The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is in the process of restructuring the Outdoor Advertising Program. In addition to nonsubstantive changes, the rules will address four specific areas: fee structure, streamlining current regulations, methods to increase consistency between the primary and rural road programs, and methods to improve consistent enforcement. The department requested input from interested parties on these four issues and any other suggestions on improving existing rules to help formulate these new rules. Several comments were received and used in drafting these revisions.
The proposed rules would, among other things, add additional reporting requirements for any city that has chosen to be “certified” by TxDOT to enforce state billboard rules. The reporting requirements include: (1) an annual sign inventory; (2) a sign enforcement plan; and (3) reports on sign enforcement efforts.
Comments will be accepted on these rules until January 28, 2011. A public hearing on the rules will be held on January 10, 2011, at 1:00 p.m. at the Greer State Highway Building in Austin.
The full text of the proposed rules is available here. http://www.sos.state.tx.us/texreg/archive/December32010/PROPOSED/43.TRANSPORTATION.html#159