MH City Council discusses new billboard, yard sign ordinances, approves sale of old fire station

It was a busy session Thursday night for the Mountain Home City Council as they heard the first readings of new billboard and yard sign ordinances and approved the sale of the old fire department station number 2.

The yard sign ordinance took up most of the 70 minute meeting and one council member, Bob Van Haaren, said it’s a topic he has received more feedback on than any other since he has been on the council. City code enforcement officer Todd Pease told the council there is a lot of sign pollution in the city, especially with those who put them up, not taking them down in a timely manner. He also says too many signs are being put up illegally in public right of ways.

The proposal will require a permit to be purchased from the city at a cost of $20 to promote an upcoming event or gathering.

Two points of discussion is how far in advance of the event the signs can be put out and how quickly they have to be picked up after the event.

The proposal is signs cannot go up more than 10 days before an event. After discussion, the council discussed 14 or 21 days and talked about making it depend on the length of the event.

The proposal also states the signs have to be picked up within 48 hours. Most council members were in agreement 72 hours is more realistic.

With the billboard ordinance, the wall murals took up most of the discussion. Van Haaren asked how city can decide what a business paints on the walls of their business. Under the proposal, murals would have to be approved by the Mountain Home Planning Commission.

City Clerk Scott Liles will update the ordinances before the council’s next meeting when they will go on their second reading.

Also Thursday night, the council approved a resolution to sell the property containing the old fire station number 2 located at 84 Sunset Drive to Baxter Health for $225,000 and amend a resolution they approved in November doing the same thing. The only change is the hospital is paying $112,500 at closing and then $112,500 plus 5% interest on or before eight months after the closing.

Mayor Hillrey Adams told the council in November the hospital plans to use the building for an ambulance station.

In other business, the council approved rezoning part of lot 2 of Eastside Centre from Commercial C-2 to Residential R-2 to build a fourplex and property approximately one tenth of a mile southeast of the corner of College and 9th Streets from Commercial C-3 to Residential R-2 to build fourplexes for senior housing.

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