We agree with Bill Garner, the only Council Member who we believe thinks things out before he votes. In what we believe was a "rush to judgment," appointed Council Member couldn't wait to usurp the sign code citizen committee's responsibility to offer recommendations for council consideration. The vote to approve was 6-1.
Here's what The Explorer reports.
Signs of relief
The Oro Valley Town Council also voted to temporarily loosen the town's sign code regulations.
The move is intended to provide relief to local business by allowing greater freedom in the use of temporary signs during the continued economic recession.
Councilman Bill Garner cast the only vote opposing the changes.
"I just don't believe this has been thought through," Garner said.
Amanda Jacobs, town economic development coordinator, told the council the proposal was modeled after the City of Chandler, which has similarly relaxed some of its sigh-code standards in an effort to help local businesses.
Garner said the difference was that Chandler officials wrote and passed an ordinance, effectively a new law, that provided better guidelines than what the Oro Valley Town Council passed.
Businesses that can demonstrate economic hardship that would justify relief would be allowed to complete a waiver form for review by the town's Development and Infrastructure Services Department.
Mayor Hiremath said businesses interested in taking advantage of the program would have options of how they demonstrate hardship.
"It does not mean they have to come in and physically open their books," Hiremath said. Instead, whatever measure a business uses to show a need would have to be the same measure used when the town reviews the effectiveness of the temporary sign code changes.
There would be a $50 fee to process the request. Once approved, businesses must provide an update in 90 days that the waiver is working.
No waivers will be granted for illuminated, noise-producing or flashing signs.
"It's a unique concept and it's going to be a work-in-progress," Hiremath said.
The council plans to review the effort's effectiveness in February 2011.
6 comments:
On one hand they're saying "businesses that can demonstrate economic hardship" will be able to get a waiver...
But on the other hand Hiremath said, "It does not mean they have to come in and physically open their books."
So how does a business demonstrate economic hardship without opening their books? I can see why Garner thinks that this plan hasn't been well thought out.
Cowgirl asks a reasonable question, and there are certain bloggers who should be falling all over themselves in an attempt to answer it. Yet no one has.
She's right. They all show up at the same time and they all disappear at the same time.
That either means that they are all the same person using different aliases in an attempt to make us think that their numbers are larger than they really are, or --
They're 3-4 different people who all gang up to answer certain questions and who all disappear when they can't answer other questions.
It's beginning to look like they all have just one brain between them.
Garner's NO vote was correct. If this plan was well thought-out, there would be a long stream of responses following Cowgirl's initial post/question. Instead there is silence.
Hummm.
In my limited experience, I have used the certificate method for waiver administration.
Example:
I, Joe Blow, doing business as Joe's Diner, certify that my business qualifies for a waiver to the OV sign code as stipulated by (Ya Da Ya Da). I understand that this waver expires on (date).
This system is quick, no books are examined (at tax payer expense) and Joe Blow has "certified" (as an HONEST business owner) that he meets the requirements as stipulated by the modified code.
I can see it now. We give MTCVB & TREO all the money they ask for, and in return they'll do an advertising blitz on behalf of our community.
How does this sound?
"Welcome To Oro Valley---The "A" Frame Sign Capital Of The Free World."
OV Dad,
You left a post under the old Sign Code thread that I am going to answer here (a different sign code thread).
You took the explanation I gave for how I knew that Zinkin did not deliberately violate the law and you applied my explanation to Bonnie Quinn's violation of the sign code.
You said:
____________
"Why would Ms. Quinn deliberately break the code KNOWING that it was against the law, and therefore KNOWING that at least one person would take offense and post on this blog, and KNOWING that this person would no longer come to her business and try to keep other people away from it as well, and KNOWING that the whole story cause a discussion here and keep readers away, and KNOWING that this would result in her losing revenue?
"Long story short...why would she sabotage her own business?
"Do you see now that your argument makes NO sense at all?
____________
Here is my response:
(1) The reason that Quinn had no fear of violating the code and had no fear of repercussions from the town or from anyone filing a complaint is because she KNOWS that she is working with a PRO-BUSINESS council.
(2) To prove my above point, what did the council do upon learning of her deliberate violation? They REWARDED her by relaxing the sign code so she could continue to do what she was doing.
(3) She also wasn't worried about a loss of customers/revenue from people who would stop patronizing her business due to the sign code violation because she was convinced that the amount of customers she might LOSE would be NOTHING compared to the amount of customers she would GAIN just by virtue of using an A-frame sign.
Do you see now that YOUR argument makes no sense at all?
On another thread, Thinkerbell stated that the reason I get so many responses to my posts is because...
"...your postings are so unbelieveable and stupid that folks respond. It has nothing to do with your accuracy or intelligence."
Hmmmm...not one of the Good Old Boys has responded to the question I posted at the top of THIS thread (How does a business demonstrate economic hardship without opening their books?) so that must mean that my question was brilliant!
I just love it when I stump the Good Old Boys! I'll be accepting my award at the Hilton on Tuesday at 8 PM.
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