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ORDINANCE NO. 816 CITY OF MOUNDS VIEW RAMSEY COUNTY STATE OF MINNESOTA AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 1008 OF THE MOUNDS VIEW CITY CODE BY REVISING THE SIGN AND BILLBOARD CODE TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE TO ALLOW DYNAMIC DISPLAY SIGNS WHEREAS, the Mounds View City Council directed City staff to prepare an amendment to the City Code to include regulations for dynamic display signs; and WHEREAS, on January 7, 2008, the Mounds View City Council adopted Ordinance 801 that amended Chapter 1008 of the City Code regarding the City requirements for signs and billboards; and WHEREAS, Ordinance 801 included a prohibition for dynamic displays and repealed the ordinance that had established aone-year moratorium on electronic and video display signs or billboards in Mounds View; and WHEREAS, studies such as "Dynamic Signage: Research Related to Driver Distraction and Ordinance Recommendations" prepared by SRF Consulting Group, Inc., dated June 7, 2007 for the City of Minnetonka have shown there is a correlation between dynamic displays on signs and distraction of motor vehicle drivers; and WHEREAS, the distraction of drivers can lead to motor vehicle and traffic accidents. Drivers can be distracted by a changing message and by knowing that a sign has a changing message. In such a case, drivers may watch a sign waiting for the next change to occur. Sign messages that do not tell the full story in one look also distract drivers. People have a natural desire to see the end of the story and will continue to look at a sign to see the end of the story or message; and WHEREAS, signs with special effects that sign operators use to change the message, such as fade-ins and fade-outs also can distract drivers. Finally, signs with messages that are too small for drivers to see clearly or that contain more than a simple message generally distract drivers; and WHEREAS, the City Council, due to these public safety concerns, wants to allow signs with dynamic displays and technologies in Mounds View with certain restrictions. The City intends such restrictions to lessen driver distraction, to minimize their proliferation in residential districts (where signs can adversely affect residential character), and to protect the public health, safety, welfare, image and the aesthetics of the city; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that it is in the public interest to establish requirements for the installation and operation of dynamic display signs, including a minimum limit on display time requirement on dynamic display signs; and