'Ugly' signs may be changed

Shelbyville's council may take action later this year on the use of flashing yellow signs around the city, voting to require them to be made permanent.

But the matter will have to go to the city's planning commission before anything can be done.

Mayor Wallace Cartwright said that the council has spoken about the issue "more than once," but had not taken any action on it.

Many have seen the portable flashing yellow signage in front of Shelbyville businesses, and Cartwright said that a lot of people are still using them, fastening them to posts.

Councilman Al Stephenson said when the city drew up its sign ordinance in the 1990s, the council voted to allow business to use them on a temporary basis -- for 30 days or twice a year, he recalled.

The mayor said some local businesses buy the signs for little money and then attach them to a permanent post in the ground, thereby getting around the sign ordinance.

Stephenson said "We really need to change that ... they look ugly."

Cartwright said that he had been receiving a number of complaints for citizens about the practice.

However, since the sign ordinance is something that the planning commission will have to examine, that body will deal with the issue first before any action by the city council can be taken.

Another topic for council meetings later this year could be whether to spend money to have 500 booklets printed for the upcoming Shelbyville Bicentennial.

City recorder Betty Lamb said printing the booklets would cost between $1,100 and $1,400, but there is no money set aside in the city's budget to do it.

The 18-page booklet has been put together by Garland King and Tim and Helen Marsh, who have "put a lot of time into this," Lamb explained.

The mayor said that the three had been working on it since last fall and had been examining old city records.

Cartwright added that no committee for the Bicentennial has been formed, although some have approached the mayor about serving on it, which would focus on activities.

Council members asked if those who put the booklet together had taken any advertisements and Cartwright said they hadn't.

Stephenson asked city treasurer Gary Cantrell where the city could get the money to pay for the booklet, and he replied the money would have to come out of the city's general fund.

"There's nowhere else to get it," Cantrell said.

Stephenson asked Lamb to contact King and the Marsh couple to see if they would consider selling ads for the booklet to help pay for it. He also suggested that the council place an ad and pay for it out of their own pockets.