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Oldtown Coffee owner urges Fountain City to loosen sign rules, brings 750-signature petition
Summary
Jennifer Clark, owner of Oldtown Coffee Shop, told the council the city's 10‑week limit on temporary signs and removal of a branded vehicle are hurting small businesses and presented a petition with more than 750 signatures. Staff said a commercial-code audit will be discussed at the next work session.
Jennifer Clark, a Fountain resident and owner of Oldtown Coffee Shop, told the Fountain City Council on June 9 that the city's sign code is limiting small-business visibility and asked the council to update rules that restrict branded vehicles and temporary sandwich-board signs.
"We're not just serving coffee. We're not just making coffee. . . the places where small businesses come to die," Clark said, asking the council to consider changes that would help small shops attract foot traffic. She said more than 750 community members signed a petition supporting the changes and offered to deliver the petition to the clerk after her remarks.
Clark asked two specific changes: permission for continued display of a legally registered, operational business-branded vehicle used in the community, and greater flexibility for sandwich-board and other temporary signage beyond the current 10‑week limit in the code. She said the limitations reduce discoverability for visitors and harm sales-tax revenue flowing to the city.
City staff responded that the council has directed a broader audit of commercial codes that will include sign regulations. "Wade, our new community development director, has been given a commission from the council and direction to start really digging into not just the sign code, but a whole plethora of issues in our commercial codes," Mr. Trainer said, and he invited Clark to the council work session next Tuesday at 4:30 to review the audit outline.
Council members clarified that the current temporary-sign permit lasts 10 weeks and noted that staff are drafting an authorization that would permit the planning department to grant waivers or temporary permissions. Council member Rick said he had proposed language to give staff limited waiver authority and that formal code changes would require two readings at council meetings.
Next steps: staff will present the commercial-code audit and potential sign-code amendments at the council work session. Any ordinance changes would require two council readings before adoption.
Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are listed in the accompanying speakers whitelist; quotations and attributions are drawn from the June 9 transcript.
