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MINUTES <br />PLANNING COMMISSION <br />SEPTEMBER 8, 2005 <br />Wethern felt the electronic sign looks a lot better than the hand-changed <br />reader board. Wethern felt that this type of sign will indicate that the area <br />is up and coming and there aze things going on on Rice Street. <br />Duray asked if electronic signs are currently disallowed by ordinance. <br />The Planner indicated that electronic signs are allowed if they are not <br />flashing, scrolling, or blinking the message. The Planner indicated that the <br />sign would be allowed if the message were not changed more than once <br />per day. The Planner agreed that hand-changeable reader board are not <br />very attractive and are labor intensive. <br />Knudsen agreed that the sign, if correctly applied, would have a higher <br />end feel to it. Knudsen indicated, however, that the City does not want to <br />be in the business of having to monitor for movement on these types of <br />signs. <br />The City Planner indicated that his office has dealt with this issue in a lot <br />of communities in trying to put parameters on the use of electronic <br />message boards. He indicated that despite the amount of regulation the <br />City tries to develop, the result has been code enforcement problems. <br />Knudsen suggested that it would be productive to look at what the <br />surrounding cities aze doing. <br />The Planner suggested that the Commission think about what it wants <br />Rice Street to look like and then set a standard. <br />Wethern indicated that they do not want to do animation, and could live <br />with short messages that would be allowed to scroll. He felt the sign <br />would be no different than a time and temperature sign that flashes on and <br />off. <br />Knudsen asked if the sign would be backlit. The Planner replied that it <br />would be. However, backlit signs are allowed as long as the colors are <br />reversed out as this one is proposed to.be. <br />Duray asked if the electronic reader board would require a variance. The <br />City Planner indicated that under the current code an electronic reader <br />board with asingle-message would be allowed as long as the message did <br />change more than once per day or blink or scroll. If the City were to allow <br />more than that, an ordinance amendment would have to be drafted. <br />Bazraclough suggesred that the matter be tabled and staff find out what <br />surrounding communities are allowing. <br />-~- <br />-39- <br />