City revisits sign rule

Signs were on the agenda again last night at Kilgore City Council and residents turned out to speak their piece about the issue.

"We all want to keep our pretty little town pretty," Linda Brotherton, who is deeply bothered by Kilgore's sign ordinance, said. "Fine the ones that do not pick up the signs, not those that may be having a yard sale to make ends meet."

Bryan Nutt, pastor of First Assembly of God, said he had tried every available avenue to advertise an annual church rummage sale and was disappointed that he could not advertise the sale in his own front yard because it was off-premise. Nutt said the sale returned the least amount of profit ever.

Sue Newburn, local business owner, said her business has also been hurt by the city's code enforcement.

Newburn said she conducts more than three sales per year and collects and pays sales tax.

"The service I provide is a business," Newburn said. "I hope council works it out to where everyone is happy."

Newburn said she can relate to Brotherton as she one held a yard sale in the early 80s to pay a high water bill.

"I had a water leak, a high bill and I had to pay a plumber," Newburn said. "I put out a table, had a yard sale profit me enough to pay that bill and the plumber. You cannot make a living on yard sales alone but a good sale can get you through a bad time."

Jeff Howell, city manager, said the ordinance is not new and the city is simply trying to enforce the ordinance the way it is written.

According to Howell the ordinance goes back to the 1976 City Charter and as far back as 1959 in some interpretations.

"No one has received a fine to date," Howell said.

Howell said the city's Strategic Plan, objective 3, includes improvement of the city's appearance. To meet this objective the city went on to "conduct an aggressive illegal sign abatement program."

Howell presented a slide show of unsightly and illegal signs. Signs made of boxes and drawers, taped to poles, left faded and in the public right-of-way.

"The signs are illegal because they are in the public right-ofway, not because they are advertising a garage sale," Howell said.

As council discussed possible solutions, Howell said if council is going to "except" garage sale signs there must be some guidelines in place.

Some suggestions included permits - with or without a fee - allowing a limited number of sales per year and or limiting the number of signs allowed as long as they are not placed in the public right-of-way.

B.J. Owen, director of special services and Carol Windham, director of planning, will return to council with more information at a future meeting.

In other agenda action items council voted unanimously to discontinue any efforts to move forward with a civic center / shelter in conjunction with a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant.

Council voted to return $290,000 already received and also to withdraw a grant application that has already been submitted that requested $3 million through a Hazard Mitigation grant program.

Donald Lawler, councilman, noted the city has other priorities, like streets, water and downtown revitalization.

Further action items included approving an application for $185,000 Assistance to Fire Fighters Grant (AFG) for operations and Firefighters Safety Program. The cost to the city is five percent of the grant amount.

Council also rescinded action, taken at the last meeting, granting office space at the Senior Center to Meals on Wheels. The city was notified East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) has available office space on Pentecost Road. Meals on Wheels is funded through ETCOG.

Joe Parker, mayor, also issued a proclamation recognizing the 20-year anniversary of Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation and kicking off National Preservation Month in May.

The next council agenda should include an update on Lamb entertainment cleanup, as the fourth anniversary of the deadly fireworks warehouse explosion on Pentecost Road approaches, and a cost estimate and time table on getting Fire Station #3, on Stone Road, up and running.