HomeMy WebLinkAboutCBC 04-17-1991DALE BUMPERS
ARKANSAS
,united states senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-0401
April 17, 1991
Joe Franklin
Chairman
The City Beautiful Commission
500 West Markham, Room 108
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Dear Joe:
COMMITTEES:
APPROPRIATIONS
ENERGY AND
NATURAL RESOURCES
SMALL BUSINESS
Thank you for contacting me concerning your support of billboard
control legislation. I share your concern that local communities
should be given greater ability to control the proliferation of
billboards in their areas. —
As you know, Senator Chafee introduced S. 593 in March. It is
similar to S. 2500, which was considered last year in the Congress.
The proposed Visual Pollution Control Act would return authority to
regulate billboards to the states and local governments, place a
moratorium on new billboard construction along federal interstate
highways, and prohibit the removal of trees for the purpose of
billboard visibility. Chaffee's bill would also allow amortization
of the value of the billboard over time as compensation for its
removal. I am aware of the efforts of the City of Little Rock has
made over the years to enforce local billboard regulations and have
been discouraged by the recent lawsuit filed by billboard owners
challenging these regulations.
S. 593 is pending before the Environment and Public Works Committee
and no hearings are scheduled at this point. I am very sympathetic
to your views and will keep them in mind as this bill is considered
in the Congress.
Thanks again for contacting me. I hope you will stay in touch on
this issue.
S' erely,
Dale Bumpers
DB:hvh
City of Little Rock
City Attorney
April 26, 1991
Charlene Hardcastle
City Beautiful Commission
c/o Parks and Recreation Department
500 West Markham -
Little Rock, AR 72201
Dear Charlene:
City Hall
500 W. Markham St.
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
501/371-4527
Thought you might be interested in.this Legislative Alert from
Scenic America asking for correspondence to Arkansas
representatives and senators to co-sponsor the Visual Pollution
Control Act. Also enclosed is a draft of a letter we will send
regarding same.
Sincerely,
THOMAS M. CARPENTER
CITY ATTORNEY
By: Stephen R. Giles
Assistant City Attorney
TMC:SRG:dw
Enclosure
April 26, 1991
D R A F T
Hon. Dale Bumpers
Hon. David Pryor
Hon. John Paul Hammerschmidt
Hon. Ray Thornton
Hon. Beryl Anthony
Hon. Bill Alexander
Re: Request for Your Support of the Visual Pollution
Control Act (H.R. 1344/S 593)
Dear
Following a lengthy and sometimes gutwrenching series of public
hearing debates, the Little Rock Board of Directors in 1983 passed
an ordinance intendinq'to amortize over a seven-year period a
number of billboards in the City which are standInq on scenic
corridors. Now the City is in embroiled in a lawsuit filed by
billboard companies contending that the City cannot remove the
billboards without paying cash compensation, and lots of it. Thus
the Highway Beautification Act has thwarted and frustrated our
citizens' efforts to beautify city roadways, while it also allows
the billboard industry to destroy trees on public property to
improve billboard visibility.
We ask that you please support and co-sponsor the Visual Pollution
Control Act which will restore the City's right to control
billboards on our scenic roadways, place a moratorium on new
billboard construction and prohibit the destruction of
publicly -owned trees solely to make billboards more visible.
Please let me know if you will co-sponosr H.R. 1344/S593 and how
you plan to vote on this important legislation.
Thank you for your attention to this issue of great interest to
our City.
Sincerely,
Thomas M.\Carpenter
City Attorney
TMC:dw
The City R-36utiU Commission
MEETING NOTICE
The City Beautiful Commission will hold its regular meeting
Tuesday, April 9, 1991 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 1-D of the
University Conference Center in Riverfront Park.
AGENDA
1. Roll Call
2. Approval of Minutes of the March, 1991 meeting.
3. Reports of Committees
A. City Beautiful Kids - Merle Seamon
B. WinterFest - Jim vonTungeln
C. Billboards (See Attachment #1) - Charlene Hardcastle
4. Treasurer's Report - Ross McCain
5. Capitol View Judging - (See Attachment #2).
6. McDonald's Press Conference (See Attachment #3).
7. Arkansas Recycling Conference (See Attachment #4).
8. Miscellaneous
9. Adjournment
500 West Markham, Room 108 Little Rock, AR 72201 371-4770