Dear Billboard Watchers & Friends of Dark Skies: 01/18/06 Happy New Year to everyone and may the coming year bring positive results for our individual and collective pursuits. It is now a good time to look back on the billboard control efforts in Tucson and Arizona over 2005, which was indeed a very good year. Here are some of the highlights: February 2005. The Arizona Supreme Court rules that the bill that Karl Eller ushered through the legislature in 2000 based on misrepresentations (HB 2559) would not prevent the City of Tucson from enforcing its code on most existing violations. April 2005. Tucson-based Scenic Arizona commissions an opinion poll which shows that 78% of Arizonans expressing an opinion do no think that repeatedly changing electronic billboards should be allowed on state roadways. May 2005. Governor Janet Napolitano vetoes two billboard bills. One would in effect have largely reversed the Arizona Supreme Court ruling and prevented removal of a majority of illegal billboards. The other would have allowed for electronic billboards on state roadways for the first time since the Highway Beautification Act was adopted in 1970. The vetoes were made considerably easier by state-wide opposition from neighborhood, environmental, astronomy, and municipal organizations, which almost defeated both bills in the legislature as they only passed the State Senate by the same 16-14 margins. August 2005. Meetings were initiated between a Tucson-based citizens group and the Arizona Department of Transportation regarding the latter's compliance with state and local billboard regulations (outcome not yet clear). September 2005. Subsequent to the Arizona Supreme Court ruling, a Pima County Superior Court Judge sets a trial date in March 2006 for 18 of the Clear Channel billboards in City of Tucson enforcement case (the total number of billboards is about 205). November 2005. Clear Channel's biggest supporters on the Tucson City Council, Kathleen Dunbar and Fred Ronstadt, lose their reelection bids to candidates Karin Uhlich and Nina Trasoff who campaigned against this type of "special Interest" influence in city politics. November 2005. Pima County Board of Supervisors votes to reject an insufficient settlement agreement with Clear Channel Outdoor and pursue enforcement. December 2005. The Arizona Court of Appeals issues a draft opinion in favor of Pima County finding that the four large billboards that Clear Channel built on I-10 in 2001 (supposedly under ADOT's immunity to local regulations) were subject to the Pima County Code (which would mean that they would have to come down; the oral argument was held on January 3 and in all likelihood the final opinion will follow in the draft opinion's steps). December 2005. The final tally is tabulated for billboards removed in all of Pima County during the year and the total is 14, which is slightly above the norm. Three of these billboards each had eight 400-watt bottom-mounted metal halide lighting fixtures, which are so damaging to the dark nighttime skies that astronomy depends upon. There remains 585 billboards in all of Pima County, 405 of which are located within the City of Tucson. These figures are down from 950 and 665 in April 1985, respectively. The billboards removed in 2005 are: Jurisdiction, Str#, Di,Street Name, Wth, Lgth, LtDir#1 TUCSON 518,N,STONE AVE., 12.0, 24.0, Downlit TUCSON, 517,N,STONE AVE., 12.0, 24.0, Downlit TUCSON, 102,N,4TH AVE., 12.0, 24.0, Not Lit TUCSON, 401,E,TOOLE AVE., 12.0, 12.0, Not Lit TUCSON, 1056,S,CAMPBELL AVE., 6.0, 12.0, Not Lit TUCSON, 830,S,PARK AVE., 12.0, 24.0, Not Lit TUCSON, 3725,E,VALENCIA RD., 14.0, 48.0, Uplit TUCSON, 520,W,GRANT RD., 12.0, 24.0, Not Lit TUCSON, 4300,N,ORACLE RD., 10.0, 40.0, Uplit TUCSON, 299,W,WETMORE RD., 12.0, 24.0, Not Lit TUCSON, 8000,E,GOLF LINKS RD., 14.0, 48.0, Uplit TUCSON, 4150,S,CAMPBELL AVE., 14.0, 48.0, Uplit TUCSON ANNEX, 5771,E,I-10, 10.0, 40.0, Not Lit MARANA, 7235,N,CASA GRANDE HWY.,10.0,40.0, Downlit PIMA COUNTY, 2801,W,VALENCIA RD., 12.0, 12.0, Not Lit None of the above could have been accomplished without the persistence of all of us in letting our elected officials know that billboard regulations and policies must be enforced. The state legislature is now in session and more voices will be needed to assure that last year's gains will continue. Please stay tuned in that regard. Mark Mayer (via email)