Council spars with mayor over sign

Controversial issues were on the table at yesterday’s City Council meeting with Oakland… Controversial issues were on the table at yesterday’s City Council meeting with Oakland Councilman Bill Peduto presenting a resolution that might lead to a court investigation of one of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s decisions.

Ravenstahl approved a 1,200-square-foot LED billboard for the new Grant Street transportation center without the necessary approval of council or public hearings or votes.

“The issue right now is that public process was ignored and that laws were broken,” said Dan Gilman, spokesman for Peduto. “It was illegal to do what was done.”

Peduto offered a resolution to investigate, but instead council voted today to hold a public hearing at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and allow the mayor’s office a chance to explain and possibly renegotiate.

Council President Doug Shields and Councilwoman Darlene Harris said they would vote “yes” for an investigation today but decided to hold the hearing first.

A full-scale investigation with lawyers and court proceedings might still take place based on next week’s hearing.

“What we learn next Wednesday will determine the next step,” Gilman said. “I certainly hope that everyone who’s requested to attend the meeting next week will be there.”

Pat Ford, executive director for Urban Redevelopment Authority, was part of the December deal that allows Lamar Advertising to construct the $7 million sign. Ford will appear at the hearing Wednesday.

However, the URA is usually independent from these types of decisions, which must always go through the zoning board, the planning commission and council. The mayor appoints the URA’s board.

“It’s not a question of should there or should there not be a billboard,” Gilman said. “If the mayor doesn’t like our laws, he can discuss them with us.”

In 2006, the city permitted Lamar to build six LED billboards, and Ford argued that those were constructed without any public hearings or votes.

Also at the meeting, council voted to designate the late Pittsburgh playwright August Wilson’s home as a historic landmark.

There has been recent controversy over this issue as well since the vote was delayed two weeks past the timeline that city code can grant historic designation.

Councilwoman Tonya Payne, who represents parts of Oakland and the Hill District, apologized for the delay and took the blame for criticism from Wilson’s family, who nominated the house for the designation.

Council was allowed to ignore the timeline today after the city solicitor determined that the resolution to grant the designation was never an official piece of legislation and, therefore, the deadline did not apply.