Members Appointed to the Temporary Sign Advisory Committee

1. Congrats to Amy Word. She deserves to be on this panel. She is a smart and capable business woman who I know will fight for private property owners and small businesses. I urge her to push for a repeal of all sign-related ordinances except those pertaining directly to serious safety concerns. At the very LEAST this is an opportunity to remove all ANNUAL FEES on signage, which represent nothing more than a perennial indulgence designed for revenue generation, not in the community’s interest.

   Good luck, Amy! Give ’em hell!

   • Revenue generation is in the community’s interest. I know you subscribe to Libertarian views, but the government does need some spending and the need for taxation does exist. I don’t know what your thing is for Ms. Word. You have repeatedly expressed your high esteem for her. I don’t know her personally, but the last two weeks have revealed some things about her. She went on a rampage on Facebook and other places becasue she received a WARNING from APC about displaying signs that were not in compliance with local ordinances. If we were driving above the speed limit and an officer gave us a warning, I doubt that we would go to social media to insult the officer and his/her department. Second, after last week’s snow I noticed that Ms. Word went on a rampage about a “neighborhood jerk” that had called the police on her sons for illegally riding their ATV on a public street. Both of those examples lead me to believe that she may have a problem with authority and believe that she is entitled to live above the law. I’m happy and excited about the activity that she & FSEA is bringing to W. Franklin and I hope that my opinion is off base, but I’m not a cheerleader yet.

     • Ms. Word is an intelligent lady, and i have a lot of respect for her. If you’ve never visited her establishment on a weekend night, you’re missing out on one of the finest music venues in Evansville. Being a musician, I believe I am qualified to say she consistently brings in the best artists who bring down the house with original music. not many bars take that kind of chance and make it work. She does. She has built an impressive business without special treatment from local government. She has seen the need for a partnership of businesses on Franklin and has successfully promoted events that have helped to revitalize that entire community and make it into a local hotspot. Franklin St. Could easily have taken a turn toward oblivion, especially after the smoking ban, but her business is thriving and so are other businesses as a result of her efforts. We need more Amy Words and fewer favor-seeking toadies.

     • Mr. Davis,
       You are very off base, you don’t know Ms. Word, and it’s clear you are very quick to judge others from social media comments. Your attempt to discredit Ms. Word is rather cheap, and your comments demonstrate your continued attempt to be cute or show off for someone downtown at the Civic Center. This is the same tactic you used on the CCO page during the Hotel debate. You clearly have no knowledge of Ms. Amy Word, who is an extremely intelligent and highly regarded businesswoman.

       • I said that I don’t know her. I am just expressing what I see from those two incidents. Two incidents do not define a person, therefore I am not discrediting her. She has done tremendous work in the community and is well respected for that. I support those sentiments. I just posted the facts of two recent incidents, what anyone else discerns from that is up to them. She runs a great establishment and has helped add vibrancy to an important part of our city, but her reaction to the two incidents I described also tell a story. I just don’t sweep some stuff under a rug.

2. Poor governance again . . . where is the feasability study to assess the merits of a Temporary Sign Advisory Committee ??

3. Why wasn’t Lindsey put on that committee since the majority of businesses targeted were in his Ward?

4. The committee is fully volunteer, and it was a collective of local business interests, expressing our desires, needs, and wants regarding the current signage code. We met earlier this week with Ron London, the Executive Director of Area Plan. We will met again next week, and I am sure once more after that. The vast majority of the code was written in the late 1950’s and was in desperate need of overhaul. There were no city or county council representatives, as it will have to go before both, and the APC, before any changes will be enacted, as those are the bodies that must approve all changes and to pass the new ordinances.

   It was actually a great experience, we stayed incredibly on task for a group with so many opinions, and within a relatively short time were able to come up with some very workable signage ordinances. There is still some fee structuring, but not to be burdensome on small businesses, some very needed exemptions, and still a code to keep buildings from being a nuisance, unsafe (i.e. permanent signs blocking right of ways, or unable to see around intersections with signs on corners), etc.

   In regards to Phyllip Davis’ comment, I actually took photos of the THREE total posts that I made regarding the sign issues, but photos can not be posted to CCOs’ page. However, my FB is open to the public, and always has been. I did not post on the Lamasco page regarding the sign issue, EVER. Two on my personal page are dated Nov. 26th (The first that day was sharing Smitty’s post with my discussion of potential fines and disagreement with our Reader’s Choice banners being cited, the second was my ideas on how this could be fixed very easily, and many of those ideas are going into the current signage ordinance). The third was posted Nov. 27th, with “Very interesting”, as my entire comment. They are all still there and all are welcome to look at them. That is the total commenting I have done regarding the issue. I gave no interviews, many on Franklin Street did, but I did not.

