Amador County – Sutter Creek City Council on Monday reaffirmed a May vote to keep the city welcome sign at its Highway 49 gateway park, but asked staff to work on a signage Master Plan for the Sutter Hill area, and alternatives for two similar signs there.

City Manager Sean Rabe said the issue was brought back because Mayor Linda Rianda received complaints of a Brown Act violation when the Council voted May 21 to keep the sign where it is. Rabe said City Attorney Derek Cole advised that the Council had not violated the open records act.

Rianda wanted to revisit the issue because she had heard from some who want to keep the sign and some who want it moved. Rianda said Lisa Klosowski of the Sutter Creek Business & Professional Association sent her results of a survey of Association members. Rianda sad 68 voted to not move the brick wall sign, one vote said move the sign, and two people said keep the sign but remove the letters, which spell Sutter Creek. Two respondents were “not sure.”

Marie Hobbs, a member of the Association, urged the council to adopt a “master plan” for signs requiring a uniform look. Councilman Tim Murphy said they could leave the sign where it is and come up with some sort of plan for off-site signage. He wanted to avoid sign pollution, such as having three banners on a building all saying the same thing.

Councilman Jim Swift agreed there is a problem with sign pollution, and suggested removing the letters from the brick wall and placing the other sign on that wall. He said both signs at the welcome park at 49 and Old 49 say “Sutter Creek.” He wondered if they needed Cal-Trans permission to make changes.

Councilwoman Sandy Anderson said the Promotions Committee has spent years working on branding Sutter Creek, and though some people may not like John Sutter, the biggest reason people come to Sutter Creek is for history. She supported removing the letters from the wall and placing the sign on it, but they should make sure the letters fit the city’s branding.

Swift said the item was to affirm the vote to not move the sign, and they cannot motion to move the sign. Swift suggested considering gateway signage in a master plan. Rabe asked that they vote on the affirmation issue first, which was approved 4-0 with Councilman Gary Wooten absent.

Rabe said the Council gave staff direction to look at whether “it was possible to remove the letters from the rock wall and move the new sign to that location. The Council also directed me to look at creating an overall master plan for signage in the Sutter Hill area.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.