Jacksonville sign law amended to allow ads at bus shelters

[thelakelander]

Bus shelters with advertising are probably coming to Jacksonville. But it won’t be clear for months whether the advertising will lead to a lawsuit that might put the city’s sign law in jeopardy.

The City Council voted Tuesday night 10-6 to amend its existing sign law to allow advertising on bus shelters. Mayor John Peyton has not yet said if he will support or oppose the amendment; he has 10 days to decide.

If Peyton doesn’t veto the bill, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority -- which requested the amendment will be free to hire a sign company to build new bus shelters.

full article: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-10-13/story/jacksonville_sign_law_amended_to_allow_ads_at_bus_shelters

[Ocklawaha]

YES! YIPPIE! YES! YEAH! KUDOS COUNCIL MEMBERS! Mr. Blaylock and company, take a bow!

OCKLAWAHA

[reednavy]

Good, because I do feel bad for those in the summer either getting baked by the sun or soaked by the storms waiting for a bus.

[Charles Hunter]

Will the lawyers for the billboard companies please form an orderly line to the right?  Yes, under that bus shelter there.

I watched some of the debate - Cindy L, from the OGC, said her office would handle any litigation that came up, without outside help.  And that defending the sign ordinance would depend on a well written contract.

Uh oh.

[thelakelander]

An image from the TU.  It looks like it was taken along the Arlington Expressway or Southside Blvd.

[stjr]

Stephen and friends, congrats.  Savor the moment (and, starting still another thread when one already existed on the subject  ).  By the way, this was never about being for/against bus shelters, only how to pay for them.  Let's not demonize the opposition.

I don't expect you to post a response from the other side of this so here is mine posted earlier at the original thread:

Bad news.  And this is most disturbing:

Attorneys with both the city General Counsel’s Office and JTA expressed confidence that the amendment was legal. That seemed to be enough for the majority of the council.

Not only are the local government attorneys less expert than those attorneys in opposition, they have had a number of legal fiascoes they "assured" us wouldn't happen, including courthouse contracts, stadium deals, the shipyard disaster, public records mishandling, etc.   Now, they are the best advice we have?

Opponents of the amendment accused JTA of collaborating with Clear Channel. The law firm of JTA attorney David Cohen  also represents Clear Channel.

Cohen said there is no conflict of interest because he doesn’t deal with Clear Channel, and does not discuss JTA business with his law partner who does represent Clear Channel.

The JTA attorney has a clear conflict of interest.  If ANYONE in his firm represents a conflicting client, ALL the attorneys in that firm should have a conflict.  I know that's what my attorneys always tell me.  The Bar should investigate this.

Here is what I would consider the perfect storm:  We get sued by the billboard companies AND, because we poorly design a contract with a bus shelter ad company, they ALSO sue us when we try to void their contract if we lose a suit to the billboard companies.  It will be a typical Jax legal train wreck and the taxpayers will pay a lot more than the ads will ever deliver.  Expect litigation to be hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

By the way, JTA's promise to cough up $250,000 for legal fees could have bought about 50 new shelters or maintained about 200 of them.  And, that's just their legal down payment.  Funny, they have lots of money for lawyers and litigation, but none for transit.  Once again, we have a gullible City Council.  Hope the mayor comes through with a veto.

Clear Channel, the largest sign company in Jacksonville, wouldn’t comment earlier this week about a lawsuit or whether it might bid for the shelter contract.

Taking bets on WHEN, not if, this lawsuit gets filed...

Typical Jax GOB deal.  And, posters here wonder why this town is always in the backwaters.

[reednavy]

An image from the TU.  It looks like it was taken along the Arlington Expressway or Southside Blvd.

Looks fierce.

[CS Foltz]

I did not know that JTA coughed up 250K for lawyers.......well they found the 72 Million in that desk drawer just the other day and I am still confused about that one! Doesn't someone at their end balance their checkbook? Amateurs one more time in action. This has gotten me to the point where I don't believe much of anything that comes from either the OCG or any of the Independent Authorities. This will end up costing the taxpayer even more than it all ready does..............and still no additional shelters!

[tufsu1]

they didn't cough up $250k....they have just promised to pay up to $250,000 if there are legal challenges!

[mtraininjax]

Can't wait to see the Gold Club ads on the side of the bus stations.

[thelakelander]

^That's cool, as long as little old ladies, like the one in the image above, aren't getting baked by the sun.

[BridgeTroll]

I'm guessing those that ride the bus will not care at all... now that they are sheltered from the sun and rain!

[fsujax]

How can it be any worse than a Hooters bus rolling all over town? not that I have anything against Hooters......haha

[copperfiend]

Can't wait to see the Gold Club ads on the side of the bus stations.

Me too.

[stjr]

they didn't cough up $250k....they have just promised to pay up to $250,000 if there are legal challenges!

If they made a promise, one has to assume they have the money available to back it up.  Why not have spent the money on shelters.  Then, the promise wouldn't have been necessary.