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Florence council shelves $155,000 electronic-sign plan, asks staff to remove it from CIP
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Summary
After hearing concerns about cost and timing, the Florence Town Council directed staff to remove the proposed electronic message center sign from the capital-improvement plan and revisit the idea later, citing other budget priorities and questions about who would pay for installation and upkeep.
Council members at the March 30 Florence town council work session generally agreed to defer and remove a proposed electronic message center (EMC) sign from the town—apital Improvement Plan.
A resident who addressed the council during the call to the public urged the council to "table any discussions or consideration of these electronic messaging signs at this time" and to prioritize reinvigorating historic downtown Florence and supporting small businesses.
At a presentation earlier in the meeting, project staff noted two proposed sign sites at the Hunt Highway and Merrill Ranch Parkway intersection and explained sight-line and underground-easement constraints. Administrative project manager Jerry Tealay said the sign display would be roughly 6 feet by 12 feet and that with APS power the cost estimate for a sign of that size remained "around the 155,000 price point." He said some components (LED panels) are the largest cost item and that not all vendors can deliver the specified technology.
Vice Mayor Adam questioned the project's necessity and audience, asking, "Who's the audience? What's the message? What's the problem it's trying to solve? Who's going to keep it up?" He said he could not justify the expenditure in the current budget cycle. Council member Bucciararo said she "can't justify $155,000 on something" when the town must make difficult budgeting choices. Council member Benzina pressed staff for lower-cost options and for a breakdown between the LED display and supporting structure, saying, "we don't need the top of the line" and asking whether cheaper LED options were available.
Council member Maldonado said he liked the concept but would support it only if the town could offset costs with private partners. The mayor summarized the council iscussion and said it appeared the council preferred to "scrap this project completely and reentertain something new later on down the road." The mayor asked staff to remove the EMC sign from the CIP and bring it back later as a new project if appropriate.
The council did not take a formal vote on the sign itself during the session; the direction given was for staff to remove the line item from the CIP and return with alternatives or a new proposal at a later date.
What happens next: Staff were asked to remove the EMC sign project from the CIP and may return with lower-cost alternatives, partnership proposals or a reworked item in a future packet.
