Bribe too small?

Star Tribune Thu, 13 Dec 2007 05:46:56 GMT
St. Paul votes to keep billboard ban in place

The City Council OK'd the ordinance voted to restrict digital billboards; hospitality fees, city budget also OK'd. As it stands now, you won't see any digital billboards in St. Paul, which also means you won't see any traditional billboards coming down. That's what one billboard company representative said Wednesday after the City Council unanimously approved an ordinance regulating the conversion of traditional billboards to electronic signs. Tom McCarver, a vice president for Clear Channel Outdoor's Minnesota division, said two provisions in the ordinance make it unworkable for business. One requirement is that messages must stay in place for 12-seconds and the other is that 6 square feet of lighted billboard space or 8 square feet of unlighted space be removed for every square foot of new electronic display space. Those numbers just don't work, he said. The ordinance limits electronic billboards to Interstates 35E and 94 only and says the signs must be spaced at least 1 mile apart. John Mannillo, co-chairman of anti-billboard group Scenic St. Paul, said he was pleased to see the ordinance pass. "But I don't think this is the last you'll hear of it," he said.

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