T-shirts can’t be lasting signage

The Custer City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance to regulate types of signage in Custer at its regular meeting Aug. 5. The ordinance was first discussed at the June 3 meeting, but was tabled pending discussion with business owners who would be affected by the regulations.
City planner Tessah Behlings said that this ordinance pulls from the existing signage ordinance as well as others in nearby towns in the Black Hills like Spearfish.
The process of reevaluating signage regulations began this past winter, and Behlings said the main takeaways are that the ordinance will not be regulating signage based on content, but rather size, location, duration and use. She also said that the allowed sizes of signage in all districts has increased, and that the  effort was to “clarify and condense” what is already on the books.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway, and one detail many have been hanging on: “Merchandise as permanent signage is not allowed,” said Behlings.
At the June 3 meeting, there was much discussion as to whether or not T-shirts affixed to the sides of buildings—a common site at various downtown Custer businesses—counted as signage. As told in  a previous  article in the Chronicle  by Jason Ferguson,  attendees at the June 3 meeting said that T-shirts attached to the sides of buildings is “tacky” and that tourists and locals complain about them, also saying it would be “crazy” for Custer to be allowed to look that way and for nothing to be done to address it.
Other changes to the regulations include the very definition of “sign,” which now reads: “any identification, description, illustration, or device, illuminated or non-illuminated, which is visible from any public place or is located on private property and exposed to the public, and which directs attention to a product, service, place, activity, person, institution, business, solicitation, including any permanently installed or situated merchandise, or any emblem, painting, banner, pennant, placard, or temporary sign designed to advertise, identify, or convey information with the exception of window displays.”
Alderwoman Peg Ryan asked about campaign signage.  Regulations concerning campaign signs were intentionally ommitted, said Behlings, defaulting to state law in the event that those laws may change.
The motion to approve the reading was passed unanimously, and despite discussion in past meetings, there were no public comments or questions from those in attendance. The second reading of the ordinance will be at the next meeting Monday, Aug. 19, at 5:30 p.m.
• In other news from the meeting: Jim Welch with the American Legion Post No. 46 spoke to the council, requesting permission to hold a flag-retirement ceremony Sept. 11 at the Custer Veterans Memorial after a successful program last year.  He said the Legion would like to make it an annual event. At the meeting, the  request was added to the Aug. 19 council meeting agenda.
Welch also said that the Legion would like to have a city council liason attend its quarterly meetings, and alderwoman Julie Jenniges volunteered. She is also a member of the newly-formed American Legion Auxillary.
• Custer Area Chamber of Commerce director Dawn Murray made several requests for upcoming events. First was a request for permission to hold a three-day craft fair and farmer’s market at Way Park from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 over Labor Day weekend, which was approved.
Then, Murray introduced a new event coming to town—the Custer Monster Mash. For the event, Murray requested approval for an open container area for alcoholic beverages just like has been approved for Gold Discovery Days. The area would stretch from Washington Street to Mount Rushmore Road and from 2nd Street to 8th Street. Saying the council had received no complaints or concerns about the open container area during Gold Discovery Days, alderwoman Jeannie Fischer made the motion to approve the request, which passed unanimously.
The council also approved the chamber’s request for permissions to hold the annual Custer Christmas Parade, set for Dec 7.
• A request for the Crushmore Disc Golf Tournament was also approved, pending proof of insurance, for Sept. 21-22. The event is a B-Tier Professional Disc Golf Association event, open to professional and casual players.
• Approved a request for out-of-town people to set up in the lawn of the chamber for the community-wide rummage sale this weekend.