News Briefs

- Fayetteville's flag flap is over.

Mayor

Kenneth Steele said this week that the City Council will

not even consider a restriction on the number of

government flags a business can fly when it votes on a

new sign ordinance Monday night.

A provision

that would have limited the number of government flags to

two - and only one for any one government -

will be stricken from the proposed ordinance before it

comes up for a vote, Steele said.

"We

don't care to consider that," he said during a

council work session Wednesday. Steele said a prohibition

of internally lighted signs also will be taken out of the

proposed document.

Several

local business people had attended the work session to

protest the provisions, but after the mayor's

announcements said nothing when Steele asked for public

comment on the proposed law. One developer, though, did

speak.

Charlie

Heard of Retail Planning Corp. urged the council to make

only minor changes in the law, which was revised in 1998.

"You did a good job with what you did two years

ago," he said.

As it

stands, the law places additional restrictions on

temporary event-related signs, requires that

master-planned retail centers and office complexes have

coordinated plans for signs, and provides a book showing

suggested colors and styles for signs in the historic

downtown district, among other minor changes.

Council is

expected to vote during its meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at

City Hall.

All council

meetings are open to the public.