Changes To Digital Billboard Proposal Fuel Debate

An amendment to Proposal 250 comes just days before the City County Council was set to vote on the heated issue of whether or not to allow digital billboards in Indy. More than 50 neighborhood groups joined a coalition against the proposal they say ignored the public.

Pat Andrews, vice president of the Decatur Township Civic Council says that’s where the fall-out stems from.  

"People are reacting to that, that the public was excluded from this normal process and from this back room," Andrews said.

Chris Iverson, vice president and general manager of Lamar Advertising, says his company did have a hand in drafting the proposal that was introduced to the council last summer.

"But we did that after we talked the councilors after hearing what their concerns were and only to put a framework to have a starting point," Iverson said.

This week the proposals sponsor, Democrat Mary Moriarty Adams introduced an amendment that still asks the Metropolitan Development Commission to take up the issue, but excludes the language drafted by the billboard companies. 

Republican Jeff Miller, who has previously spoken out against the proposal, says he plans to support the amendment.

"I’m not against digital billboards," Miller said. "They’ve just got to be done right and we’ve got to protect our residents from the aesthetic issues that additional billboard can bring, especially lit ones."

The sign ordinance is being considered separately from a city wide rezoning effort that's going on.  The MDC must initiate any rezoning issues. The amended Prop 250 will go before the council Monday.