Agenda Item # 10.1 - Chrys Diskowski | Received 03/20/2023CAUTION: This email originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening
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From:
To: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
Cc:City Clerk
Subject:EXTERNAL - Please say ‘no thank you” to electronic billboards in Gilroy
Date:Friday, March 17, 2023 8:20:47 PM
Good Evening Mayor Blankley and Council Members,
Among many things, our little town is known to outsiders as the Garlic Capital of the World.
But now with the threat of electronic billboards looming, we are at risk of being known as
“little town that put-up the giant ugly billboards”.
The huge, double-sided, electronic billboards, if approved, would mar visitors’ first
impression of our town, along with their last impression, as they drive away with them
dominating our sky in their rear-view mirrors.
Please don’t make ugly billboards part of our city’s image and brand; nor part of your legacy
as leaders in our city.
Advertising for our local businesses should not require us to poop in our collective
nest. “Drive a little, save a lot”, and other catchy local campaigns, should be broadcast
WHERE BUYING DECISIONS ARE ACTUALLY MADE: on the screens and speakers of
our private homes or smart phones, not in an 8 second flash on the roadside.***
Please, kindly say “no thank you” to the electronic billboard industry.
Sincerely,
Chrys Diskowski
25-year Gilroy resident and voter
***The personal computer, or smartphone is where most customers make their decisions on
everything from where to buy a car, spend the weekend, or get dinner. Billboards are being
outmoded as a form of effective local advertising. In the graph attached, “Out-of-home”
advertising only comprises 6% of the attention-getters. Billboards, including electronic ones,
are an even smaller portion of that 6%.