Commission members call Tell City's sign rules piecemeal, urge clear procedures and enforcement

Tell City's Planning Zoning Commission spent substantial time reviewing the city's sign rules and concluded the current ordinance is piecemeal and lacks clear procedures for staff to follow, members said.

The Chair said the issue has "turned into a nightmare," describing the current regulations as a patchwork assembled over time and not codified into an enforceable standard. Commissioners compared Tell City's language to neighboring communities such as Jasper, Evansville and Carmel and noted those municipalities use clearer charts and decision trees to determine whether signs are permitted or must go to a planning board.

"We've got all kinds of signs out there that were put up without permits," the Chair said, arguing that more specific requirements and a quicker, routine decision path for staff would reduce inconsistent outcomes. Other commissioners agreed, saying staff frequently must call members for guidance because the ordinance leaves too many gray areas.

Commission attorney cautioned members that any stronger enforcement provisions (fines or penalties) may trigger public‑hearing requirements and that the commission should specify which existing ordinances control if the new language conflicts with prior code sections.

Members suggested creating a standard operating procedure (SOP) or decision chart similar to Jasper's, clarifying whether a permit is approvable by an administrator, requires commission referral, or is outright permitted. They also asked staff to identify reasonable enforcement mechanisms and fines and to bring comparative examples for the commission's review.

The discussion ended with a directive for staff and commissioners to compile examples and draft language for future meetings; no ordinance changes were adopted at this session.