Fountain Hills businesses are receiving a letter and information from town staff about what is expected as a result of the Town Council extending the deadline for A-frame signs and advertising banners for another year.

The letter states that over the past five years “the town has been working with local businesses and community leaders to create reasonable and fair sign regulations that will allow the business community to flourish, while at the same time maintaining the small town community atmosphere and aesthetic design standards that residents have come to love about Fountain Hills.”

The council has reviewed the sign regulations and each year extended the deadline in which the ordinance allowing the signs would expire. In one instance the extension was for two years.

While each year staff reported on disappointing compliance with the regulations for use of the signs, the council deferred, not wanting to ban the signs during an economic recession.

In December, while voting to extend the sign regulations through December 2015, the council asked staff to aggressively pursue an information campaign and enforcement to try and bring significant improvement to compliance rates.

The packet mailed to businesses includes a letter outlining the concerns, a summary of the town’s sign regulations, and A-frame sign permit application and a banner permit application.

The A-frame requires an annual $5 permit, while there are no permit fees associated with the banners, but the permit is required.