   I am also going to state the obvious, if the business community had not spoken up, there would be no changes to the sign ordinance. At times, it is our civic duty and responsibility to be the change we want to see. Whether this is being a founding member of an organization to bring events to a street (and the people and businesses on that street that are like a second family to me!) that I am passionate about, or ordinances that are outdated and anti-business, I will never cease to be quiet. Of that, I am guilty and hope to continue to be until the day I can’t catch breath to do so.

   Regarding the day of sledding with my son, that post is also still available for all to see. It is dated Dec. 8th. Yes, a snow day with hundreds, if not thousands of kids, sledding down city streets, including our beloved Reitz Hill, and for a neighbor to call the police on kids WITH HELMETS on their 4-wheeler, something my entire neighborhood came out to join us with their GOLF CARTS, GATORS, and other toys when parents got home from work because they thought it was ridiculous as well, I’m sticking to my original assertion…it was a jerk! Our neighborhood has NO on street parking, it is a dead end, we live in Warrick County, and given OUR little neighborhood culture, it was, very simply, a Grinch. If you read further, you would seen the actual reason for the post. It was my 13 year old’s comment on the “silver lining” with the whole experience. He was so taken with how nice and kind the local officer was, and how much he hated to make the boys quit, as his own son rides a 4-wheeler, just like he did as a kid! He also told the boys he wish he knew someplace, other than our neighborhood, which he saw no problem with either, so they could continue to sled.

   I called the Newburgh town police station Monday morning, and actually gave a commendation to the file of the officer involved with the incident. I told them what a fabulous job he had done with my son, that his demeanor took what could have left a bad taste in the boys’ mouth, but instead, they continue to have the utmost respect for authority, JUST LIKE THEY HAVE LEARNED AT HOME.

   • And Phillip, if you’d ever like to meet for coffee, or even a beer, I know this great little place on the West Side on Franklin Street! I am an open book, I have never met a stranger, and never pass up an opportunity to meet somebody who is passionate about our city, regardless of how their opinions align with mine. Cheers!

     • I’ll be there in 15 minutes. I hope you have a Coors NA or O’Doul’s for me. My comments were not made to discredit you. I have never met a stranger either and we were at the Voice City Core meeting together at the Arts Council a few weeks ago. My friend, NatHo, works for you. We also share a common friend in English. It is important to voice your opinion to get things changed, but we can’t hold the messenger’s feet to the fire for issuing a warning. I am about changes through positive forces, not negative campaigns. I’ll see you soon.

       • This exchange warms my cold, black, libertarian heart.

         • Unfortunately, people took my remarks as a shot against Amy when I was really trying to point out your inconsistencies. If it didn’t align with your issues with our local government, you would have said that it was a business owner looking for special treatment. This is the same thing that I always point out. You want to be considered an activist and the CCO a newspaper but you refuse to be objective. No disrespect towards her. I’m not her father to tell her how to act. You put your name out there as some moral authority, yet you have no true North. This is the same thing that I said to you in past debates.

         • Here is your objectivity… Amy had every right to protest and ask for a change in the laws. They are being used as a political club and they are archaic. Good for her.

         • By the by… Westside Gal pretty much had your number above. Not much I can add to her comments.

     • Amy, I left my card with Tina. It was nice to see her, because it had been a while. I don’t drink so I don’t go out very often. I’ve only been to Lamasco once in the past few years and that was to see Jason. You can call me anytime.

       • http://www.forbes.com/sites/trevorbutterworth/2011/09/20/cdc-finds-moderate-drinking-leads-to-longer-life-buries-finding/

         • It may for people that can drink responsibly. I have no problem with them and I am not a proponent for prohibition. I am not one of those people, therefore I choose to abstain. We should all have the ability to self-evaluate and know our limitations. That’s what I always preach to you.

5. I’ve been to the lamasco bar. No offense to any of the other establishments but nothing beats the burgers there. Pure flavor and juice. I’m trying not to eat meat entirely but those burgers are too addicting.

6. Mr. Davis you are a first class jerk,

   • I would expect nothing less from someone with your screen name. It drives you and the rest of your crowd crazy when I come on here and point out the inconsistencies in your stated opinions. I guess your world is much better when everyone agrees with you. At least I’m first class. I must be doing a good job at it. Thanks.

7. I’ve thought about my comments on this thread for the past 24 hours. My intentions were only to point out the inconsistencies of the comments by people that regularly post on this page. I used the examples that I had seen recently and did not intend to insult or discredit Amy Word because I have never heard anything bad about her. In fact, I’ve never heard anything but compliments about her. In hindsight, I know that there was no way that I could have successfully achieved my goal without some collateral damage to Ms. Word. For that I apologize.

8. a sign advisory committee really lolllllll……how about some common sense instead…….a person could not make this up…….

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