Committee: Sign ordinance too restrictive

By Staff
Clif Knight, Hartselle Enquirer
A review committee appointed by Mayor Dwight Tankersley has recommended a revision of Hartselle's sign ordinance that would permit the use of promotional banners by businesses in the Central Business District and street banners by non-profit organizations.
Committee member Susan Hines presented the recommendations to Hartselle Planning Commission at its meeting Aug. 2.
"The report was accepted but no action was taken," said Jeff Johnson, director of the department of development and a member of the review commission.
"Some questions have been raised about the number and placement of the two signs in question."
He said he and City Planner Jeremy Griffith will meet with the committee before the commission's next meeting to address the questions and make sure everyone is on the same page before a revised ordinance draft is presented to the commission body for consideration.
Hayes said committee members met on June 8 and each one was encouraged to come up with ideas and suggestions on how the sign ordinance could be improved.
"We tried to look at it in terms of what is in the best interest of our businesses," she stated.
The recommendation on promotional banners in the CBD reads as follows:
The recommendation for non-profit promotional banners:
Several suggestions were made with regard to the sign ordinance.
They included equal enforcement as a joint effort of the department of development, police department and public works, notification to business of enforcement action and inclusion of sign ordinance and street right-of-way information as a part of the new business packet.
Serving with Hines on the committee were Doug Moss, Geremy Segars, Fred Smith, Morris Norton, and Patrick Pettus.