Current Issues
NEWS: St. Petersburg council member upset over 'rude' neighborhood newsletter
ST. PETERSBURG — A crude expression in a civic newsletter has touched off a feud between a prominent neighborhood group and City Council member Jeff Danner.
The June newsletter for the Council of Neighborhood Associations of South Pinellas County included a column (See "Billlboard Industry 3, CONA 0", below) penned by Travis Jarman that blasted the city for holding workshops with the billboard industry.
More from the St. Petersburg Times
NEWS: Billboard Industry 3, CONA 0
In the continuing discussion about the future of St. Petersburg's urban landscape, the billboard industry is winning.
At the third city Council workshop since December, city staff presented a moderate proposal that would allow eight digital billboards within 100 feet of major highways such as the Interstate, Interstate Feeders, U.S. 19, Gandy Blvd, and Roosevelt Blvd. Staff recommended keeping the city's current 25 foot height limit and placed restrictions on the brightness of these signs, as recommended by safety experts.
But this wasn't good enough for the billboard industry. They wanted higher height limits - and to be allowed to convert existing structures to digital at their grandfathered heights, some of which exceed 80 feet. And they wanted them brighter.
City Council members were more than happy to oblige. Without any significant discussion, they bent over for representatives of Clear Channel and CBS Outdoor, giving them what they wanted: Higher and brighter signs.
While Clear Channel and CBS representatives had the ear of Council for more than an hour, CONA representatives at the meeting were once again shut out of the discussion and were not invited to speak.
When asked by the St. Petersburg Times why the public wasn't allowed to speak, Mayor Bill Foster said "We've been working with Clear Channel because this is a contract," Foster said. "They have to be at the table. If I can get rid of 10 static billboards for every one digital billboard that goes up? That's something I want."
Quite a flip-flop from Mayor Foster's campaign rhetoric, where he said he "hate's these signs" and assured CONA representatives that he would support keeping them out of St. Petersburg.
Digital billboards, brought to you by your elected representatives, are coming soon to a highway near you.
NEWS: Council of Neighborhood Associations Affirms Position on Digital Billboards
The C.O.N.A. Board has given due consideration to the February 25, 2010 draft proposal to swap out non-conforming static billboards for eight new digital billboards within the City, receiving presentations from C.O.N.A.’s Land Development and Historic Preservation Committee and Clear Channel Outdoor, Inc.
After hearing from both parties and allowing for Q&A and discussion the CONA Board reaffirmed it's previous position AGAINST the city’s adoption of the proposal at this time due to concerns over safety, impact on the city's image, environmental downsides, and economic and legal risks.
READ the full report of the C.O.N.A. Land Development and Historic Resources Committee.
NEWS: City Council falls for "Rope A Dope" trick
In a disappointing decision, on February 25th the St. Petersburg City Council agreed to move forward with negotiations to allow digital billboards in our city.
At their afternoon workshop the Council was swayed by arguments from the billboard industry and the city's own legal staff. The Council accepted the idea that the city needs to approve an agreement with Clear Channel because "the state may swoop in with legislation that will take away the city's ability to regulate billboards". This, in spite of the fact that NO SUCH LEGISLATION IS ON THE HORIZON AT THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE. Sadly, this tactic is just another page taken directly from the industry's Rope-A-Dope playbook. Adding insult to injury, while three Clear Channel representatives were permitted to make presentations, C.O.N.A. representatives were not invited to speak.
The billboard industry continues to promote the idea that a 'ten-for-one' swap deal is a good thing for the city, because, well, all those ugly little billboards around town will disappear. City staff bravely showed an updated inventory demonstrating that 22% of the non-conforming billboards existing in 2002 have been removed. Council didn't seem to be able to grasp the idea that at this rate the remaining non-conforming boards might be gone entirely in 20 years or so. Instead, the Council is contemplating approving installation of digital billboards that will be blasting out commercial messages along our highways for generations to come.
Last month the city staff did their own inventory of billboards across the city and caught Clear Channel with an inflated inventory of signs to be removed. Instead of 144 signs, it turns out they only have 132, some of which may be illegal. In any case they have been forced to scale down their removal schedule, and are now proposing removing 80 signs in return for installing eight digital billboards. This is a net reduction of 72 boards, or a "nine-for-one" swap, compared to their previous proposal of removing 110 signs in exchange for installing ten digital, or a true "ten-for-one" ratio. Apparently Council members weren't paying close enough attention in math class, because they accepted the Clear Channel statement that this was 'still a ten-for-one' deal.
There were a few positive workshop highlights: Mayor Bill Foster was forthright in his feelings about digital signs, saying "I have a personal distaste for them". Council member Herb Polson commented on sign pollution throughout the city and expressed his concern that the proposed ordinance was 'a piecemeal solution'. Polson attempted to introduce a motion supporting a comprehensive review of the city's sign code, an idea strongly supported by C.O.N.A. and the Mayor and at least one other Council member. However, Council chair Leslie Curran dismissed Polson's motion, ruling that such an idea should be considered separately from approving the digital billboard ordinance. Say WHAT?
Council directed city staff to bring the final draft of the revised ordinance and Clear Channel agreement back to Council within three months.
In the upcoming months the citizens of St. Petersburg are going to have to decide whether they want to block this oncoming digital train wreck, or let it run over them. The City Council is the decision maker, so if you have an opinion about this issue THIS IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOURSELF HEARD. Click on Take Action and let your elected representatives know what you think.
NEWS: Video: Neighborhoods put brakes on sign deal
ST. PETERSBURG - St. Petersburg's Council of Neighborhood Associations made City Council think twice about a billboard deal cut by Mayor Rick Baker. The council decided to delay action until sometime next year while more details are worked out.
