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Council narrows political signage rules at city polling places and adopts an AI use policy for staff
Summary
Council approved a first reading of an ordinance restricting stationary political signs and regulating canopy placement at city-owned polling locations, and unanimously adopted a staff AI-use policy to permit external AI tools only with safeguards and supervisor oversight. Staff will refine canopy size, sign counts and removal windows before final sign-ordinance adoption.
The Manvel City Council advanced two administrative policies that affect how elections and office work are conducted in city facilities: (1) a sign ordinance amendment for city-owned polling locations and (2) an AI-use policy governing staff use of external AI tools.
Sign ordinance: Staff proposed sign limitations and canopy rules specific to city-owned polling locations (the police annex). Staff's proposal included a 3'x3' maximum stationary sign size, restrictions on signs inside the 100-foot electioneering buffer and a 24-hour removal requirement after the election. Council members asked staff to refine several details before the second reading: increasing the removal window (discussion centered on 48—2 to 72 hours), allowing reasonable candidate canopies (staff suggested the back row near the flagpole), defining allowable canopy and umbrella sizes (10'x10' proposed as a standard), limiting the number of parking spaces or size for vehicle-wrapped campaign displays, and establishing a permit or allocation system for canopy spots. The election judge and police chief stressed enforcement practicality and the need to preserve safe, unobstructed public access to city facilities. Council approved the item to move forward (first of two readings) with direction to staff to bring refined maps, spot assignments and clearer canopy/sign-sizing back for final adoption.
AI policy: Council also adopted a staff AI policy that restricts use of external generative-AI tools with nonpublic information, requires supervisors to approve and oversee any data shared with external services, mandates training for responsible AI use and reaffirms that human officials retain final decision authority. Staff noted the policy does not cover internally provisioned AI features embedded in approved software (that step would require further review). Council and staff discussed open-records exposure and the need to document AI-assisted sourcing. The policy passed unanimously.
Next steps: staff will return the sign ordinance with mapped canopy/sign zones and permitted sizes for a second reading and will roll out AI training and department guidance.
