Grey Highlands council wrestles with sign bylaw

Grey Highlands council continues to wrestle with the contentious issue of establishing a comprehensive sign bylaw for the municipality.

Grey Highlands council met as committee of the whole on August 24 to consider recommendations and suggestions brought forward from the sign bylaw subcommittee tasked with the job of developing and reviewing the draft bylaw. At the meeting, after an extensive discussion, the committee voted to send the draft bylaw to council for consideration and for public input and engagement.

The municipality has been working its way through the sign bylaw process throughout the four-year term of this council.

“This bylaw was a little more contentious than thought at the beginning of the term,” said Coun. Dane Nielsen, who is also a member of the subcommittee. Nielson thanked Coun. Cathy Little (who was absent from the meeting) for her work in chairing the task force on the subject.

Coun. Paul Allen said careful consideration had been given to the issue.

“This wasn’t something that was rushed through,” Allen said, noting the committee held eight meetings on the topic.

The committee brought to council a draft bylaw, a number of provisions and two schedules for how it would work. Where the committee was unable to reach a consensus it asked council, as committee of the whole, to recommend direction.

During the three-and-a-half-hour debate, the committee made several decisions (which require formal approval at a council meeting). They included:

• Trailer and vehicle signs were moved from prohibited, to allowed with a permit
• Rooftop signs remained prohibited
• Special events signs will be allowed in residential zones
• The public will be asked for feedback on the issue of mobile signs
• Animated signs will be allowed
• The municipality is also seeking public input on signs that are deemed third-party advertising, referring to a sign on a building for a business that isn’t located in that building

The issue of signs for third-party advertising spurred heated discussion.

“If you own a building you can’t put up a sign for a different business down the road. There is no liability or safety issue for third-party advertising. I have been pretty steadfast that third-party advertising should be allowed,” Nielsen said.

Other members of council argued signs for third-party advertising were a slippery slope.

“If we allow third-party advertising, everybody will put up a sign to generate an income and we’ll have a community of signs,” said Allen.

After the discussion, council voted to have staff finalize a draft bylaw and to seek public engagement on the matter. Public input will be sought through several mediums including: in-person meetings, virtual meeting, surveys, the economic development department’s regular newsletter and by circulating the draft bylaw to local chambers of commerce.

In an interview after the meeting, Nielsen said he was pleased with the council discussion on the matter.

“A municipality does have an obligation to protect itself and its citizens. Liability and risk are problems a municipality has to face. From that perspective, a sign bylaw does make sense,” he said. “A sign bylaw should not be overly prescriptive. I’m looking forward to feedback from the public on how much regulation they want.”