Smithville staff outlines pared-down sign ordinance, flags temporary sign conflicts

Jack, a city staff member presenting the ordinance update, told the Board that the town's sign regulations date to 1968 and have been steadily revised: "when I got here in 2007, this ordinance was 37 pages long," he said, describing efforts to reduce complexity and consolidate rules.

The presentation spelled out how the rewrite simplifies permanent sign categories (ground/monument, pole, wall, projecting, roof) and clarifies technical definitions the board had relied on to enforce height and appearance rules. Jack said projecting signs — "a wall sign that projects more than 30 degrees from the parallel face of the facade" — are technically retained in the code though none currently exist in Smithville.

On temporary signs, Jack said the draft sets limits and examples: flexible materials such as vinyl and coroplast will be regulated as temporary signs, and the code currently limits one temporary sign per business or lot. He noted that real-estate and subdivision temporary signs have not required permits under current practice: "neither of those subdivision signs and real estate signs require a permit," he said.

Board members raised concerns about how the one-sign-per-lot rule would affect events and nonprofits. One alderman said businesses that paid for a temporary sign should not have to remove it for a nonprofit event sign, arguing for shared signage during event season. Jack responded that the city already exempts many city-owned signs and that nonprofits can be designated to avoid permit fees while following other rules.

Jack told the board he will start staff work on potential adjustments and asked members to email additional suggestions; he also said staff will bring an ordinance back for consideration. The board did not take a formal vote on sign-code changes during the session.