By Arthur Foulkes
TERRE HAUTE — City officials still hope to stop the building of two new billboards on South Third Street.
Last month, the City Council discussed ways of stopping Sign Language Media, a Georgia-based company, from erecting new billboards at 910 and 1709 S. Third St. Several councilmen, led by Norm Loudermilk, D-3rd, argued that the billboards should not be erected because the company failed to obtain a transient merchant permit from the city.
Now, however, City Attorney Chou-il Lee said the city is no longer pursuing the transient merchant permit argument. Rather, the city now believes Sign Language Media can be prevented from building the signs because it does not have a sign erection license.
In order to receive a sign erection license, city regulations require lighted sign contractors to employ at least one “licensed electrical sign mechanic” and have an “established place of business that is open during regular business hours.”
Lee said Monday he was not able to verify that Sign Language Media met those requirements.
Attempts to contact an official with Sign Language Media were unsuccessful Monday.
Loudermilk said Monday he received a memo from the city’s Legal Department stating that Sign Language Media failed to meet requirements for a sign erection license. Because of this failure, “the [building] permit given to [Sign Language Media] is null and void,” Loudermilk said.
If Sign Language Media applies for the necessary licenses, the city’s legal department is asking the city’s engineering department — which issues sign erection licenses — to investigate whether or not the Georgia-based company meets all necessary requirements, Loudermilk said.
It was unclear Monday how many other companies currently erecting electrical signs in Terre Haute have sign erection licenses.
Many of the billboards in Terre Haute are owned by Lamar Advertising Co. Attempts to reach a Lamar official in Terre Haute late Monday to learn whether the company has a sign erection license were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the Terre Haute City Council will conduct a “special call” meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in City Hall to discuss amending the city’s current sign ordinance to eliminate the “loophole” that allowed Sign Language Media to obtain its building permits, city officials said.
At a special Nov. 17 City Council meeting, council members said they hoped to pass a “moratorium” on all new signs in the city. The council has decided to drop the moratorium idea and simply work on amending the ordinance, said Councilman Rich Dunkin, D-1st, who chaired the special meeting to discuss the billboard issue.
Loudermilk, Dunkin and other council members argue a stricter sign ordinance is necessary for city “beautification” purposes.
