Dear Council,
Council Members, Lindsey and Friend have requested I immediately begin work on an Amendment to our Ordinance pertaining to the display of temporary signs by local merchants.  This is in response to numerous complaints from their constituents concerning the threat of enforcement action by the Area Plan Commission.  The following is a rough draft of what I have in mind:
Merchants shall not be required to obtain a permit or pay a fee for temporary A-frame or easel-style signs.  Said signs may not exceed 14 sq. ft. per side, must be located within 12 feet of the physical structure of the business , may only be displayed during normal business hours, may not be used for any purpose other than to advertise goods, services, and/or special events of the business, and may not obstruct or obscure pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
I am requesting any input you or your constituents might have before drafting the Amendment.  Of course, I will also be asking for input from the Administration.
 Council Members Lindsey and Friend have also requested that I ask the Administration not to take further enforcement action against merchants who are substantially in compliance with the above, until such time that the Amendment is brought before the Council. I am hereby doing so by including Ted Ziemer on this e-mail.
I hope to have the Amendment prepared and filed with the Clerk’s office this Wednesday, so we can have first reading on Monday, December 9th.
Your consideration is appreciated and I look forward to receiving any input you may have.
Scott Danks, Attorney
Attorney for Evansville City Council
Way to go Lindsey and Friend.
Ditto. Finally some pro-business common sense.
It’s about time Council takes control whats goes on in the City.
My friend has a business on West Franklin Street and she is mad as hell with the Mayor over this issue. She says that Mr. Lindsey and Friend jumped right on this problem soon as it happened.
The Mayor should have been all over this for the merchants.
My sources indicate that the merchants on the East Side of town are being shaken down by City Codes Enforcement people as well.
Instead of old Al Pacino as the lead the GOD Father 4, we understand that old Winnecko (his new stage name) has won the leading role. My question is who will be winning the 2014 Political Oscar, Lindsey, Friend, or Winnecke? What simply is amazing, we have Democrats fighting to loosen the grip of governmental regulations on small business and the republican Mayor sends the regulators out to harass the merchants.
Need to add a line about vulgarity to it considering the sign at the busy body recently.
Define vulgarity please.
As far as these signs at the restraint and other small business, I am not against them as long as they don’t block the view of cars when pulling out of a parking lot. I see a lot of these temporary signs that are places right up next to the street and they often block my view as I’m trying to exit the parking lot. These signs need to be moved back so that people can see the street and oncoming traffic when they try to exit a parking lot.
Thank you al and john. I grew up just a block off of Franklin street. It and the people who run the association are the poster child for the good things this city can do when hard working people of good intentions have respect for the city’s building history, practice smart growth principles, and treat the community with equal respect. These business owners should be given the keys to the city not sure haggled over a freaking bistro sign.
Its ashame the APC didn’t look over the ecvb sprawl fields and indot’s I chitty nine with the same fine toothed comb. Now there’s things that should have been red taped to the moon.
“Red taped to the moon” well look at whom plans on sending a elemental probe rover to the moon,and why we just put one in orbit there.
Now back to your local stuff RAILS,and PHYLLIP check these out while discussions about districts and community direction are out front on the story board.
Let me talk Earth sciences again,and include Evansville in that vision if you may.
How can? Evansville be included in the “next big thing”,the need we humans as a species “can” develop forward with into the remaining time in this century?
Examples:
How does? New treatment availability become possible from from the study of Gila monster spit effect Type 2 diabetes and the tens of millions suffering from it.
How does? A locust and a star wars movie lead into development of an advanced collision avoidance system for vehicles.
How does? Coral calcification and cement manufacturing help power plants to cut carbon dioxide emissions by a global total of over 1/3.
How did? Darwin’s hate for barnacles drive development of evolutionary theory.
How does? A marine sponge and its biology inspire bio-medical researchers to develop early anti cancer and anti viral drugs as far back as 1950.
Earth science applications,everyday research.
How does? Evansville use existing assets to promote this while redefining a regions direction.
Earth science studies and research center in cooperation with local universities and the present bio-medical industries on the cities northwest side corridor.
How does? Earth science find its mission at that location.
Ok, Look to the city property to the east of St.Joesph across from the present Zoo. Now include Diamond to the south and Franklin north and Fulton east. The availability is astounding when one sees the City,and Levee authority actually owns most of the under developed real estate.
The area along the Creek and south of Diamond s about good a match as any to solve the CSO issues with,probably a good 5/8 of it overall.
The Wooded acres along the 1900 Buchannan road city lots are really positioned to access the Zoological and botanical Gardens as well.
Student access to the university parkway,the Lloyd and to the east and northern pathways. Advanced student housing infrastructure can also redevelop the Kleymeyer First avenue corridor with diverse activities driven by student housing development supporting bio technical applications and Ivy technical of Indiana. Lots of ground for that too.
Research facilities along Maryland and the old little used industrial brown fields there now.
Use the brownfield environmental recovery planning incentives available today build and apply some community sustainability that sets trending moved forward.
