By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
INGLEWOOD — An Inglewood resident has filed legal action against the city after having a petition initiative rejected that seeks to stop digital billboard blight.
Shannon Roberts filed a petition for writ of mandate in Los Angeles Superior Court on March 5 to prohibit Chief Assistant City Attorney Derald Brenneman and City Clerk Aisha Thompson from refusing to comply with their mandatory duties, namely the issuance of a title and summary for the Billboard Blight Elimination and Neighborhood Preservation Initiative, a proposed initiative measure submitted by Roberts.
The initiative seeks to amend the Inglewood Municipal Code and the Inglewood General Plan to protect Inglewood’s neighborhoods by prohibiting off-site commercial billboards and advertising structures on public streets, sidewalks and medians; prioritizing public service messaging in the public right-of-way; and prohibiting fee-based or revenue-sharing arrangements that allow billboard companies to avoid regulations.”
Roberts initially submitted her petition request to the city in late January.
The city attorney’s office responded on Feb. 13 by returning a “title and summary” to her attorney of record that noted the measure may impact the ability of the Inglewood Transit Connector Joint Powers Authority, between the city and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to obtain off-site commercial advertising revenue in the public right-of-way.
Roberts said she decided to formally withdraw the initiative measure submitted Jan. 29, with the intent of filing an updated version that is substantively identical to the withdrawn measure, but which clarifies and addresses alleged ambiguities reflected in the title and summary prepared by the city attorney. The city attorney identified two items in which he stated that the initiative was ambiguous.
The first issue the city attorney cited was the initiative wasn’t clear if it would allow advertising on bus benches, bus shelters, sidewalk kiosks and the like. It also wasn’t clear if the initiative would require the city to terminate existing agreements for off-site commercial billboards.
According to the 64-page legal filing, Roberts resubmitted the petition initiative on Feb. 17, along with the requisite $200 fee to request the city attorney’s office provide a title and summary to the clerk for the petition to be circulated to voters.
Gerard McCallum, the community and government affairs liaison for Hollywood Park, paid the $200 fee.
Companies owned by Stan Kroenke that operate in conjunction with Hollywood Park, are currently in litigation with the city over a 40-year land lease agreement with WOW Media Company over new digital billboards being installed throughout the city’s Sports and Entertainment District.
Under the Elections Code, the city attorney has a ministerial duty to prepare the ballot title and summary and return it to the petitioner within 15 days of the filing of the notice of intent and text of the proposed initiative.
This is not the first time Inglewood residents have signed a petition against digital billboards.
Last August, the operators of the Hollywood Park Casino withdrew their application to modify their existing special venue freeway signs after the community rallied against it during a public hearing.
Residents living in proximity to the proposed digital billboards gathered close to 3,000 signatures against the application.
According to Roberts’ filing, she would need to submit 6,552 valid signatures by May 18 to qualify for the Nov. 3 ballot.
Court records do not indicate a date the petition for the writ of mandate will be heard by a judge.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
