Florence council shelves $155,000 electronic sign plan, asks staff to remove it from CIP

Florence'The Town Council moved to de-prioritize a proposed electronic message center (EMC) sign on March 30 after staff presented site options, sight-line constraints and an updated cost estimate.

Jared Tealay, the town's project administrator, told the council the recommended sign would be about 6 feet tall by 12 feet wide and that bringing APS power to the location would put the estimated cost near $155,000. "My estimate on this to get APS power in, for a sign this size is still around the $155,000 price point," Tealay said.

That estimate drew immediate pushback from council members. "I just can't stand behind $155,000 on something," Council member Bucielato said. Vice Mayor Adam, speaking from his role on the budget committee, questioned the sign's purpose and audience and emphasized tighter budget scrutiny: "Who's the audience? What's the message? What are we trying to do here?" he said.

A member of the public who spoke during the call-to-public urged the council to table sign discussions in favor of funding downtown revitalization. "Now it's time to stop talking about doing things and actually start prioritizing funds to find ways to help and establish more small businesses in Downtown Florence," the resident said.

After discussion about alternative designs, private cost-sharing and whether a lower-cost LED would meet needs, Mayor Eaton summarized council sentiment: the body would remove the project from the CIP and revisit it later if circumstances change. Council members asked staff to reflect that direction in the town's project list rather than moving forward with the sign now.

The action was not a formal ordinance or budget vote; council asked staff to remove the line from the capital plan and to return any future proposal with more concrete cost-sharing or lower-cost design options.

What happens next: Staff will remove the EMC sign from the CIP list per council direction and can return a revised proposal later if the town secures private partners or a substantially lower cost option.