Planning, “one quadrant at a time” so to speak. look at it from altitude guys,its there.
How does? Earth science study change the regional livability life quality ratings.
See above. ^
How does? The comet passing by the sun effect the sun,must of been some how pretty good,check out the NWS/NOAA space weather solar imaging from today.
Our local star,had a smiley face breaking out this morning.
(2013-11-30 15:16:00 UTC PTHNA 0.4s animation) 🙂
If you think that I would ever waste 5 minutes of my time reading your loquacious responses, you are as delusional as I think that you are. You be more effective if you kept your responses succinct and refrained from trying to impress us with your mastery of the dead Latin language. As soon as I see your name, I know to start scrolling past.
Sure Phyllip ;So why didn’t you do that,so. In case you didn’t understand some of more open minded community solutions seeking persons, more than the calling out type persons in connections to your local discussions. Some do use that kind of trending information as “low hanging fruit”. Waste not want not I suppose,from outside observations.
Pretty day outside isn’t it,or is it? 😉
Clearly visible: “Low hanging fruit”,also “Let your voice be heard”,and “share your dream with us” (Lynn Miller-Pease)
“This initiative is about building trust among’st the members of our community,and learning if we all join together having civil dialog about our future desires and current issues,we can create a strong society that will thrive and grow.”(Mayor Lloyd Winnecke)
Delusional Phyllip? Might not vote in Evansville,however do understand the message and the voices,I was under the impression that from your usual comment card played, you might too.
Mistaken flip,I guess.
BTW,some of my visions,creativity,or delusions as some ishys put them,have created, and continue to drive existing and developmental multiple-billion dollar global industries, ongoing to date. What’cha got to show there fella ?
Heck,Must be getting rusty in the coyote teaching methods some.
Working on those….maybe…..!
funny that’s how I tread all your posts Phillis
There has been a lot of discussion recently about some of our outdated and non-business friendly ordinances. I know that FSEA wants the codes changed to allow mixed-use properties. Many of the apartments or lofts above the Franklin St. businesses are in violation. Another ordinance that is under scrutiny is the one that caused issues with Pizza Revolution being able to participate in the Farmer’s Market. We also need ordinances that are more friendly to food trucks, which are a growing trend in most contemporary cities.
Mr. Davis, I totally with both you and Jordan. I enjoy reading the down to earth and reasonable remarks you guys make on the CCO. Wish the powers that be would read your posts and respond accordingly.
its a start
Hell Yeah!!!
Hold the presses!!! Al Lindsey is concern about something that does not pertain to the Evansville Fire Dept? WOW !!
Well, for One thing, Councilman Lindsey’s early opposition to what he described as, “a bad deal”, (concocted by the Hotel schemers to extract $37+ Million from the Citizens of Evansville),–helped forge a $20 Million Dollar savings for everyone across this city when the dust settled.
Al is a good man.
Sorta like when the Weinzapfel/Winnecke scheme to do away with the Homstead Exemption was outed,
—be glad when somebody out there is looking to do the Right thing.
Do the right thing? Like be vindictive and decreasing the pay of the chief and assistant chief that were responsible for helping create one of the best CBAs for the rank & file members of EFD. Connelly fought hard to get the fireman closer to parity with EPD and the thanks he got was a pay decrease because he recommended Lindsey be fired for being drunk and risking public safety.
As far as the hotel goes, City Council is only responsible for botching the whole process up so much that ONB had to save the day and bail us out. Thankfully, they are good corporate partners in our community and they realized that if the process tanked again we would never get a workable deal with any developer.
Philip,—What I see in your response in general, and particularly the Fire Dept. nonsense,
is,–that between you, and I, we know it all,–you think you know it all, –and I know you don’t.
When It comes to that Dead Old Downtown, with it’s never ending RED ink, hotel schemes, and pipe dreams, testifies to its reputation as a rathole for public resources, and a canker on the wallet of the wage earner.
By the e-mail from Scott Danks to City council it looks like Danks is more concern what the Mayor and Ted Ziemer thinks than he does about Friend and Lindsey.
Didn’t I read on Danks Facebook recently that he thinks we have an outstanding Mayor? Didn’t he just run for Chairmen of the Democratic party and lost? Now I know why. What is this guy a Democrat or Republican?
As a life long Democrat, I say it’s time for Danks to go as the Democratic controlled legal counsel for City Council. I just can’t trust him after his remarks about the Mayor.
Over a 10 year period beginning in 2011, there will be more transformative change in our city than I can remember. I-69, the Medical education facility, the new Ohio River bridge, Ford Center, Convention Hotel, West Franklin St. revitalization, Homes of Evansville, Habitat’s $1 million tax achievement. Mayor Winnecke’s public involvement projects like Voice, Clean Evansville, Roberts Stadium discussions, etc. I think that we could all give Winnecke a favorable grade. The problem is that if people don’t get their way 100% of the time, they want to burn down the whole process and establishment.
