At the June 15 Town Council meeting, the temporary sign portion of the sign ordinance, approved by the majority of the council on May 18, was delayed for amendments. This ordinance is financially impactful to our businesses and our town. These are my observations on the sign ordinance.

At the May 18 meeting, a question requesting facts about the number of businesses affected by the ordinance was called “disingenuous” by member Mike Scharnow. No one, not even town staff, were able to answer the question. I do not believe the question was disingenuous. When asked how many businesses had been contacted for their input, two or three was the answer from town staff.

When I made a point about the importance of temporary signs, councilmember Peggy McMahon stated, “I don’t need a lecture.” What is disingenuous or lecturing about wanting to understand the facts? I heard from 23 businesses that A-frame signs are critical to their businesses.

Councilmember Alan Magazine stated at the May 18 meeting, “Let’s just do something to get something done.” I really think the people of Fountain Hills expect more from their council and Town staff. We need to do a thorough job based on facts and with input from the community before implementing impactful ordinances.

At the June 15 meeting, councilmember Scharnow stated that he was disappointed by the overreaction and name-calling as a result of passing the ordinance. Councilmembers were elected to represent the people of Fountain Hills and they have a right to express their disagreement. Again, at the June 15 meeting, it was stated by Mayor Ginny Dickey that, “We knew changes would be needed.” An ordinance that needs amendments shortly after passage is a clear indication that it should not have been passed. It should be noted that this ordinance did not have the wording that was initially approved by Planning and Zoning.

Another issue repeatedly brought up by councilmembers is that A-frame signs represent a safety issue. How many accidents have A-frame signs caused? No facts were provided but, I checked with our local law enforcement and there have been no accident reports attributed to A-frame signs.

Finally, McMahon stated that, “The use of A-frame signs has been illegal for the last year.” How can it be illegal if there was no ordinance to enforce? That is the fault of the council. We need to stop blaming the business community and start taking responsibility for our own actions or inaction. Any of the four councilmembers who voted for the sign ordinance had the opportunity to admit it was a mistake to pass without feedback. Unfortunately, no one chose to do so.

Some things learned:

1) Roughly 40 percent of business is attributed to the use of A-frame signs.

2) We value our business community; it is important to listen to them. They are our families, friends and lifeblood of the community.

3) We cannot rely solely on meeting agendas to inform the community.

4) Why would the council make decisions that decrease sales tax revenue? The next time we do not have enough money to paint a building, fix a road, purchase equipment, etc., let us not be surprised when residents tell us that our actions are the very reason for budget shortfalls.

This community has a voice and we need to listen, always and respectfully.