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Skagway Assembly rejects ordinance that would limit internally lit signs
Summary
After a large public turnout of business owners and residents, the Skagway Assembly voted down Ordinance 25-O-1, which would have defined 'internally lit signs' and expanded enforcement to signs visible inside buildings; members cited concerns about regulating interior displays and winter business impacts.
The Skagway Assembly voted against Ordinance 25-O-1 on second reading after an extended public hearing and debate, ending efforts to expand the town's sign rules to include interior signs visible from public right-of-way.
The motion to adopt the ordinance failed on roll call (recorded as six no votes). The proposal would have amended Title 19 to define internally lit signs and clarify enforcement procedures for signage violations.
Why it mattered: More than a dozen business owners and residents turned out to warn the assembly the ordinance, as drafted, would reach inside storefronts and threaten businesses that rely on interior "open" signs and holiday lighting to attract customers, especially in winter.
Business owners urged postponement or rework. "I'd rather see this ordinance not passed tonight," said Carla Ray, who spoke for several local businesses, asking the assembly to spell out exact sign types and enforcement limits and to avoid giving inspectors latitude to regulate interior displays. Charity Pomeroy, a business owner and outgoing Historic District Commission member, called for a community work session and suggested a delayed compliance date: "I would like to see... this doesn't go into effect until 05/01/2027," she said.
Historic District Commission input and debate: Rosemary Liebert Klupar, vice chair of the Historic District Commission, asked that the ordinance include a compliance period until May 2027 to give businesses time to adapt if the measure passed. The Planning/Neighborhood/Conservation chair, identified only as Laura, said the committee provided recommendations, including limiting paint colors to the existing palette for period accuracy, but agreed the draft needed more public work.
Assembly discussion focused on scope. Several members said regulation should remain exterior-only. "I don't think we should be passing any rules about what happens inside people's businesses," Assembly member Hanson said, adding interior regulation is an "egregious, terrible concept" for struggling winter businesses that rely on interior signs. Others said they supported limits on flashing signs or size caps but not interior enforcement. Vice mayor Potter proposed stripping the clause covering interior signs from the ordinance, but that amendment failed on a recorded roll call before the main motion was voted down.
Procedural note: Clerk Burnham and staff flagged that an unrelated code-clarification issue stemming from a 2014 amendment had rendered some enforcement language ineffective; several members said code cleanup and any historic-preservation sign standards should be handled more deliberately and, in some cases, separately.
What happens next: With the ordinance defeated, members discussed sending the issue back to Civic Affairs or holding a work session so business owners, the HDC, and the planning committee can craft clearer, narrower rules. No new vote date was set at the meeting.
Sources: Public testimony and recorded roll-call votes during the Oct. 9, 2025 special meeting of the Skagway Assembly. Quotes are from participants who spoke at the hearing.
