The Clarksville City Council on Tuesday adopted Ordinance 43, which updates city rules governing electronic message center signage, after rejecting a proposed amendment to lengthen the time between message changes.

Councilman Holloman proposed an amendment to change the ordinance’s language on transitions so that messages would remain static for a minimum of 20 seconds rather than allowing transitions every 5 seconds. Holloman said rapid changes across multiple signs could be distracting: “If the sign is changing every 5 seconds, that’s pretty fast if you have 30 signs.” Opponents, including Councilman Streetman, said the original language reflected extensive Regional Planning Commission work and a sudden change to 20 seconds was an outsized leap; others warned the amendment’s phrasing could create unintended interpretations about transition effects.

The Holloman amendment failed, 2‑11. Council then voted to adopt Ordinance 43 as originally proposed, 13‑0. The ordinance prohibits inappropriate transitions (flashing, spinning or other distracting techniques) and keeps a short minimum static display time (as proposed in the original code language). Advocates of stricter timing said they plan to continue working with staff and planning commissioners on acceptable technical standards.

The ordinance now moves to second reading per standard procedure.