agreement with Clear Channel into its agenda at its meeting July 29, 2010, at which only one citizen made comment – R.R. Anderson.
Many on the Commission spoke in favor of sending a recommendation to the Council advising against the allowance for digital billboards in Tacoma due to the overwhelming public outcry against them. The recommendation is due to be sent to the Council May 18, so there will be more to follow. There were still others on the Commission who wanted more information: The difference between illumination and luminance, the rapidity of ad change, what other cities are doing to combat digital billboards, etc.
Also on the agenda were discussions on the Shoreline Master Plan and historic status issues.
If you have an opinion it’s not too late to express it to the commission. The contact person and information is: Lihuang Wung, (253) 591-5682, lwung@cityoftacoma.org
Filed under: Billboards
14 comments
M Mofo from the Hood April 7, 2011
Well lit streets are safe streets.
F Franklin Pierce April 7, 2011
@ Erik – Correct… and besides petitioning the council, there is a way to force them to follow our requests (instead of letting them just pretend to consider our pleas but then dismiss us).
You’re right that the council isn’t obligated to negotiate, to the contrary Susan Cruise is saying if the City Council goes ahead and ignores the will of the people then we can counter the council based on the Federal and State regulation which they should be upholding (but are ignoring).
We should focus on this now, in fact, to stop the council before they go any further. Federal and State regs support making Clear Channel abide by local rules. That’s what should happen. Instead, our council is letting them get away with non-compliance and is now rewarding Clear Channel further with this “agreement” just because Clear Channel threatened to sue. We should be the ones suing Clear Channel! Or, let’s beat Clear Channel to the punch and sue to the city for not enforcing these Federal and State codes, plus lets us sue Clear Channel for their blatant disregard of city law (and dream big that the penalty is they can no longer do business in our city).
So… is there a lawyer among us who will be the local hero and take this on..?
J Jesse April 7, 2011
If the city is going to be sued if the billboard law is enforced then why don’t they get TPU to go around and take them all down? Either way there’s a lawsuit and it’s a lot harder to put billboards back up than it is to continue operations of existing structures.
A “can of worms” I know but wouldn’t it be nice?
M Mofo from the Hood April 7, 2011
Law = Force
V Volcano Boycotting RR Anderson April 7, 2011
Every reporter I talk to with passing interest in this matter believes the city council will make a big show about how they don’t like it then go ahead and give clear channel EVERYTHING they want. Basically the city council will fold like a beach towel.
However, if enough people rise up our representatives on the council will listen. What if we proved the reporters wrong? Would they find their jobs more interesting? We could save journalism!
M Mofo from the Hood April 7, 2011
Let’s not assume that the Tacoma City Council is a panel of decisionmakers.
There is a hidden hand, a fistful of dollars, with the view of kings that decides what Tacoman’s shall have.
B Brian J April 7, 2011
Keep in mind that the citizens of Tacoma do have the right, under the city charter, to place any recently passed city ordinance to a public vote. The charter spells out this process in detail and appears to be fairly straight forward (~ 4k in signatures required to place this issue on the ballot). Bottom line, if the CC goes against the citizens on this one, we do have the right to take the decision out of their hands.
Brian
V Volcano Boycotting RR Anderson April 7, 2011
Where do I sign?
R Rick Jones April 7, 2011
There’s nothing to sign yet. After a call to the City Clerk’s office we know that, as Brian J said, we would need 4,000+ sigs. But according to the City Charter, citizens may “approve or reject
ordinances or amendments” by initiative (2.19). Whether the settlement with Clear Channel signed off on by the Council constitutes an amendment to the ’97 anti-billboard ordinance or not is a question to be answered by the City Attorney. Awaiting her reply. But perhaps all this activity against the digitals will sway the council to reverse its decision regarding the settlement and an initative won’t be necessary.
B Brian J April 7, 2011
Rick J – I am a little confused what the settlement agreement has to do with anything…
Seems to me that you can not sign off on a settlement agreement such as this one, if the city zoning ordinance does not permit these digital billboards. A voter initiative rejecting this proposed change to the city ordinance should in effect, stop the settlement.
Am I missing something here?
T TwelveDollarTulips April 8, 2011
I don’t know the exact process (filing an injunction?), but it seems that if this situation were presented to a Judge or Hearing Examiner, not only would the council have to back off their despicable agreement but Clear Channel would have to start abiding by current city code. Why isn’t this being formally challenged instead of leaving it up to the city council who is clearly going to squirm around any way the City Manager tells them to?
L low bar April 8, 2011
go ahead with your billboards. we are ready
Q QuakerLawyer April 8, 2011
Better to legally eliminate them, than chuck pumpkins at them… do what TwelveDollarTulips suggests.
T Tacompton Stink Face April 12, 2011
I was once like you… Then I grew a brain, a heart and a dick.