SCVNews.com | Opinion/Commentary: Show Us the Deal

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Show Us the Deal

Now and Then in the SCV | Commentary by Darryl Manzer

Darryl Manzer | Saturday, Oct 25, 2014

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The billboard preservation movement – the “No on S” crowd – keeps saying the city of Santa Clarita could have got a better deal. I’ve been thinking about what that means and have come up with the following scenarios.

1. Metro and Allvision take down all of the billboards along the train tracks and erect three electronic billboards. The contract with the city is for 25 years at $1.2 million per year to the city.

2. Metro and any other company takes down the existing billboards and erects three electronic billboards that the city contracts for 20 years, getting $1.3 million per year.

3. Measure “S” fails and all of the existing billboards are preserved. Electronic billboards get built west of Interstate 5 and north and south of city limits along the 14 Freeway. Santa Clarita gets no money, and even more electronic billboards are built sooner.

I kept thinking that since this is so lucrative for the billboard companies and some local politicians and gadflies voting “no” on Measure S, can there be any other outcomes? Well, not really. If there are better deals, let those other companies show us, but – and this is big – will Metro return to the table?

Every “better deal” scenario I can envision has electronic billboards being erected in the SCV, and most of them are not a better deal for the city or for us taxpayers.

So for those of you who are against electronic billboards, show us a better deal where the city gets revenue and there are no electronic billboards. Please.

Now in a recent commentary, I got some of the funding figures incorrect. As it stands, the “no” and “yes” sides have about the same amount of financial support. It was hard to tell by what was filed at the City Clerk’s office.

If someone or some company didn’t want the referendum, it was reported that they “opposed” it, and it was filed on the “No” side of the ledger. They reported money spent to block gathering of signatures (which is an activity allowed by law). That in some cases those folks appeared to get violent is common in petition drives such as this. Sorry. I don’t like it, and nobody else does. I came across some rather loud and forceful signature gatherers, too. Tactics on both sides were reprehensible.

So I over-reported support for “No on S” and under-reported the “Yes” side. It turns out, the money is about the same. This is just what I wrote about a few months ago – lots of money thrown at an issue started by some folks who didn’t like the election of certain City Council members. Period.

All this not counting on what the election is going to cost.

I just can’t get it out of my head that all of the “better deals” they could want involve building electronic billboards. If it weren’t for that, there would be no incentive to tear down the old ones. So what is the better deal? Do the preservationists think the billboard companies are going to tear down what is there without some sort of revenue replacement? If you owned one of those companies, would you tear down your billboards without demanding a new source of revenue? I doubt it.

Recently I quit an organization because it gets funding from Chiquita Canyon Landfill and because, during a fundraising event at a private home, it had “No on S” signs. I’ve never quit something I love because of the political stance of contributors. I just can’t be a part of a group that thinks that way. That is just how strongly I feel about the two subjects.

To correct the misconception once again, I am not and don’t claim to be a “reporter.” Yes, I get some figures wrong and facts and places jumbled, but I write opinion. My opinion. It isn’t that of SCVTV or SCVNews or the city of Santa Clarita – it is my opinion. So if folks read this and think I’m a reporter, I suggest they look someplace else.

I write commentary just about every day of the week. It is the passion I have for our valley that I get to enjoy with words. Day after day, I can indulge my ideas just a little to pass on some of what I learned in my years here.

I simply can’t for the life of me understand the “better deal” idea that the billboard preservationists want us to believe.

Any deal that is made is going to involve electronic billboards, or there won’t be a deal at all unless those electronic billboards are outside of the city limits. Is West Ranch ready for that? Castaic? How about on Highway 126 between Castaic Junction and the Ventura County line? Wouldn’t those be some great areas for some electronic billboards?

So what is the better deal? How much would the city make? Where would you place the electronic billboards? Show the rest of us, Mr. Ferdman and Mr. Boydston and Mr. Petzold. Show us your better deal and how it won’t have electronic signs.

