“It does not change the regulations as far as the election signs being on private property,” Beth Collins, city planner, said. “That was allowed before, it’s still allowed now, there’s no timeframe on that. The old ordinance with the public right of way — in the old ordinance you could only have election signs in the public right of way 30 days before the election, not early voting but before the actual election.”
 

Sign placements in the past have cluttered public rights of way and served as a distraction for drivers, Collins said. She hopes the change will make a difference.
 

“It’ll clean up the city a little more and I’m hoping — this is just my opinion — but I’m hoping we can stop all of these signs that’s being stuck up on the right of ways and all that stuff, not only the political signs but all signs and clean the city back up,” Eddie Simpson, councilman, said. “We’ve let it go for four or five years now and allowed banners and all that stuff and we don’t need to be allowing that stuff.
 

“... They stuck them up on (U.S. Highway) 321, they’d stick them up on the islands and all that,” he added. “Most of us tried to not do that, but Loudon city did it and Greenback’s had their rules for a long, long time. Supposedly Loudon city did as well but they never did enforce it until this year.”
 

Council will vote on the second and final reading at 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at city hall. A public hearing will be held five minutes before the meeting.
 

“I think it doesn’t look good,” Wampler said. “I think after a while there’s so many signs, I don’t know how one or 50, I don’t know what you’re supposed to look at. I think each individual needs to be more forthcoming in what their views are. I don’t know that one sign or 2,000 signs makes a difference in the end, but I’m definitely for less signage.”

Public opioid concerns

Public comment took up the bulk of the meeting, with representatives present from both Ninth Judicial District Attorney General Russell Johnson’s office and the Restoration Freedom Fighters Substance Awareness Team, a group of concerned residents hoping to help people recover from substance abuse.
 

Teresa King, founder of Restoration Freedom Fighters, called for Lenoir City Council to take action. She hoped the city would work with Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider to brainstorm ideas on how to bring more awareness.
 

“We’re literally losing two generations to this right now,” King said. “Leading cause of death age 15 and under in the nation. We’ve lost more to this since 2000 than we did in the Vietnam War. Guys, I’m telling you, we’ve got to do something.”
 

Sherry Mealer was among those supporting the group. She lost her son earlier this year to drugs.
 

“He bought it in town, in town. Not in the county. He bought it in Lenoir City,” Mealer said. “Are you all going to really sit there and act like this isn’t a problem in our city?”
 

Mayor Tony Aikens asked what Mealer wanted the city to do.
 

“I want you to care. I want you to have a heart. I want you to do what we put you in office to do, to stop the drugs from being brought into our county,” Mealer said. “... My son made his choice, but the bottom line is what (Police Chief Don White) just said, it’s going to take money. But we spent all that money on The Venue instead of doing something to stop these drugs. That’s what we’re upset about, that’s exactly what we’re upset about. Instead of using the money for this big building for you all to have revenue, we could have used that big building to house these people, to get them help. We take them every month just about to Christian-based rehabs.”
 

Auditors are “very strict” on what the city can do with public funds, Aikens said.