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Monday, October 05, 2009
Ind. Gov't. - State lets billboard inventory slide, may lose federal funds
A long story on this by Jon Seidel today in the Gary Post-Tribune. Here are a a few quotes:
[T]he Indiana Department of Transportation's central office in Indianapolis has records of just 75 billboards along the interstates running through Lake and Porter counties. That's less than one billboard per interstate mile.INDOT says there are 12 permits for billboards along Interstate 65 in Lake County, for example, but a Post-Tribune count found more than 60 along the same route.
The state's lack of an up-to-date billboard inventory might have let myriad outdoor advertising problems develop over several years or even decades.
Those issues were highlighted in an unflattering Federal Highway Administration report in 2008. The agency threatened to withhold $90 million from Indiana under a provision of the Highway Beautification Act because of the state's perceived lack of billboard control.
Now, in addition to addressing the Federal Highway Administration's concerns, an INDOT official is trying to figure out how to update the billboard inventory to prevent further trouble. It could cost more than $2.5 million, though, and it isn't clear where that money will come from.
"Had an active inventory been in place," the Federal Highway Administration wrote, "many of the issues discussed in this report may have been avoided." * * *
Robert Demuth, INDOT's central office permit manager who joined the agency last year, said the blame for Indiana's billboard mess can't be placed at any one doorstep.
"There's no smoking gun, no one person, no one party, no one agency, no one group of outdoor advertisers," Demuth said.
Instead of pointing fingers, Demuth said he is focused on complying with the Federal Highway Administration's recommendations. That could mean the removal of some billboards across the state. The cost of that work will depend on each individual situation.
Demuth is also trying to figure out how to pay for a one-time, comprehensive inventory of Indiana's billboards to prevent future problems. That project would do more than give the state a count of its billboards. It would provide a detailed record of what exists where, and whether it conforms to federal and state standards.
"If we don't get our hands on what the good inventory is," Demuth said, "we will not regain effective control. It's so key."
Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 5, 2009 10:52 AM
Posted to Indiana Government