The Texarkana, Texas, City Council will take action on what zoning rules apply to Changeable Electronic Variable Message Signs tonight.
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the council chambers on the second floor of City Hall at 220 Texas Blvd. The meeting is open to the public and includes a portion where people may speak to the council.
City Manager John Whitson said that over the past several months the city has held workshops regarding the zoning of the electronic signs. These meetings were held by the City Planning Department and members of the council were present at some, but not all, of the meetings.
Although the electronic signs raised controversy when two churches wanted permission to put them up earlier this year, Whitson said all complaints had been addressed and he expected each of the ordinance items regarding the signs to pass with ease. The first action item to be considered tonight will address sign sizes, nonconforming signs, damaged signs and definitions. The second item about the electronic signs will address prohibiting the signs along certain corridors. And the final item will discuss amending the Historical Designation of the Code of Ordinances of the City.
During the period before both churches, Landmark Pentecostal Church and Church on the Rock, ultimately were approved by the council to place their electronic message signs, Ward 3 Council-member Tina Veal-Gooch stood her ground on the Historical Designation aspect of one of the signs being placed. Veal-Gooch cast the one dissenting vote against Landmark Pentecostal Church being able to put up an electronic sign the church had already paid for because she said allowing the sign on Texas Boulevard conflicted with a prior decision the council had made about designating the boulevard as the beginning of the city's Historic District.
In other business tonight, the council will have to make a decision regarding where the council stands on a SWEPCO Distribution Cost Recovery Factor Rate increase. Whitson said the council could vote yes or no on the measure, or choose to take no action whatsoever.
Whatever the council decides to do will be sent to the Public Utility Commission of Texas. This state agency will ultimately be making the choice about the potential rate increase. According to agenda materials, this rate increase would impact residential properties and businesses.
If approved, residents in the SWEPCO district area, which includes Texarkana, would pay an average of $2.66 per month or about 2.9 percent more for every 1,000 kilowatt hours used.