Baker leaves office January 2, but says he understands.
"Actually it's kind of an evolving picture," the mayor admitted after a council workshop. "It has to be done in a deliberate manner and I'm OK with that."
Clear Channel Outdoor says it will remove 100 smaller, outdated billboards in exchange for converting 10 larger billboards to much more profitable digital displays. But CONA reacted with a barrage of questions, some of which caused some quick rewrites of a proposed contract and ordinance. (More in Video: above).
NEWS: Media: St. Petersburg City Council delays vote on Clear Channel billboard deal
ST. PETERSBURG — The message on today's proverbial billboard: We need more time.
The City Council decided Thursday to postpone a decision on Mayor Rick Baker's plan to allow Clear Channel Outdoor to replace 110 billboards in the city with 10 digital ones.
The deal isn't likely to surface again until February, after Baker's term has ended. Mayor-elect Bill Foster takes office Jan. 2.
The council was scheduled to vote on the deal next week. But questions surfaced about location, height, spacing of signs, transition times, safety and what an ordinance change might mean for the future. Presented with everything, two city committees gave the proposal a thumbs down. Dozens of citizens e-mailed objections.
The council sorted through it all at a workshop Thursday with the mayor, the Council Of Neighborhood Associations and billboard representatives.
"I like the idea of trading off the billboards and getting rid of them," council member Jim Kennedy said. "But I'm very much concerned about going against unanimous recommendations from (the committees)."
In the end, council members decided they needed more information. (More in Media: above)
Planning and Visioning Commission votes 7-0:
"Come back with an ordinance when you have something ready for review and public comment".
The Planning & Visioning Commission held a public hearing to gather input (pro and con) on Tuesday, December 8th regarding the proposed ordinance change that would allow digital billboards in the city of St. Petersburg. After comments from the public, presentations from C.O.N.A. and Clear Channel Outdooor the PVC voted UNANIMOUSLY to recommend to Council that city staff come back to the Development Review Commission and the Planning & Visioning Commision "when there was an ordinance that is ready for review and public comment".
This is the third negative vote on the ordinance from the Mayor's own appointees. You'd think that the administration would see the writing on the wall.
Media: Troxler: Another Troubling Question
Media: Troxler: Plug the Loopholes
Video: Debate Intensifies over Digital Billboards
DRC says Digital Billboards would violate City's Comprehensive Plan
The City's Development Review Commission met on December 2nd and on a vote of 5-2 found that the proposed change to the city's sign ordinance allowing digital billboards was NOT congruent with the city's comprehensive plan. Subsequently they took a vote on the 'policy question' of whether the ordinance change should be approved and on that voted 7-0 to recommend to City Council that they delay adoption of any ordinance changes until after the Federal Highway safety study is completed in 2010.
While both of these votes are advisory City Council members should honor the recommendations of the Mayor's own advisory committee - and those of 118 neighborhood associations that C.O.N.A. represents. There is no need to rush into these changes when there are so many unanswered questions about safety. After all, when you've been working on something for almost three years what is another six months or so?
Media: Tampa Residents Say "No" to Digital Billboards
St. Petersburg Neighborhoods Vote "NO" on Digital Billboards
The St. Petersburg Council of Neighborhood Associations, which represents 118 neighborhoods across the city, voted unanimously on November 18th to ask City Council to defer any action on this proposal until after the Federal Highway safety study is released next year.
Here is the complete text of the C.O.N.A. letter to Council.
Media: Pinellas slaps moratorium on new digital billboards
St. Petersburg: Mayor Gets Conned into Bad Deal by Classic "Rope a Dope" Trick
Our Mayor didn't bother to involve his knowledgeable city staff members or even the public in his recent discussions with Clear Channel, and as a result he got conned.
Many city and county officials around the country have long and often expensive experiences with the tactics of the billboard industry. A high degree of due diligence is required when considering "too good to be true" agreements with large, out of town business interests. Many communities bring in specialty legal teams for negotiating with billboard companies due to the history of extraordinary levels of litigation and the potential impact on road and highway funding. But the Mayor and his Development Services department head went it alone!
Millions of dollars are at stake, because once we give Clear Channel digital billboards, other sign companies will sue to get their piece of the "new business". The Mayor has fallen for the oldest trick in Clear Channel's book - ROPE A DOPE! Now we must clean up his mistake, BEFORE it's too late and millions of dollars of taxpayer funds end up down the drain.
What's the Hurry?
Who Wrote St. Petersburg's Proposed Sign Ordinance?
Read this document and compare the wording provided by the Clear Channel Attorney to Tampa with the wording of St. Petersburg's proposed sign ordinance. Decide for yourself.
Clear Channel Executive Slips Up
Tells the Rest of the Story to Pinellas County Commissioners: Oooops!
The revised St. Petersburg sign ordinance would open the door to new billboards, which are currently banned!
After admitting that most of the boards to be removed as part of the deal with the St. Pete Mayor were actually on secondary roads and nearing end of life at 30-40 years, Tom O'Neil, VP Clear Channel then said:
"...We would consider St. Pete a defacto ban. We had no ability to upgrade, no ability to increase height, no ability to relocate. So in a sense, we traded secondary locations for a sign ordinance. Half the deal was to get a sign ordinance that would allow us some movement and the other half was digital."
Hear it for yourself:
Learn about Digital Billboards by going here to the St. Pete Educational Page and then take action.
Scenic St. Petersburg is a coalition of residents concerned for the quality of life in Florida's cities and counties. Our constituents include homeowners and businesses who are concerned about our state's deteriorating scenic beauty.