HomeMy WebLinkAbout7327_CCv0001.pdf RESOLUTION NO. 7327
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDLANDS
INTERPRETING THE TERM "READER BOARD" FOR PURPOSES OF
IMPLEMENTING THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN (MEASURE "U") WITH
RESPECT TO FUEL PRICE SIGNS
WHEREAS, on November 4, 1997, the voters of the City of Redlands approved Measure
"U," an initiative ordinance of the City of Redlands, which amended the City's General Plan;
and
WHEREAS, the results of the November 1997 election were certified on December 2,
1997, and the provisions of Measure"U"became effective on December 12, 1997; and
WHEREAS, among its many provisions, Measure "U," with respect to permanent
outdoor commercial signs proposed within the City, provides that "No `reader boards' or
`billboards' shall be permitted;"and
WHEREAS, subsequent to the approval of Measure "U," the City Council of the City of
Redlands (the "City Council") adopted an ordinance to amend the City's Sign Code to define a
"reader board"as:
"...a sign in which automated electric lights or other animated devices are
used to form letters and/or symbols, generally in an animated or changing
display(see definition of changeable copy);" and
WHEREAS, the City Council's ordinance amending the City's Sign Code also defined
the term"changeable copy;" as:
"Copy containing, displaying as having media or letters each of which can be
readily changed without tools, where allowed by this chapter(see definition
of reader board);"and
WHEREAS, from time-to-time, questions have arisen from members of the public with
respect to the intent and scope of the prohibition within Measure"U"against reader board signs
and the definition of reader board signs set forth in the City's Sign Code; and
WHEREAS, in a response to one such public inquiry, the City Council has previously
determined that time and temperature signs did not fall within the scope of Measure"U's"
prohibition because such signs do not contain commercial messages, consist only of numerals
and symbols,have limited display areas, and serve the important purpose of informing persons
with medical needs of local conditions; and
WHEREAS, for those reasons, the City Council directed that the City's Sign Code be
amended to exempt electronic and other signs displaying time and temperature information from
the regulations of the Sign Code, provided such signs do not contain advertising copy; and
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WHEREAS,City staff has recently received another public inquiry as to the applicability
of Measure"U"and the City's Sign Code with respect to electronic signs which display fuel
prices for vehicle service stations; and
WHEREAS,electronic fuel price signs have attributes similar to time and temperature
signs in that they also generally consist only of numerals and symbols, and have a limited display
area; and
WHEREAS,fuel price signs are required by state law because they serve the important
purpose of ensuring persons and the motoring public are immediately informed of existing fuel
prices upon entering a vehicle service station, which discourages fuel price gouging;and
WHEREAS,new technology that was not extant at the time of the approval of Measure
"U"has resulted in vehicle service stations installing and making use of electronic signs to more
efficiently and economically display fuel prices;
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Redlands as
follows:
Section 1. The City Council hereby determines that, for purposes of implementing the
City's General Plan, including those provisions of the General Plan added by Measure"U,"the
term"reader board"shall not be meant to include an electronic permanent outdoor commercial
sign which displays only numerals and symbols to display fuel prices, and which does not have
the capacity to display words or commercial advertising copy.
Section 2. The City staff is hereby directed to prepare an ordinance for the City
Council's consideration to amend the City's Sign Code provisions, including the definition of the
term"reader board,"to permit electronic fuel signs which display only numerals and symbols,
and which do not have the capacity for displaying words or commercial advertising copy.
ADOPTED, SIGNED AND APPROVED this IST day of October, 2013.
Pete Aguilar, Mayor
ATTEST:
Sam Irwi i Clerk
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I, Sam Irwin, City Clerk of the City of Redlands, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was
adopted by the City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on the I st day of October,2013, by
the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Harrison, Foster, Gardner, Gilbreath, Mayor Aguilar
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
Sam Irwin, City C
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