Council moves forward with wayfinding signs

After two hours of intense debate over the importance of wayfinding signs and the prudence of spending money on such a program in light of the economy, Springfield City Council voted Monday night to go ahead with the project as it had voted two weeks ago.

Council first approved a resolution Feb. 9 authorizing spending for the sign program, which would add signs around the city to point visitors to popular tourist spots such as Bass Pro Shops, Battlefield Mall and the downtown district. But Councilman Denny Whayne asked fellow council members on Feb. 17 to reconsider the proposal, saying the idea was a good one, but the timing was not.

The project, which includes fabrication and installation of more than 120 signs at an estimated cost of $600,000, is funded by the 1/4-cent capital improvements sales tax.

Multiple members of the business community spoke in favor of the project.

Tracy Kimberlin, executive director of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, said even though money is tight, now is not the time to cut back on marketing efforts; he noted that more than two-thirds of the CVB's $3 million budget this year is devoted to marketing-related expenses.

Among those who spoke in opposition was council candidate Tom Martz, who said the idea of directing visitors to specific businesses oversteps the boundaries of the role of city government.

In the end, council voted 5-4 against reconsidering the resolution. Signs could begin going up by early 2010.See SBJ's March 2 issue for more on the wayfinding program.