If you can’t show us the “better deal,” you don’t have a better deal. A better deal has to be accepted by Metro, the city of Santa Clarita and Allvision or another sign company. Either show it to us or admit there isn’t one.

Thanks.

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com. His older commentaries are archived at DManzer.com; his newer commentaries can be accessed [here]. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].

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14 Comments

TimBen Boydston says:

Saturday, Oct 25, 2014 at

Mr. Manzer, Let me clear up a little confusion for you. According to the City Attorney State Law says that if you take down a billboard, you do not have the right to put up another one. If the sign companies choose to take down their signs, then Metro cannot replace them. Metro does not have to be part of the deal as you have indicated.

As far as the “No on S” side’s new tactic of “show me the deal”…what nonsense. Clear Channel asked to be given 30 days to bring in a deal at the Planning Commission but were rebuffed. With a deal approved by the Council and pending before the voters, the City is in no legal position to be able to consider other deals. Vote NO on Measure S and then we can entertain deals from as many companies as would like to bid. Then we can ask the people if they want the new deal.

Reply
- SCVNews.com says:
  
  Sunday, Oct 26, 2014 at
  
  That might or might not be accurate information. Metro’s lawyers would likely argue Metro is entitled to just compensation under Section 5412 (ff.) of the Business & Professions Code (the Outdoor Advertising Act): § 5412. Displays; removal or limitation of use; compensation; application
  of section; relocation Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, no advertising display which was lawfully erected anywhere within this state shall be compelled to be removed, nor shall its customary maintenance or use be limited, whether or not the removal or limitation is pursuant to or because of this chapter or any other law, ordinance, or regulation of any governmental entity, without payment of compensation, as defined in the Eminent Domain Law (Title 7 (commencing with Section 1230.010) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure), except as provided in Sections 5412.1, 5412.2, and 5412.3. The compensation shall be paid to the owner or owners of the advertising display AND THE OWNER OR OWNERS OF THE LAND UPON WHICH THE DISPLAY IS LOCATED. http://www.dot.ca.gov/oda/download/ODA_Act_&_Regulations.pdf
  
  Reply
Nick VaVerka says:

Saturday, Oct 25, 2014 at

No billboards at all would be nice. They’re all ugly. Won’t happen though.

Reply
Susie Evans says:

Saturday, Oct 25, 2014 at

I honestly don’t care if we have digital billboards or not. Granted, billboards are not pretty, but they are not going to make us sick like the landfill does taking in radioactive waste, sludge, and toxic material, all against their conditional use permit they agreed to in 1997.

Reply
Jim Van Sickle says:

Saturday, Oct 25, 2014 at

This is all so much fun I just have to toss a wayward opinion to see if it gets a response.

Billboards are annoying visual pollution, just like incessant real/robo-calls, mail advertising, and broadcast/cable/internet advertising that clog our minds every day.

At the same time, anyone swayed in favor of those sales pitches deserves what they get whether it’s good or bad quality goods, services, and politicians. How many of you remember fondly the good deal you got by paying attention to a billboard?

Here we are, our world full of all of this mental pollution and it’s only getting worse.

We deal with it by adapting; our mental filters turn most billboards into blurs that we don’t remember. They’re static so they become background. But Electronic Billboards? That’s going to take some serious Zen no-mind practice. It’s the equivalent of a mini-Las Vegas Strip drive, only not so mini if as Darryl mentions, private property outside of the city’s control gets a flock of them.

I wonder which of the dealmakers live within the “view-scape” of the projected freeway-adjacent 60 ft wide, 25 ft. tall video screens*? Will there be broadcast audio for us to pick up on wi-fi and Bluetooth as well?

It doesn’t really matter. Where there’s a will and cash, there’s a way. They’ll be here sooner or later.

*Just guessing folks.

