Atlanta councilwoman Carolyn Banks today will attempt to
link a proposed mega-sign ordinance to completion of a city
services contract with the ACOG, according to this morning's
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. The ACOG city services contract details
how much the ACOG will pay for municipal services, such as police
protection. Banks contends that the city services contract also
applies to the mega-signs ordinance because city workers will be
forced to erect the huge billboards. The mega-sign ordinance
allows for a maximum of 50 temporary signs near Olympic athletic
venues, the signs are about six times larger than a standard
billboard. The ordinance has received substantial criticism from
Atlanta council members who have alleged that the mega-signs
infringe on the legal rights of advertisers who have not paid for
marketing rights to the Olympic Games. Banks said that she was
"unconcerned" that her attempts to link the ordinance with the
city services contract could "drag on for months": "I may be
labeled as an obstructionist, but that's OK" (Lyle Harris,
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 9/14).
