An Akron City Council committee will hold a public hearing next month on a proposal that would allow digital billboards inside the city limits.
Councilman Jeff Fusco says the proposal includes putting up five of the digital billboards, but 3 of them would replace existing billboards. If approved, a handful of billboards would be removed, including one or two in plain sight on the towpath trail.
Listen below as Fusco gives a preview of the billboard proposal:
Fusco says the hearing doesn't take place until September 24th, so there's still plenty of time for Akron residents to weigh in.
"We gather as much information as we can," said Fusco. "These decisions aren't made in a vacuum. These decisions aren't made in a vacuum and this one is a sensitive issue because it is a freedom of speech issue."
The messages on digital billboards can be changed much more quickly than traditional ones. Fusco says that allows for some free advertising by nonprofit organizations and availability when there's an Amber Alert.
