[External Email]
FW: NO DIGITAL BILLBOARDS
City Clerk <
Mon 12/12/2022 2:28 PM
To:Agendadesk <
From: Pat Blevins <
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2022 2:23 PM
To: Jones, Chappie < Cohen, David < Davis, Dev
< Carrasco, Magdalena < Mahan, Ma
<Ma . Esparza, Maya < Foley, Pam < Peralez, Raul
< Liccardo, Sam < Jimenez, Sergio <
Arenas, Sylvia <
Cc: City Clerk <
Subject: NO DIGITAL BILLBOARDS
I am asking the City Council to entirely reject ANY possibility of mounting digital billboards on SJ public buildings. This issue has been soundly rejected by 80% of the residents polled in all 10 districts. You were elected to serve the people of San Jose and NOT the digital billboard industry. Here are just a few reasons to entirely reject digital billboards in San Jose:
· Driver distraction - Digital billboards threaten driver safety and run counter to the city’s Vision Zero policy to eliminate traffic fatalities. With 62 traffic deaths so for this year, and Digital billboards being designed to distract, why is the Council trying to add to driver distractions with the possibility of more traffic deaths? · Energy hogs - Although LEDs by themselves may be energy efficient, these energy intensive billboards are massive (1000 sq ft per display), require constant cooling and computer systems to operate continuously, and would be giant symbols of disregard for the City’s Climate Smart and Carbon Neutral 2030 policies.
· Wildlife disruption - Digital billboards will negatively affect wildlife and the ecosystem, and are opposed by the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club. Migratory birds must have total darkness just before dawn as they light in trees to sleep.
· Light pollution - Lick Observatory would be negatively affected due to light pollution, similar to the Levi’s stadium Jumbotrons.
· Local businesses do not benefit - Billboards typically advertise national consumer products.
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. . Insignificant revenue - Any proceeds from these billboards would be a tiny fraction of 1% of the City’s annual budget; is it worth the trade- off for more visual blight and an assault on our quality of life? · Litigation threats - Billboard companies are already threatening to sue the City and each other over these billboards. This risk of endless litigation does not appear to be factored into the cost/benefit here. . Public Health Threat - Human beings must have total darkness during sleep in order for the body’s biological processes to restore and rebuild prior to awakening. . Overwhelming public opposition - There are many contentious issues but billboards are clearly a public consensus issue and people from every Council district responded in opposition.
Patricia Blevins
District 9 San Jose
You don't often get email from
[External Email]
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.
FW: comment on agenda item 8.2 Electronic Billboards on City owned Property City Clerk <[email protected]>
Tue 12/13/2022 7:38 AM
To:Agendadesk [email protected]
From: William Benson
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2022 12:22 AM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: comment on agenda item 8.2- Electronic Billboards on City-owned Property
Dear City Council members
as a resident and voter in San Jose, I am asking you to not approve plans for new electronic billboards.
These signs offer no real benefit to city residents, and a number of serious costs. We already live surrounded by adver sement; we don't need to create further blight with even more. Allowing these billboards directly contradicts several of the city's stated goals crea ng driver distrac ons to reduce road safety, and was ng energy all day long in a me of climate crisis. They create light pollu on and degrade wildlife habitat. Their real benefit is the profits of a few large na onal adver sing firms.
Please listen to the overwhelming preference of your cons tuents and put an end to this proposal
- William Benson
District 6 resident
Fw: 8.2 Electronic Billboards agenda item for Dec 13th Council mtg City Clerk <
Mon 12/12/2022 3:00 PM
To:Agendadesk <
Office of the City Clerk | City of San José
200 E. Santa Clara St., Tower 14th Floor
San Jose, CA 95113
Main: 408-535-1260
Fax: 408-292-6207
How is our service? Please take our short survey.
From: Joseph Gemignani <
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2022 3:58 PM
To: City Clerk <
Subject: 8.2 Electronic Billboards agenda item for Dec 13th Council mtg
[External Email]
Please no more billboards. They are ugly and are a safety hazard.
Joseph (amateur weatherman)
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources.