Council adopts Olympic‑era signage ordinance with 14‑day shot clock and revenue‑sharing study
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Summary
The City Council approved an ordinance to ease permitting for Games‑related signage, adding a 14‑day shot clock for liaison sign‑offs and instructing the Office of Finance to study a revenue‑sharing mechanism of up to 50% of projected net new revenue, while adding guardrails to prevent illegal operators from benefiting.
The Los Angeles City Council adopted an ordinance on Tuesday intended to streamline discretionary approvals for certain Olympics‑related signage and digital assets, while adding protections for neighborhoods and a study of city revenue sharing.
Councilmember Yaroslavsky and others warned that without guardrails the ordinance could become a "sign free for all," arguing that private billboard operators could capture large sums without a clear return to the city. Yaroslavsky successfully pushed amendments requiring the Office of Finance to report back within 60 days on a revenue‑sharing study and establishing a 14‑day 'shot clock' for the games liaison sign‑offs (Councilmember Yaroslavsky, SEG 2728–2800, SEG 2790–2812).
Planning Department and Department of Building & Safety staff described the ordinance as providing limited exemptions from certain planning and zoning entitlement processes for projects necessary to stage the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with liaison clearance required from the mayor's office, CAO and city attorney. The council added a provision that operators who had facilitated illegal digital signage would be ineligible for the exemptions.
Council discussion emphasized two tensions: moving quickly to meet staging and revenue goals for the games, and ensuring sufficient enforcement and community protections so neighborhoods are not overrun by new digital advertising. Councilmember Yaroslavsky said, "By the time a violation is issued, the games are over," urging a 14‑day turnaround to avoid that outcome.
The council approved the amendment package and then adopted the ordinance as amended (final recorded vote 13 ayes, 1 no). The Office of Finance was instructed to return with a revenue‑sharing study exploring a mechanism to capture up to 50% of projected net new revenue from certain digital assets; the liaison process will be subject to the newly adopted 14‑day timeline for sign‑offs.
Next steps: Planning and DBS will implement the administrative clearance workflow; Office of Finance will report back within 60 days with findings on revenue‑sharing options.