PANAMA CITY BEACH — The Panama City Beach City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on an ordinance that would ban political signs on vehicles parked near the road.
The issue has become politically charged, as one council member accused another of being part of an “amateur axis of evil.”
The issue first surfaced during the last City Council election, when Councilman John Reichard displayed campaign signs for Skip Alford on a surplus fire truck he purchased and parked around town in different locations. Alford ran against incumbent Josie Strange, who won the seat.
--- BUSINESSES WARY OF SPECIAL EVENT PROPOSAL»»
On Sept. 8, the Panama City Beach Planning Board voted to recommend to the City Council the proposal to amend its ordinance to add political signs to the list of vehicle signs outlawed near city streets.
The current city ordinance makes it illegal to essentially use vehicles with business signs as commercial advertising by parking them within 100 feet of a street. It states it is illegal for someone to park a vehicle with a sign promoting a commercial business, industry, educational organization, religious group, not-for-profit within 100 feet of any street when it is used for advertising instead of for transportation purposes.
The amendment up for approval Thursday adds “political” to the list of banned vehicle signs.
Amy Myers, a city attorney, said at the Planning Board meeting “political” should be added to the sign ordinance due to court decisions that don’t allow discrimination when it comes to sign regulations. But during the Planning Board meeting, Reichard vented his concerns with the vehicle sign ordinance and the provision to add political signs to the language.
He said the wording of the ordinance was vague and didn’t say how long a vehicle had to be parked to be in violation of the ordinance. He also questioned how code enforcement would measure the 100 feet, whether it would be from the middle of the street or the property line.
Myers pointed out that the ordinance was particularly vague on these issues to give officials flexibility.
Reichard told the Planning Board he has not noticed a continuing problem or controversy with vehicle signs.
In a follow-up letter to the Planning Board, Reichard praised the board for their professionalism at the meeting and lambasted Councilwoman Josie Strange.
“The ‘verdict’ didn’t go the way I would have preferred, but there was no toe-to-toe fight necessary as I felt we all were working through something that was prompted by the usual political witch hunt so often raised by the local amateur axis of evil … .”
The letter said this “axis of evil” includes City Councilwoman Josie Strange and some others. Strange said she had no comment about the letter.
--- BUSINESSES WARY OF SPECIAL EVENT PROPOSAL»»
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at 110 S. Arnold Road.
The City Council on Thursday night is also slated to:
- Discuss an ordinance designed to limit the number of special events and attendees during Spring Break, and require organizers to provide security, emergency medical services and receive a permit from the city before holding the events. The council met with business owners on Thursday to discuss their concerns about the ordinance.
- Vote on a $1.98 million contract with Gulf Power Co. for underground conversion of overhead electrical distribution facilities as part the Front Beach Road Segment 2 Improvement Project.
- Vote on a $113,492 contract with a $10,000 contingency for D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. for asbestos disposal, building demolition and cleaning of Beach Club Motel property.