The Fairbanks City Council unanimously rejected a proposed ordinance Monday that would have put new restrictions on campaign and other temporary signage.
The measure would have applied to signs within the city that are not permanently affixed to a structure or the ground, limiting their display to 90 days.
Eight people gave public comment Monday, with all of them opposed.
Commenters complained that the limit would be an affront to free speech, and many questioned whether the city could enforce the law with consistency.
“It falls back on, how do you plan on funding this for enforcement, for cleaning this up, or removing the signs, when we can’t even get some of the basics handled?” said Fairbanks resident Nicole Moore.
The text of the ordinance reasoned that the 90-day cap would protect aesthetic interests of the community. It also referred to Fairbanks North Star Borough code as a local example that's currently in effect. That code permits display of temporary signage in every zoning district only from June through November.
Councilmember Sue Sprinkle introduced the measure. She said she proposed the idea in hopes of having a conversation about it.
“I am thrilled that everybody came to talk to us, and I absolutely feel where you are. I’m not looking to turn anything into an enemy state,” she said.
Other council members agreed that timely removal of campaign signs is preferable but said that they didn’t support legislating it, and Sprinkle joined the rest of the council in voting the ordinance down.