Reply
- SCVNews.com says:
  
  Sunday, Oct 26, 2014 at
  
  Just to clarify, the 3 digital billboards would not be within view of anyone’s home. (Except for one board that would be visible from one home at a distance of roughly 3/4 of a mile against a backdrop of headlights on the 14 freeway.)
  
  Reply
  - Jim Van Sickle says:
    
    Sunday, Oct 26, 2014 at
    
    Hmm. Must be that one place in CC on the hill south of the river. Guess he won’t mind much.
    
    I do find it interesting that the required public notice (required to be visible to affected residents and the general public) regarding one of the giant electronic billboards was placed on the south side of the freeway completely invisible to traffic on Soledad Canyon Road. Bike/hike path users could read it if they walked across the street as they exited the path.
    The only building on that side is the giant storage place, so customers could see it if they got out of the cars as they exited the business.
    Kinda evades the “public” part of visible doesn’t it?
    
    And in response to your clarification, can you tell me if “the deal” for the three giant electronic billboards puts any limits on other GEBs being placed along the freeways? How about HWY 126? Since the deal is arranged with the City of SC, how about all the county and state owned land along the freeways?
    
    It looks like the camel’s nose to me.
    
    Reply
    - SCVNews.com says:
      
      Monday, Oct 27, 2014 at
      
      Electronic billboards certainly are coming to county areas outside of the city, regardless of what the city does or doesn’t do. Nobody erects old-style billboards anymore; for several years, throughout the country, new boards have been electronic. (The type that displays a different static image every 7 seconds or so, like a slide show.)
      
      Reply
      - Jim Van Sickle says:
        
        Monday, Oct 27, 2014 at
        
        It won’t be long before they move past static images. Digital image/video billboards will be just as hackable as websites, banks and retail stores. Get ready for some angry and hormonal 17 year old to get all instagram-matic on them. Who knows what we’ll be seeing on the drive home from work?
        
        Maybe ourselves…
      - SCVNews.com says:
        
        Monday, Oct 27, 2014 at
        
        Maybe, but digital billboards have been around for more than a decade all over the country; never heard of that problem.
TimBen Boydston says:

Tuesday, Oct 28, 2014 at

To whom ever is writing as SCVTV. The operative clause in the law cited above (section 5412) is “shall be compelled to be removed”. If the billboard companies that have the boards voluntarily remove their boards, then there is no recourse for Metro. This is not only evident by a simple reading of the Code but was confirmed by the City Attorney.
In addition there is more bad info given by SCVTV. Digital Boards will be seen by more than one residence in Newhall at the Remsen site and from residences in the county (though further away) from the Magic Mountain site. This was confirmed in the hearings.

Reply
Hank Schuman says:

Tuesday, Oct 28, 2014 at

Measure (B)S is about the City taking control of THE REVENUE generated by the local “mom and pop” owned billboards that provide income for private citizens. The City’s goal is to make owning a billboard illegal. This is not about “a good deal” for Santa Clarita residents! Ask why all of the new digital billboards will be on City owned property. Ask if the City is going to somehow replace the loss of income to those families that will be forced to have that income taken from them. No one has discussed the fact that those local businesses that advertise on our local “mom and pop” billboards WILL NOT be able to afford the HUGE fees to advertise on the big screen! Only huge corporations will be able to do that. So then, where will local businesses be allowed to advertise to generate more local business?? Many residents don’t even leave Santa Clarita and drive mostly on the main arteries across our valley, NOT on the freeways. MEASURE S IS A SCAM, NOT “A GOOD DEAL” FOR SANTA CLARITA BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS!

Reply
- SCVNews.com says:
  
  Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 at
  
  This is confusing. What mom & pop-owned billboards? They’re owned by Clear Channel, CBS-Viacom and Lamar.
  
  Reply
TimBen Boydston says:

Wednesday, Oct 29, 2014 at

The operative phrase in section 5412 is “shall be compelled to be removed” As confirmed by the City Attorney, if the board companies voluntarily remove their own signs, Metro cannot put up new signs in their place. That is the other way signs can come down.

Reply

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