LED billboards under consideration for unincorporated areas - San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.com

LED billboards under consideration for unincorporated areas

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider Wednesday a proposal to allow digital LED billboards in unincorporated areas.

According to county staff members, billboard companies approached them to make a change in regulations because the new technology is currently prohibited. State-of-the-art billboards allow firms to quickly change advertisements and deliver real-time messages.

Supervisors Bill Horn and Dianne Jacob said in a letter to colleagues that digital billboards would have several advantages over the traditional sort for the county, including an ability to display emergency information about wildfires, Amber Alerts or fugitives.

If the board approves their proposal, staff would be directed to work with the billboard companies, planning groups and other interested parties, and return with a report within four months.

Options should not include animation, nor an increase in the number of overall billboards, according to Horn and Jacobs. They also said the report should consider the proportion of billboards that can be converted to digital, and any resulting increase in light pollution or danger to drivers.

The board will also consider proposed fees for inspecting food trucks. Under an ordinance passed earlier this year, the mobile food facilities will be required to display the letter grades they receive from county inspectors, just like brick-and-mortar restaurants.