Council mulls offer to upgrade sign at 85 and 90

The Crestview City Council is considering an offer by a local businessman to upgrade the city’s three-sided informational sign pylon that stands on the northeast corner of State Road 85 and U.S. Highway 90. The proposal by Michael Rutledge of Signs Galore, a Crestview sign company, would provide a $60,000 digital sign at no cost to the city.

In fact, Rutledge said, the city stands to make upwards of $40,000 in revenue under an advertising program he included in his proposal. And that, said city attorney Ben Holley, could be a sticking point.

“I’m concerned about the city going into business,” Holley said. “Cities don’t usually go into business. They supply services to citizens. I’m really concerned about liability and the image of the city.”

Though under his proposal his company would handle the administration of the signs’ messages, Rutledge offered to allow the city to approve the ads and announcements that would be shown.

“A city censor could review the ads if there are concerns about content,” Rutledge suggested during his presentation at the council’s Jan. 23 meeting.

The Crestview Kiwanis Club, Crestview High School and other donors had the sign pylon constructed, Public Works Director Wayne Steele explained. Before the widening of the city’s busiest intersection, it stood on an island across S.R. 85. It was subsequently moved to a small plot of city-owned land in front of the CVS pharmacy.

Each of the sign’s three sides has two changeable message boards. The top panels promote Crestview High School events, while the lower sections are used to advertise community activities and programs.

Under the Signs Galore proposal, the top panels would each be replaced with a 9.45 foot by 7.38 foot full-color LED screen. The high school’s messages would switch to the lower panels. Rutledge said his company would assume the entire cost of installing the $59,000 system, insuring it, selling advertising and programming the messages.

The city would continue to provide electrical service to the pylon, but would receive 15 percent of advertising revenues. According to the Signs Galore proposal, each of the three panels would display 20 spots every two minutes, including 12 paid advertisements and eight community announcements.

“I have what I think is a fairly unique idea,” Rutledge said. “I’m proposing something that will generate some revenue for the city and also provide a public service. We would sell advertising to generate revenue to allow the city to do some revenue sharing, and Signs Galore to make a little money and give nonprofits a chance to advertise.”

Steele told the council that because the sign pylon is owned by the city, Rutledge’s idea would have to done by competitive bid.

“He understands that,” Steele said. “We would have to determine that we needed a service provided for us. We would need to come out with a service contract and advertise it that way.”

“I appreciate you as a citizen of Crestview coming to us and presenting this,” council member Robyn Helt told Rutledge. “I appreciate some thinking outside the box.”

The council then asked Holley to research the matter further.

“The answer is not no,” Council President Charles Baugh Jr. told Rutledge.