A new ordinance approved at the Jan. 5 meeting Tomball City Council meeting will set new rules for signage within the city.

Tomball Community Development Director Craig Meyers said the ordinance requires the removal of off-premise signs for businesses or entities that have not been in operation for 120 consecutive days and bans the use of LED signs from Old Town Tomball.

"We define an obsolete sign as an advertisement for an entity that ceases to exist for a period of 180 days," Meyers said.

Councilman Derek Townsend Sr. said the ordinance is much needed, calling some of the obsolete signage around Tomball unattractive.

"You've got signs out there that haven't been touched in 50 years," Townsend said. "They need to be taken out."

In addition, the ordinance continues to allow LED signage at tax-funded public education institutions and restricts private schools from using the motion graphic devices.

This issue is a source of contention for Councilwoman Lori Klein Quinn. Quinn said she feels Tomball area private schools are being treated unfairly under the ordinance regarding LED signage restrictions.

"We are privileged to have the best public and private schools in the area," Quinn said. "I don't see the difference between allowing Tomball Elementary [School] to have a sign if it wanted to but denying St. Anne [Catholic School]."

The council discussed the concern that if all private schools were given permission to use LED signs, any learning center charging admission, such as dance facilities or karate centers could install the signs.

Councilman Field Hudgens said amending the ordinance to include private schools could dramatically increase the amount of electronic signs in Tomball. Hudgens said one of the purposes of restricting electronic sign use is reducing nighttime illumination in residential neighborhoods.

During the meeting, Quinn suggested amending the ordinance to include private schools that qualify as academic institutions and are a certain size with a minimum daily attendance requirement.

The council voted to pass the ordinance and further research private school inclusion requirements before amending it in the future.