Murphy seeks veto of 30-second billboard messages
Alderman asks constituents to contact mayor's office

Dec. 13, 2006 -- The mayor should veto a Common Council measure adopted this week that will allow billboards to change their messages every 30 seconds, Ald. Michael J. Murphy said Tuesday.

“I think it really sets precedent in a situation where I know the (billboard) industry is not going to be satisfied with 30 seconds,” Murphy said in an interview.

Current ordinance requires that billboard messages change no more frequently than every 60 seconds. The reduction to 30 seconds passed on a 8-7 vote.

Murphy: calls for veto

The outdoor advertising industry had backed a measure allowing billboard messages throughout the city to change every six seconds, and Murphy said he expected the industry to continue to push for more frequent message signs.

The ordinance change could have especially negative impacts in neighborhoods like Story Hill, which border freeways where billboards proliferate, he said.

"I haven't really spoken to the impact of the light pollution that comes from this signage," he said during Tuesday's debate on the council floor. "It's a fairly significant impact to their neighborhoods. The light pollution coming off theses LEDs flashing, in this case, every thirty seconds, hasn't even been evaluated. They (will) have a neon light flashing every 30 seconds into their living room -- I don't think people want to particularly see that."

Murphy asked constituents to contact the mayor's office at 286-2200 and ask Mayor Tom Barrett to veto the measure.

Ald. Terry Witkowski assured his colleagues on the council floor Tuesday that the changeable billboards would not be the bright neon found on huge signs at State Fair Park or Miller Park, Murphy said they very well could resemble those structures.

“The city will be like a Vegas in miniature,” he said.

Murphy and Ald. Robert Bauman said the signs could prove to be a dangerous distraction to drivers and that the issue should be evaluated before the ordinance is changed.

Bauman said frequently-changing signs would have exaggerated negative impact on Milwaukee, where freeways cut through residential neighborhoods.

"I have people who can practically reaqch out and touch the freeway lanes from their back porches," he said. Billboards near 25th and Clybourn have been so bright they light up the night like daytime, he said.

"It was, frankly, obnoxious," he said.

One one hand, Murphy said, some people want to regulate the use of cell phones while driving; on the other, some governments are allowing frequently-changing message signs.

"How does that relate to what we were all taught in driver's ed?" he said. " 'Drive where you look, look where you drive' -- not 'pay attention to advertising every six seconds.' There is some hypocrisy in our society in terms of this issue.'"

Ald. Michael D'Amato, a supporter of the six-second sign change, said he thought the current 60-second was adopted back when signs needed to be flipped to change the message, and that current technology limited that need.

An e-mail from Deputy DCD Commissioner Martha Brown, however, said the 60-second rule was a compromise.

"Originally the group working on the code revision a few years ago actually wanted to ban changeable message signs altogether," she wrote in May.

D'Amato also told his colleagues that six-second advertising sign changes "can be of assistance to the public, flashing up Amber alerts and other crime information."

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