First of all, I have no idea how you can credit Winnecke with Habitat For Humanity, much less W. Franklin Street. If W. Franklin was dilapidated, you guys would be the first ones yelling “Don’t blame the mayor, blame the private sector!” The organization Jacobsville Join In is the perfect example as to what happens when this gov’t so much as even funds an organization. It never ends up in the right direction.
As for the rest of that garbage, you really have no idea what you’re even talking about. You really don’t. What you typed is a TEXTBOOK example of the Stanley Milgram Experiment & the Solomon Asch Conformity Experiment. You are standing for nothing, and thus are falling for everything… EVERYTHING!
I stand for progress of the community. You hold grudges and dislike people if your ideas aren’t implemented in a community forum. My statement stands on its own. Evansville is making strides to reach its full potential and Mayor Winnecke is leading the push to modernize our city. You let disagreements over Roberts Stadium & Kleymeyer Park marginalize any good ideas. If you want all of the decisions to go your way, run for Mayor. Until then, contribute where you can and stop having a temper tantrum over the ones that don’t go your way.
You stand for nothing. Everything you mentioned was just something you coat tailed in on. You’re telling me you would be leading some push for a hotel and med school if the city weren’t doing it? Get real.
You do seem to have no problem with a task force being rigged and using people from the word go (A disagreement you call it. If it’s just a disgreement go ahead and prove the general conclusions). You say this site is a tabloid newspaper yet stand behind people in the in crowd every time they run their mouth about someone.
Seriously, you spend day after day just kissing every bureaucrats rear. I’m so thankful you weren’t in Germany during WWII. Why should anyone listen to someone who just regurgitates whatever the powers that be are saying?
The mayor and the city love people like you who can’t think for themselves.
Jordan, in the process of implementing new things there are several roles. I’m not a creative person, so I hardly ever come out with the idea. I am a facilitator and operations person. So it’s not coattailing, it’s using my talents where they are most useful. Seeing an idea for the community and backing it, does not mean that I am lacking any cognitive ability. I don’t kiss anyone’s ass because we are all adults. Whether it’s Mayor Winnecke, Wayne Parke or whoever else you want to put in that position, we share a mutual respect for each other. There is not another person in Evansville that I am accountable to or that holds anything that I wish to have. Other people’s opinion of me does not influence me at all. I offered to help you when I met you, was I kissing your ass? No, I just like to help people improve our community.
Your standing in Quick Sand and have zero foundation. No one listens to anything you have to say.
You a legend on your own mind. Talk about delusional!
R&R, After hearing your experience with the Stadium debacle, I’d bet the Ranch, you can recognize a political “Yes Man” when you encounter one.
Most definitely. It makes me sick to my stomach to watch how some of these people act. If you’ve talked to one person in one of these government yes man groups, you’ve talked to them all. Roberts Stadium wasn’t demolished because it had no further purpose, it was in bad shape, or no one wanted it. It was demolished because our city business and political leaders rounded up enough people who were willing to go along with anything and everything if it meant they would get a little power and/or money. And that’s reason numero uno (even ahead of urban sprawl)as to why this city is going downhill and going downhill fast.
Hate Danks all you want, but he is a damn good lawyer. That man works his butt off for the city.
Democrat/Republican doesn’t really matter on local issues. Many local Democrats support Winnecke. I personally think it’s great to see the locals not be so concerned with party affiliation and pick the right people.
Is it hypocritical or not? When the City of Evansville and Vanddrburgh passed the fee schedule for the sign ordinance, the mayor was Jon Weinzapfel and one of the county commissioners was LLOYD WINNECKE.
Use some common sense. The ordinance failed because it was too vague. Lloyd Winnecke and the other commissioners did not intend for that ordinance to include small easel signs on Franklin. That ordinance was meant to clean up poor looking properties. Lloyd just can’t win with you all.
Now he knows how Obama Feels. 🙂
This could have, and probably should have been taken up at the regularly scheduled public meeting of the Common Council.
Everything does not have to be a media event, lest we run the risk of creating a cult of personalities rather than a cohesive elected council working towards the same goals.
Finally. A voice of reason. I seriously doubt anyone on City Council wants merchants anywhere to be burdened with extra fees and regulations. These two apparently just wanted to jump out there and state the obvious. Maybe they don’t like their families and wanted to get away from them during Thanksgiving. Geez, it’s another fire that just couldn’t wait until tomorrow. I’ve learned one thing for sure after 6 years with John Friend on City Council- the one place you don’t want to be is between him and a camera. What a blow hard. If “blow” weren’t a figure of speech, you could send him down to the Busy Body. The guy never runs out of hot air.
I’d back John friend over the likes of you. Your a simpleton if you think he is a blow hard. He and others save the city 20 million dollars on the hotel deal and will eventually find out why the State can’t get the audit results to the public in Evansville. Funny that the state is controlled by the same political party as the Mayor of Evansville, IN.
Thank god for people like John Friend that seek to find the facts and not just be a puppet for a corrupt mayor. Trying to sell the city on paying 37 million dollars on a hotel that will be owned and operated by a private party is legal stealing of the public money and what I call corruption.
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