Casper City Council Holds Public Hearing About Digital Sign Regulations

What's your sign?

For the City of Casper, it's not about the Zodiac, Burma Shave, or No Left Turn.

Rather it's about digital signs formally known as Electronic Message Centers, and the Casper City Council will hold a public hearing to consider amending its municipal code about them at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Signs are great for advertising, directions and warnings. They need to get the attention of motorists long enough to get the message across without undue distraction that can cause accidents.

Communities have regulated signs for years in terms of their size, type and placement, according to an Oct. 15 memo from Liz Becher, the city's community development director.

Digital signs have not lead to a measurable increase in accidents, but the city is concerned about the potential for problems in terms of traffic hazards and aesthetics, Becher wrote.

So the city's Planning and Zoning Commission met with business owners and sign contractors, and they identified four major issues: limiting brightness, prohibiting the use of sound, prohibiting flashing and strobing, and prohibiting the use of full-motion video.

The public hearing at Tuesday's meeting will allow comments about these concerns, definitions and regulations.

The council also will consider resolutions including establishing fees at the municipal golf course; authorizing a contract with Communications Technologies Inc. to buy and install a point-to-point wireless network between the new dispatch center and the Hall of Justice; and a grant agreement with the State Loan and Investment Board for the Casper Raw Water Irrigation System Improvements Project.