Agenda Item # 10.1 - Leslie Levitt | Received 03/14/2023CAUTION: This email originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening
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From:Leslie Levitt
To:City Clerk; Mayor Marie Blankley; Council Member Rebeca Armendariz; Council Member Dion Bracco; Council
Member Tom Cline; Council Member Zachary Hilton; Council Member Carol Marques; Council Member Fred
Tovar; Cindy McCormick; Thai Pham; Christina Ruiz; Sharon Goei
Subject:EXTERNAL - Council Meeting 3/20/23 Item 10.1 Electronic Billboars Comments
Date:Tuesday, March 14, 2023 11:03:41 AM
Attachments:NDBSJ Memo Billboard Power Consumption 22-03-01.pdf
Dear Mayor Blankley and Gilroy City Council Members:
There are many reasons to oppose billboards but here are two that relate closely to the role of the City
Council.
Environmental Policy
Approving digital billboards represents regressive environmental policy. Municipalities should be leading
advocates for policies that mitigate climate change and encourage efficient use of energy. Electronic
billboards are giant symbols of wasteful energy use. [See the attached memo].
Risk Avoidance and Council Purview
It is best for municipalities to stick to land use rules and policies and Planning objectives that apply
equally to all. Making policy for one site and one applicant doesn't work long term and it would be naive to
think that this is a one and done deal as far as billboards.
Any other place where you see Outfront, you see Clear Channel and others. The video produced by No
Digital Billboards in San Jose titled "Why Digital Billboards Don't Benefit Local Businesses"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEDF-WuhF1E shows an example in Santa Clara, where Outfront has
digital billboards on one side of the freeway, and within sight on the other side of Highway 101 is another
digital billboard owned by Clear Channel.
Once the door opens to one billboard company, the others will expect to be let in. And if the City, after
approving one billboard, tries to refuse another property owner or billboard company up the road, they will
be sued and so will begin a never ending drain on the City staff and City Attorney. Note that Outfront, who
claims this will not happen, is currently suing the City of San Jose because the City gave a contract to
their competitor.
Furthermore, the idea that the City of Gilroy is thinking of getting in the middle of a contract between two
private parties with a project on private property is foolhardy, especially with a controversial situation like
this. That's also asking for more risk and more staff time all for the sake of a special interest.
Les Levitt
No Digital Billboards in San Jose Steering Committee Member
No Digital Billboards in San José 1
March 1 2022
From: No Digital Billboards in San Jose
Subject: Electronic Billboards vs. Static Billboards Power Consumption
________________________________________________________________________________________
This memo is a guide to understanding the power consumption trade off of static vs. electronic billboards in
the context of San Jose City Council Policy 6-4 take down rules.
This is presented to rebut the misconception propagated during the City Council airport billboard project
deliberations that taking down conventional billboards yields an environmental win in terms of power
consumption.
Many billboards in residential areas and neighborhood business districts in San Jose look like those shown in
the photos above. They are usually lit 12 hours per day with a single 100 to 250 Watt LED light fixture.
Many are not lighted at all.
Comparing billboards:
Static Single Light Billboard: .25 kW x 12 hours x 365 days = 1,095 kWh/year
Digital Billboard: 46,600 kWh/year1
The electronic billboard consumes 42.5 X more power (46,600/1,095)
Approximately 42 conventional billboards like the type shown above left would have to be taken down
to equal the power consumption of a single new electronic billboard like planned for the airport.
1 Environmental consultant from David J. Powers quoted 140,000 kWh/year for (3) screens in the Airport project at the Airport
Commission study session. 140,000/3 = 46,666 kWh/year per screen.
Light
Billboard without any light
No Digital Billboards in San José 2
Taking it even further, with today's technology, it is possible for a static billboard light to be entirely solar
powered and off grid. This is not an option for digital billboards.
With the current take down ratio stipulated in Council Policy 6-4, there is no factual basis for arguing that
there is anything close to a power savings win. The new billboards will be a significant net increase to power
consumption. Furthermore they will be giant symbols of disregard for the City’s Climate Smart and Carbon
Neutral 2030 policies and the very definition of wasteful energy use.
No Digital Billboards In San Jose - Steering Committee
Web: www.billboardsno.org
Email: info@billboardsno.org
Twitter @BillboardsNo
Instagram: @nobillboardssj
Facebook here
Sign our petition here