At

least three members of Fayetteville City Council

made it clear Monday they don't intend to vote

for any restrictions on the number of government

flags that local businesses can fly.

Opposition

from business people continued to mount Monday as

the council posted a revised sign ordinance for

first reading.

Businesses

will be able to fly no more than two flags -

one each for up to two government entities -

under the new sign ordinance recommended by the

city Planning Commission.

Some

businesses fly large numbers of American flags to

call attention to their locations, and that

constitutes advertising, said commission member

Segis "Al" Lipscomb during a meeting.

It's against federal law to use the American flag

in advertising, she said.

"I

don't feel like that's what we do at Carolyn

Ford," said Wayne Brummitt, assistant dealer

at the downtown dealership. "We put it out

there because it's the American flag. I feel like

we ought to be able to put up as many flags as we

want to."

City

resident James Lugo passionately argued against

the restriction. "When the government

restricts us from bringing out our feelings in

public... what will be next?" he said.

"It is our business what we want to show as

long as we are not indecent."

Councilman

Larry Dell said he completely agrees. "We

have great respect for the flag - they can

fly a hundred of them if they want to as far as

I'm concerned."

"I

do not believe in legislating the display of the

flag," agreed Councilman Glenn Brewer. Both

Brewer and Dell are Vietnam veterans, as are

councilmen Walt White and Al Hovey-King, and

Mayor Kenneth Steele.

Councilman

Bill Talley started to make a motion to have the

language concerning flags stricken from the

proposed ordinance, but Steele said there will be

plenty of time for that when council votes on the

law May 1.

The

proposed law also would prohibit internally

lighted signs, and would incorporate new

restrictions on window signs and temporary signs

for special events, and would reduce the overall

total size of signs allowed on building fronts.

During

last week's work session, businessman Paul Oddo

challenged not only the flag restriction, but

also the law's prohibition of internally lighted

signs.

"The

only reason to prohibit internally illuminated

signs is for public health and safety. Short of

the necessity for a wartime blackout, `sky glow'

is not a problem," he said in response to an

earlier statement from city planner Todd Miller,

who defended the prohibition because of

increasing sky glow in the city.

"We're

adding more and more to the sky glow, and getting

further and further away from the small town

community that has made Fayetteville such an

attractive community to move to," said

Miller.

"Based

on my own research and upon discussion with

experts in the public safety area, there are

simply no safety or health disadvantages of an

internally illuminated sign over an externally

illuminated sign," Oddo said.

Council

will take public comment on the proposed

ordinance during a work session April 26 before

voting on the matter in its business meeting May

1. Both meetings are at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

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