SEBASTIAN — Two of the three billboards along Interstate 95 touting Sebastian might not be posted for much longer, according to city leaders.
The Sebastian City Council, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, came to a consensus this week that they no longer support the billboards posted just north of the city and farther south.
Instead, they are interested in keeping the billboard in Titusville to the north, which will continue to cost the city $15,000.
“I don’t think the billboards worked,” Councilwoman Andrea Coy said, adding, “I think we had the right intentions.”
The city could free up about $31,000 in its community redevelopment agency budget by discontinuing the two billboards. Those funds could then be used on other redevelopment projects.
“Do we know they’re not bringing people in?” asked Vice Mayor Jim Hill during the debate over continuing the billboards’ funding.
Mayor Richard Gillmor told the council that he had asked the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce how many visits to www.GoSebastian.com there had been – since February, there were 150 hits.
Each of the three billboards advertised the Web address, which was a mechanism for the city and chamber to measure the impact of the billboards.
Councilman Don Wright posed a suggestion to the council – asking them to consider partnering with city businesses to share in the cost of the billboards.
“I think we would get more bang for the buck,” Wright said, adding that it could help those businesses, too.
His idea did not garner much support from the council.
“Our businesses are really hurting,” Coy said. She added that it could be difficult for those businesses to find the money to help pay into the billboards.
She also questioned keeping the billboards to promote the city, which does not yet have its working waterfront projects up and running or other improvements to the redevelopment district done.
“I don’t think we’re there yet,” Coy said.
The council could decide in the future to bring the billboards back once their redevelopment projects are completed.
