So the Mill Creek City Council does not want A-board signs popping up in the local business districts. Some Council members think they’re nothing more than clutter. Others think the residents don’t want them.
And one Council member, Rosemary Bennetts, rationalized her opposition by saying that from her experience with the Mill Creek Business Association, the success or failure of an enterprise has nothing to do with how many signs it puts up, but on the quality of its product or service and subsequent public demand.
Those are all fine and legitimate positions. In the case of those who think citizens don’t want to see them, maybe they are right.
Fine. Now what is going to be done about the problem?
Reaffirming a desire to not allow the signs is one thing; actually putting some teeth into that claim is another. Even though such signs are not allowed under city law, they can be seen throughout the city’s commercial districts, even in Town Center. Without enforcement, such signs are de facto legal in Mill Creek.
Businesses have taken advantage of Mill Creek’s non-existent enforcement for a long time. It wasn’t until former city manager Mike Caldwell called for a crackdown on temporary real estate signs – following pressure from an angry citizen – that those signs began to disappear from local intersections. But as recently demonstrated by city staff, there are still plenty of such signs on local sidewalks.
The city must find a way to keep up with the Council edict and remind local businesses of what city law says. Doing nothing sets a terrible precedent and will erode the high standards Mill Creek residents have come to expect from their city.
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