A proposed guideline for allowing local businesses to advertise on Greensburg’s LED community sign was debated for nearly half-an-hour at Monday night’s city council meeting, before agreement was reached on the conditions for a trial basis that will allow up to 10 businesses to use the signage for 60 days before review of the approach.
The consensus reached is that a business wanting to advertise during the 60-day trial period can do so for an initial setup fee of $50 in addition to a monthly fee of $25, with no more than two screens per business, screens recycling every five seconds.
City Administrator Steve Hewitt had drawn up a set of guidelines after local businessman Gary Goodman had asked last month about the possibility of local retailers advertising on the sign originally erected last spring through the generosity of the local Rotary and Lions clubs and the South Central Community Foundation.
Among the terms of his proposed guidelines were:
*No sales, specific prices or political advertising be allowed…
*No personal messages be allowed…
*Commercial advertising be limited to one screen for a duration of three seconds with name of business only…
*Charge to be $100 per month…
*City of Greensburg is to have first priority for its messages…
*City of Greensburg will not compete with other businesses in the community that gain revenue through advertising…
Councilman Brandon Hosheit was the first to suggest a setup fee because of the time involved in a City employee programming the information for an ad for the sign.
Councilwoman Erica Goodman seized upon the guideline of the city not competing “with other businesses in the community that gain revenue through advertising,” asking Hewitt what he meant by that restriction. Hewitt answered he didn’t want for the electronic sign taking advertising revenue from the local newspaper or other entities that rely upon advertising revenue for profit.
Hewitt pointed out that the LED sign at the intersection of US 54 and Main in Pratt is different in that “it’s for profit” while the sign erected on the south side of US 54 on the west edge of the Incubator Building was put there “primarily to communicate community events” in a timely fashion. Nonprofit groups such as churches and the local school will continue to get exposure of their upcoming events for no charge.
“What’s the priority of this sign?” Mayor Bob Dixson asked in the thick of the discussion, implying communication of nonprofit entities’ events should not get second billing. “I don’t know where to go on this, but I know we can’t do nothing.”
Erica Goodman pointed out that businesses such as hers—Where’d Ya Find That? Antique Store—rely on highway traffic to turn a profit, a point also made by Tim Kyle of the Green Bean Coffee Company. Both emphasized that such signage as the LED display can bring drivers off the highway into their store in a way printed advertising cannot.
Goodman also asked if a store’s address and hours couldn’t be listed in addition to just the business’ name—a concession made by Hewitt in the trial run guidelines he later suggested and were adopted.
Local past district governor of Lions’ Club Steve Dawson, who with fellow Lion Steve Kirk was instrumental in getting the sign erected, told The Signal Thursday that the Lions “have no problem with (local businesses advertising on the sign) as long as nonprofits aren’t charged anything. The monthly fee charged businesses can help pay for the maintenance of the sign, and there will be maintenance costs as time goes on.”
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A proposed guideline for allowing local businesses to advertise on Greensburg’s LED community sign was debated for nearly half-an-hour at Monday night’s city council meeting, before agreement was reached on the conditions for a trial basis that will allow up to 10 businesses to use the signage for 60 days before review of the approach.
The consensus reached is that a business wanting to advertise during the 60-day trial period can do so for an initial setup fee of $50 in addition to a monthly fee of $25, with no more than two screens per business, screens recycling every five seconds.
City Administrator Steve Hewitt had drawn up a set of guidelines after local businessman Gary Goodman had asked last month about the possibility of local retailers advertising on the sign originally erected last spring through the generosity of the local Rotary and Lions clubs and the South Central Community Foundation.
Among the terms of his proposed guidelines were:
*No sales, specific prices or political advertising be allowed…
*No personal messages be allowed…
*Commercial advertising be limited to one screen for a duration of three seconds with name of business only…
*Charge to be $100 per month…
*City of Greensburg is to have first priority for its messages…
*City of Greensburg will not compete with other businesses in the community that gain revenue through advertising…
Councilman Brandon Hosheit was the first to suggest a setup fee because of the time involved in a City employee programming the information for an ad for the sign.
Councilwoman Erica Goodman seized upon the guideline of the city not competing “with other businesses in the community that gain revenue through advertising,” asking Hewitt what he meant by that restriction. Hewitt answered he didn’t want for the electronic sign taking advertising revenue from the local newspaper or other entities that rely upon advertising revenue for profit.
Hewitt pointed out that the LED sign at the intersection of US 54 and Main in Pratt is different in that “it’s for profit” while the sign erected on the south side of US 54 on the west edge of the Incubator Building was put there “primarily to communicate community events” in a timely fashion. Nonprofit groups such as churches and the local school will continue to get exposure of their upcoming events for no charge.
“What’s the priority of this sign?” Mayor Bob Dixson asked in the thick of the discussion, implying communication of nonprofit entities’ events should not get second billing. “I don’t know where to go on this, but I know we can’t do nothing.”
Erica Goodman pointed out that businesses such as hers—Where’d Ya Find That? Antique Store—rely on highway traffic to turn a profit, a point also made by Tim Kyle of the Green Bean Coffee Company. Both emphasized that such signage as the LED display can bring drivers off the highway into their store in a way printed advertising cannot.
Goodman also asked if a store’s address and hours couldn’t be listed in addition to just the business’ name—a concession made by Hewitt in the trial run guidelines he later suggested and were adopted.
Local past district governor of Lions’ Club Steve Dawson, who with fellow Lion Steve Kirk was instrumental in getting the sign erected, told The Signal Thursday that the Lions “have no problem with (local businesses advertising on the sign) as long as nonprofits aren’t charged anything. The monthly fee charged businesses can help pay for the maintenance of the sign, and there will be maintenance costs as time goes on.”
