By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
No applications for outdoor
advertising and off-premise advertising signs will be
accepted in Nephi.
Six months ago, the council
adopted a temporary moratorium on outdoor
advertising.
"That six-months has run its
course. The most expeditious way to handle things would be
to direct the planning commission to immediately review the
issues related to outdoor advertising and off-premise
advertising signs and to propose a zoning ordinance
amendment addressing those issues," said Randy McKnight,
city administrator.
"We need to ask the planning
commission to review the issues," said Brent Bowles, council
member.
The council also discussed
whether the public should be given notice that no
applications for outdoor advertising or off-premise
advertising signs would be accepted until the
recommendations from the planning commission were
received.
"If the council decides to direct
the planning commission to review the issues, the council
should also consider giving notice to the public that they
will not accept any outdoor advertising applications in the
interim period," said McKnight.
The billboard industry is a
lucrative business which found a willing group in Utah
government this year. Legislation favoring the billboard
industry breezed through the Utah House in 2007.
The legislation will make it
harder for cities to regulate outdoor signs.
This session, the House passed
House Bill 352 which makes it much harder for cities to move
or remove a billboard.
The Utah Legislature passed HB
352 and the governor signed it into law this past
legislative session.
The council determined, that in
addition to directing the planning commission to review the
advertising questions and come up with appropriate zoning,
the city will not accept applications for outdoor or
off-premise advertising signs until the recommendations from
the planning commission are received and acted on by the
city council.
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