“The courts have spoken,” City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said in LA Times interview today (22 March) regarding the digital billboards.

Mike Feur and incumbent Carmen Trutanich have both spoken about the billboards in their bid to seek the office and both appear to agree that 2006 agreement was inappropriate and that the signs it allowed should come down.

Friday’s LA Times story is: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-billboards-turnoff-20130322,0,4829099.story and Thursday is an editorial in LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-billboards-los-angeles-20130321,0,2110938.story.

Barbara Broide, president of Westwood South-of-Santa-Monica-Blvd Homeowners Assn, had the following to say regarding the recent developments.

“PLEASE REMEMBER THAT PLUM will be considering the report from the “Visioning Group” at its meeting this coming Tuesday – March 26th at City Hall (2:30 pm),”she emailed. “It will be helpful to have letters go to PLUM urging that they take NO action that would attempt to legitimize, delay or halt the shutting off and removal of the digital signs erected under the now illegal billboard settlements. It would be great to have folks attend the meeting to urge the removal. Oral and written support of recommendations to allow any new digital signs ONLY in sign districts where there will be guidelines adopted with community input/participation is needed. That kind of policy will not remove digital signs from the LA scene. Clear Channel and CBS will only need to remove the signs that exist as a result of the illegal billboard settlements. Digital billboards will continue to operate where permitted in places such as the LA Live District, in the Hollywood Sign District and will also be permitted in pending sign districts already identified and in new sign districts yet to be established.

“We need to urge the City to take action resulting in the removal of all billboards that are out of compliance with existing law so that there can be an awareness of the BASELINE of signs in the City. What does LA look like without its illegal digital and static signs?

“ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE TO PLUM: The City’s SIGN ORDINANCE before PLUM should be passed out of committee ASAP and with no additional changes. It has been changed (watered down in the viewpoint of most community activists) since the City Planning Commission adopted its set of recommendations following numerous hearings. However, even now, the proposed ordinance is much better than what we have now. It needs to be approved as the City especially needs to have in place sign district standards and the proposed penalty provisions (significant fines) for non-compliance as recommended by Planning. We know too well that without strong enforcement and penalties that some outdoor advertisers will simply ignore the law– dragging the City into seemingly endless litigation.

“PLUM Members: Chair Councilmember Ed Reyes, Members: Councilmembers Jose Huizar, Mitch Englander.

“Send your correspondence to PLUM Secretary: sharon.gin@lacity.org
Reference council file: 08-2020 in your correspondence.”