Commentary: This Is It! This is the Sign!

Tonight at the City Council meeting, the Council is looking at an ordinance that would restrict portable signs so that they could be used by a business no more than 45 days out of a calendar year. The measure would also ban all portable signs outright starting in 2010. In case you're not sure which signs are the portable ones, they are the ugly ones with the light bulbs all over them. They are supposed to be temporary, but I can name at least three -- including one near my apartment -- that have been up for at least 3 years. These signs were never meant to be used for long term display, and they are not very attractive. They contribute to making the city look run-down, cheap, and second class. I'm amazed that an ordinance such as this has not already been passed by the Council.
I'm even more amazed, though, at the amount of opposition to this ordinance. Businesses are claiming that it will hurt their small business if they can't advertise their products with a portable sign. That's not true. The businesses can advertise still, and they can even advertise using signs, but if they're going to leave one of those hideous temporary signs up for 2 or 3 years straight, I think they ought to just save up some money and build themselves a permanent sign instead.
Restricting portable signs is a good first step towards making Topeka look less like the armpit of Kansas and look more like an impressive, attractive city that people would actually want to bring their business to. I hope the Council does something that is good for Topeka and passes this ordinance to restrict (and eventually ban) portable signs.