Commissioner Bob Langstaff has a presence out there on the internet, for those who didn’t know, and he shares some inside info regarding two of the hottest topics on SWGA Politics lately, namely the sign ordinance and Don Buie.
First, on Buie, Commissioner Langstaff says that he has talked with the City Manager, who apparently has discussed this with outside council (employment law specialist) as well as the in-house attorney about suspension with pay. The consensus is apparently that it’s “NOT appropriate at this time”. There is no description of why, but since the attorneys are saying it, I’m assuming it’s for liability reasons. As such, I sincerely hope that the board over at ADICA is keeping a very close eye on what Buie is currently doing, for the taxpayers if nothing else.
Also, Commissioner Langstaff goes into some detail about why there was no moratorium on the sign ordinance. I’m going to do a recap here, but more detail is available on his site (linked above). Basically, it boils down to the fact that the moratorium would permit anything and everything as far as signs go, including monster signs that hide neighboring signage.
Instead, the plan looks like it’s to refocus code enforcement toward run down buildings and abandoned cars (a pet peeve for later discussion) and keep the sign ordinance as complaint driven only. While I still see the potential for abuse (Store A complains about Store B’s two ground signs when the real issue is Store B is offering better prices), I see this as probably the best alternative that would actually pass.
I’d like to thank Commissioner Langstaff for letting me know about his blog and the relevant information on it. While I don’t necessarily agree with him about the ramifications of the moratorium, I frankly appreciate the openness he shows to the people of Ward 5.
