Electronic Billboards

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You see them while driving around Rapid City billboards but electronic ones have city officials revisiting the sign ordinance.

Mayor Alan Hanks says electronic billboards change messages every five to ten seconds, getting many messages out from one site, instead of just one like a traditional board.  Hanks says that's why sign companies are requesting, to replace static billboards with electronic ones.

He says it's creating a loop hole in the sign ordinance.

For every one billboard a company wants to put up they must take two down. And if companies replace a billboard with an electronic one, according to the ordinance, they don't have to take any down.

Mayor Hanks said, "So therefore increasing number of messages, and it creates a lot more clutter.  I think what we need to do is readdress that because what they're doing is they're not using their credits up, they found that loop hole which allows additional density of use with those billboards."

Hanks says the ordinance was created about five years ago to help reduce clutter around the city, the council will take the issue up on Monday.