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<br />~ <br />Case# .5 <br /> <br />Public Hearing <br />CONSIDER PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO 9.12 SIGNS OF <br />CHAPTER NINE OF CITY CODE~ <br />CASE OF CITY OF RAMSEY <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br />On November 1, 2006, Staff attended a legal seminar, sponsored by the League of Nfumesota Cities, <br />about recent lawsuits and legal interpretations regarding cities' sign ordinances. The primary <br />discussion was the recent case law associated with content-based regulation, which is regulating any <br />aspect of a sign (location, size, etc) based on what the sign reads. Also, there was discussion about <br />the legality of regulating digital billboards. On February 1, 2007, the Planning Commission <br />recommended that the City Council direct Staff to bring forward a revised sign ordinance. On May <br />1, 2007, the City Council met at worksession, and directed staffto make the necessary changes. <br /> <br />The following items are included in your packet: <br /> <br />1) Planning Commission minutes from August 2, 2007 <br />2) City Council worksession minutes from May 1,2007 <br />3) Proposed changes to 9.12, with mark-ups <br />4) Proposed Ordinance <br /> <br />Notification: <br /> <br />In accordance with State Statute, a public hearing notice was published in the Anoka County Union. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />Below is a summary of the changes that were made to the sign ordinance. <br /> <br />. Content-Based Regulation. All references, definitions, or regulations of signs <br />defined by their message were eliminated. The following sign regulations were <br />eliminated from City Code: <br />· Real Estate Signs-one property or a new development <br />· Construction Signs <br />. "Public" or "non-profit" or "government" uses <br />. Directional, Instructional, Nameplate or Address Signs <br />· Garage Sale Signs <br />· Political Signs <br />. Grand Opening, or public event signs or balloons <br />· Area Identification Signs <br />· "Home Occupation" signs <br />· Service Bay or Fuel Pump Island Identification Signs <br />. Unauthorized Signs sections would be re-written to eliminate all <br />content-based regulation and prohibit based on type or materials used <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Owner-Based Regulation. All regulations defined by the owner of the sign or <br />property were eliminated. For example, special provisions for churches, non-profits, <br />government, and youth associations were removed. However, a distinction between <br />commercial and non-commercial speech signs was made, which has been found to <br />pass the legal test. <br /> <br />35 <br /> <br />