The Bossier City Council adopted an ordinance July 1 amending the Unified Development Code to add regulations for subdivision entrance signs and residential electronic message boards. The ordinance passed on a motion by Councilman Hammonds, seconded by Councilman Maggio; the motion carried.

Under the ordinance, a subdivision may have a single residential message board with a maximum permitted sign area of 32 square feet. Permitted placement must be on subdivision property in an integral location; the code will require landscaping, address visibility and safety standards, and maintenance provisions. Staff said the code includes a maintenance requirement and a contact system so a subdivision must have personnel who can be reached within 24 hours to address malfunctions. The code also contains a dimming requirement (0.3 foot-candles over ambient light) and staff offered the council a provision to require shutoff during late-night hours (for example, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.).

Several council members and public commenters raised concerns. Councilman Hammonds and others said they worried about multiple subdivisions placing competing signs close together and the long-term appearance and maintenance of signs. Councilman Cliff Smith and Councilman Cotton expressed concerns that signs could become run-down or create a “Las Vegas Strip” effect if maintenance lapses.

A member of the public, who identified himself as West Marriott, complimented the code updates on electronic messaging but urged the council to revisit one provision he called unconstitutional: the code as drafted prohibited political signs more than 90 days before an election and required removal within 14 days after. Marriott cited federal case law (Whitten v. City of Gladstone) he said had struck down similar time-based restrictions on political signs and asked the council to revise the provision to avoid a content-based limitation on speech. Several council members agreed to work with staff and the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) to revisit that provision.

Staff said the request for residential message boards originated from subdivisions that want to post community notices and event information, and that the parish (police jury) may independently approve or reject such an ordinance; parish approval could impose different or additional rules.

The ordinance will be incorporated into a broader update of the Unified Development Code the city plans to re-draft under an RFP. The council voted to adopt the ordinance after discussion of placement, maintenance, illumination limits and a commitment from staff to refine political-sign timing language to reduce legal risk.