Colorado Cities Divided Over Regulating Street Twirlers
DENVER (CBS4/AP) - There are no sign-spinners allowed on streets in Parker, Greenwood Village forbids signs on public rights of way and sign-twirlers can't stand in Denver streets or on public medians.
It's a sign of the times that cities are wrestling with a relatively new advertising gimmick having sign twirlers promote their companies on sidewalks and street corners.
In Colorado, cities make their own rules about costumed or dancing sign-spinners.
The president of Loveland-based M&E Painting, Matt Shoup, says he has used sign-spinners to advertise his business in Loveland, Westminster, Broomfield and Fort Collins without a problem.
Brian Thornton owns a barbershop in Thornton. It's located on a side street, which is why he employs a sign twirler at the corner of 84th and Pearl.
"Motion marketing, directional marketing -- sign spinning is the great secret sauce to small business," Thornton said.
According to the Denver Post, cities trying to ban sign-twirlers will definitely get some pushback from business owners.
"If that happens, we could lose a lot of our business," Kelly Shaw with Liberty Tax Service said. "We don't have commercials. We don't market that way. We market through our sign-wavers, so that would really hurt us."
Todd Barnes from the city of Thornton said the proposed ordinance does not mean a ban on sign-twirlers.
"The ordinance exactly says that they are permitted. We just have a couple of safety regulations to ensure that motorists are safe, and the people twirling the signs are safe," Barnes said.
Denver city attorney David Broadwell also says many of the regulations stem from safety concerns.
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