For Eastern Michigan University and the Ypsilanti Area
Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), the digital billboard
saga has been extended at least another chapter.
After 45 minutes of lively debate at its July 15 meeting,
the Ypsilanti City Council unanimously decided to move
forward on the construction of a two-sided LED digital
billboard on a site near Exit 183 along I-94. But, after
a number of questions were raised about the particulars
of the proposal, the devil remains in the details — ultimately
pushing a final verdict to the City Council's Aug.12 meeting.
 |
SIGN OF THE TIMES: This old billboard
(above, right)
has occupied an easement near Exit
183 along I-94
since 1983. Eastern Michigan University is working
with Adams Outdoor Advertising and the Ypsilanti
Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to broker a
deal
with the City of Ypsilanti to replace the
current
billboard with a double-sided LED digital
billboard
(above, left). The Ypsilanti City Council
approved the
digital billboard concept at its July
15 meeting, but
wants to hash out the details at
its Aug. 12 meeting. |
"This is all bundled together. If we vote on this agreement
tonight, this is what we get," said City Councilman John
Gawlas who raised several questions.
Under a proposal presented to City Council, Adams Outdoor
Advertising would remove the existing sign, create the
digital billboard, obtain all of the necessary permits
and approvals from the state, maintain the site, and sell
advertising for the billboard. Eastern Michigan and the
CVB and would receive free advertising on the billboard
from Adams.
In exchange, the city of Ypsilanti would receive approximately
$35,000 per year (with a 10-percent escalator clause annually)
for 20 years. All told, the city would receive more than
$817,000 during that time frame.
However, some city officials took issue with the amount
of free advertising (approximately $39,000 annually) EMU
would receive on the digital billboard.
"We're getting more than we received before (for that
property), but we're giving away $40,000 to EMU. We're
losing," said Councilman Brian Robb. "Adams went to the
CVB and EMU, and cut out the city. I don't like that we
were left out of the deal."
"In the past, the city has taken the short end of deals
with EMU," Mayor Pro Tem S.A. Trudy Swanson said without
elaborating. "I'm voting for it (proposal), but can understand
his (Robb's) feelings."
Shannon Bellers, real estate manager for Adams Outdoors,
explained that the company first met with the CVB because
the CVB possessed the state permits for the property where
the existing sign has stood since 1983. The CVB and EMU
both own the existing sign that sits on the city property.
She added that some of the advertising — such as
Amber alerts and community festival notices — that will
run on the digital billboard benefits and adds value to
the city.
The CVB would receive the same amount of advertising as
EMU, but Council members raised no qualms with that.
Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber reminded fellow Council
members that EMU has been a good partner, citing its willingness
to spend more than $300,000 over the next five years to
help develop a business incubator, overseen by Ann Arbor
SPARK, in downtown Ypsilanti. The incubator would help
high-tech, start-up companies get their footing before
settling in a new location in eastern Washtenaw County.
"If we're going to be partners, there has to be some give-and-take," Schreiber
said.
Council members expressed other concerns as well.
Council member Lois Richardson said that when Adams first
presented the idea in 2007, the company agreed to talk
to neighborhood associations affiliated with the Gateway
and Heritage Park communities located near the sign to
determine if there were any lighting issues that could
affect the communities. She said that goodwill gesture
did not occur.
"Our neighborhood association advised us to vote 'no'.
They didn't want that sign peering into our neighborhood," Richardson
said.
Bellers said Adams' representatives did meet with representatives
of Heritage Park, something Swanson concurred.
Councilman Brian Filipiak, data systems coordinator in
EMU's College of Education, said he understood why private
ventures such as adult entertainment, alcohol, gambling
and tobacco could not be advertised on the billboard under
the proposal presented. But, he took issue that the proposal
would not allow other higher education institutions to
advertise on the digital billboard.
"I may be biting the hand that feeds me, but that rubs
me the wrong way," Filipiak said. "EMU is not only getting
$39,000 in advertising, but prohibiting other higher learning
educational institutions from advertising."
Since that meeting, Filipiak said that Ted Coutilish,
EMU's associate vice president for marketing, agreed to
a compromise in the language to change "institutions
of higher education" to "four-year universities."
"This way, Washtenaw Community College, which is a partner
with EMU in many respects, would not be prohibited from
advertising if they wished," Filipiak said. "I like the
change in the language. I would like it better if it were
gone completely, but politics is all about compromise,
not about
getting things all your/our way."
After the discussion, it appeared the Council was not
interested in a proposal that would allow Adams to use
the easement in perpetuity for a one-time fee of $400,000.
Rather, it opted to to continue to hash out the particulars
on the 20-year proposal.
After the City Council meeting, Coutilish, declared it
a "partial
victory for the city. They voted to move forward with the
project. We'll have a final reading on Aug. 12. At that
time, we'll know whether or not to move forward with the
project."
Coutilish said he was not surprised by the in-depth discussion,
but stressed the city is currently not deriving any revenues
from the property. This proposal offers the city coffers
more than $800,000, he said.
"We have to formally adopt the contract in a resolution"
at the Aug. 12 meeting, Schreiber said. "The first one
(vote) was 'this is a deal. This is what it looks like.'"
The issue was first presented to City Council at its May
2, 2007 meeting.
