The future of Main Street signs is still up in the air, but Smithers Council has agreed not to penalise businesses while it revisits the bylaw.
A Merchant spokesperson addressed Council Tuesday night, hoping the rules could be slightly “tweaked” to fit modern day business needs.
Mayor Taylor Bachrach says ticketing each business would be an unattainable feat.
“There’s a fair amount of non-compliance out there and I don’t think it’s really practicable for the town to go out and enforce all of the non-compliance and have all the people to take down their signs,” he says, “the problem is widespread enough that that’s just not really an option.”
The only signs that will be penalised are ones that staff feel are unsafe, like ones impeding snow removal or other maintenance operations.
Council recommended that staff create a public bylaw review and research other Alpine-themed communities such as Kimberly and Whistler.
Signs already posted won’t be penalised, however, all new signs (anything that hadn’t been displayed before Tuesday’s meeting) must follow the current bylaws.
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