02/29/2000 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Commission did. They have been kept advised along the way as the Planning Cominission has. On behalf of the Law Department we are trying to put this on the fast track the City has no law in place. Understand that once a law is put into place it is not written in stone and if there are concerns from the business community on things that really don't involve the litigation or first amendment issues, then he suggests those be addressed separately. There is nothing to prohibit anybody from introducing amendments, Council; the Mayor either one can introduce an amendment to any code that the City has in place. At this time Mr. Tallon remarked that if there was anyone in the audience that would like to address the board and is not a member of the Chamber of Commerce or represented the Chamber of Commerce then they should please come forward. Mr. Ventura, President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, local 867 and a member of the sign and display industry Promotion fund. With him attending the meeting are member's of the union who are also residents of North Olmsted. He would like the board members to use all 30 days to make their recommendations to Council. Each and every section of this ordinance should be reviewed carefully. What is done by this code will effect not just the city but the small businesses workers. He is requesting that the board take into consideration 1163.10, 1163.19 and 1163.13. 1163.10 Non- conforming signs, the idea of regulating on the basis of a fixed dollar item ensures the collective bargaining process will not be respected. 1163.19 eliminating neon signs, for the City to eliminate neon signs would eliminate jobs and all those people making neon signs which generates 2 million dollars annually. 1163.13 "Maintenance Required" it is stupid to think that any material is not going to weather once it comes into contact with the eliminates. All the people sitting behind him are. present to try to make sure that the new sign ordinance is just and fair for everyone to live with. Mr. Ventura indicated that he was not a part of the Chamber of Commerce "Nor" were the sign people that are presently at this meeting. They are just workers that want to make sure that the sign ordinance doesn't put them out of a job. The whole sign issue started when a bad ordinance was taken to court and the city lost. Now the city is rewriting the sign ordinance that will eliminate these people's jobs and put them on welfare. Mr. Groh, the owner of brilliant Sign Company came forward to speak. He doesn't understand what the rush was as the city, had a bad sign code, which was thrown out, and now they- are just throwing a sign code together and rushing it threw. The Businesses want to work with the City to make sure the new sign code is something everyone can live with. If the code is passed the way it is presently written then, there will be another law suite. He questioned who wrote the code_ Mr. Tallon indicated that the Law Department wrote the code. Mr. Groh questioned if anyone in the Law Department was a Certified Planner. Mr. Dubelko reviewed the way a code is put together and written. Mr. Groh questioned why the City didn't base the sign code on the ATA and questioned if the L,aw Department was even aware of the ATA. Who will control the design and esthetics as the code is presently written the. Architectural Review Board. The definitions in the current code are incorrect. There is a definition's book for the sign industry. Under 1163.02 of the Cities code there are at least 6 definitions that are wrong. Mr. Groh questioned why the City did not have to follow the zoning codes. Mr. Dubelko reviewed that zoning laws are designed to i-egulate private property. Mr. Groh indicated that the code he received allowed 60 day windows to allow a sign permit with at 30 day grant allowance from another body. The way this is written it will put sign companies out of business as signs are contracted at the last minute. He believed that a 10 to 14 day turnaround should be enough time. Mr. Hreha indicated that the 60-day turnaround was changed at the last meeting and was currently set at 10 days. 1163.10 the $1,000.00 figure is too low, just doing minor repairs to a sign can exceed $1,000.00. Mrs. O'Rourke indicated that the board asked to strike the price and to change the 25% to read exceeding 50% of the 8