Perry council approves new sign ordinance

PERRY -- The City Council approved a revised sign ordinance Tuesday over the opposition of about a dozen residents.

The council approved the measure in a 5-1 vote, with Councilman Riley Hunt voting no.

Although there was no public hearing on the ordinance, 13 people spoke about it during the public comment portion of the meeting. All but one of those people opposed the revision.

Local car dealer Mark Hamby said he has flown American flags from antennas of cars on his lot, which the ordinance prohibits. The previous ordinance also prohibited flying flags to draw attention, and that sparked controversy last year when the city cracked down on violations.

That was part of why the city took a look at the ordinance, to consider whether to change that provision. Ultimately the city decided to leave it as is, and that was one of the biggest objections from residents who spoke. The provision was intended to address "wind blown" advertising.

Hamby said he considers it patriotic to fly flags, and not an eyesore or safety hazard.

"I'm saddened we have made this such a top priority, rather than taking care of more necessary problems," he said.

The lone person to speak in favor of the change was Terre Walker, a member of the Perry Main Street Advisory Board. She said there was misinformation about the ordinance and it actually didn't change much of anything. She said it mainly changed the wording to make it easier to understand.

She said the U.S. code prohibits use of the U.S. flag for commercial purposes.

"This is the same ordinance we have had for the last seven years, and nobody has gone out of business," she said.

Some residents asked to council to at least postpone the vote to give people more time to understand it.

The council held a public hearing on it at its previous meeting, and just three people spoke then.

The council had no discussion on the ordinance prior to the vote. Before the meeting, City Manager Lee Gilmour said the measure would make sign rules uniform citywide. Previously a different set of rules regarding banners applied to the downtown area.

To contact writer Wayne Crenshaw, call 256-9725.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 7:46 PM with the headline "Perry council approves new sign ordinance ."