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County passes emergency sign code By JILL BRISKEY Fears that residents would place gigantic hot dog balloon signs over Bear Creek Park or post 300-foot-high yard-sale signs along Jacksonville Highway have been banished, thanks to a temporary county sign ordinance adopted on Wednesday. Commissioners during their weekly board meeting Wednesday unanimously passed the 120-day, temporary sign ordinance that places restrictions on how big, where and what type of signs can be posted in Jackson County. No one from the audience spoke in favor or against the ordinance. The emergency ruling goes into effect May 30, allowing time for residents in violation of the rules to remove their signs. The county has been without a sign ordinance since March, when the U.S. District Court ruled that the county's previous ordinance was unconstitutional. The county's previous ordinance was invalidated during the case between Callahan's Restaurant & Lodge owner Ron Bergquist and the county over the establishment's 70-foot sign above Interstate 5. A federal judge ruled the previous ordinance protected political speech but restricted commercial speech, and thus violated the First Amendment. According to County Counsel Mike Jewett, there were fears that people would take advantage of the situation by posting obnoxiously large and ugly signs throughout the county. "Without an ordinance, there was no rule against it," he added. "We could have had anything out there." But it wasn't retailers and residents with a message to post who took advantage of the situation. There were no complaints filed during the lapse. It was political candidates who made the most of a good thing by posting larger than previously allowed signs. That group included incumbent commissioners Jack Walker and Ric Holt, who are up for re-election in the May 21 primary. Under the old ordinance, temporary political signs were restricted to 12 square feet. The new ordinance modifies that requirement, increasing the size of temporary signs to 32 square feet. "A size of 32 square feet should be adequate for any temporary message," Holt said. "This has given us a good opportunity to review the ordinance and make necessary changes that affect public welfare and traffic safety." Jewett said the old ordinance was in need of reworking before the court ruling. The language was vague and descriptions unclear, he added. The temporary ordinance clarifies the difference between temporary and permanent signs, sets standards in various land use zones and includes general requirements that apply to all signs. It does not, however, regulate the content of permanent and temporary signs. To make the temporary ordinance permanent, commissioners must hold a public hearing and then vote on the ordinance. The emergency ruling expires in 120 days. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.