BIXBY, MAY 29: The use of LED lights for signage in Bixby are clearly going to be allowed without condition according to a decision made by the council Tuesday night, May 27, at a Bixby city council meeting.

City Planner, Erik Enyart, had brought a proposal to the council earlier at which time the mayor said there should be no limiting of the lights when the city wants businesses to be welcomed.
Enyart had to return to the council, however, because a change had to be made in the current ordinance to allow for the LED lights.

Enyart said the lights could be accepted with special exception in the ordinance and suggested that there be standards set for the use of the lights for signage. He said he followed Tulsa's ordinance in the rewrite, and that Tulsa said their ordinance is working very well.

Councilor Dennis Loudermilk said, "We really need to climb inside this to see what we are limiting." He said those who oppose such lights refer to the flashing lights that are distracting to drivers.

"Is there any way to fix the ordinance so that it does not restrict businesses?" as the Honorable Mayor, Ray Bowen.

Enyart said he could pull the proposed standards from the ordinance he was submitting for approval.
"If someone wanted to put a sign up, would they have to go through the Board of Adjustment?" Councilor Steve Todoroff asked.

Bowen asked if it would go back to the planning commission and then to the council for final approval.
City Attorney Phil Frazier said if the prohibitions were removed from the proposed ordinance that would not be necessary.

"We don't want to hinder someone trying to do business here," said Todoroff.

City Manager Micky Webb said some kind of action needed to be taken because of the wording presently. The prohibitive language needed to be removed.

Frazier added that if there should be annoying lights, flashing lights put up, they could be handled with a nuisance ordinance.

It was decided to take all prohibitive wording out of the ordinance to allow open use of LED lights for advertising.