Pat Hurley

Pat HurleyODA Coord./Montana DOT

Pat Hurley is the department's administrator for outdoor advertising control.He says nearly 90% of the 46 states that allow billboard advertising also permit electronic billboards.

Thanks to stepped up enforcement efforts, MDT has issued roughly 200 sign permits this year, compared with 600 in 2003, according to information provided last month by Pat Hurley, MDT's administrative officer for Outdoor Advertising Control.

Some missing signs could be attributed to the diligence of state highway workers, who have been removing more signs than usual from highways and state right of ways, said Pat Hurley, administrative officer for outdoor advertising control.

‘‘This year, we've had a lot of problems,'' Hurley said. ‘‘They're sticking them all over the place.''

On the I-90 west of Missoula, highway workers removed 15 signs from one interchange, he added.

Rep. Bob Lake, R-Hamilton, said he thought he was following the state right of way laws this fall but still lost two signs off the Eastside highway to highway workers.And he said he doubts that people are targeting certain candidates.

"We would rather that landowners and those who ran for office remove the signs themselves," said Pat Hurley, administrator officer for outdoor advertising control.

For more information, contact Patrick Hurley, MDT's outdoor advertising control coordinator, at (406) 444-6068.

Pat Hurley, the coordinator for outdoor advertising control, said the biggest confusion seems to be related to signs on private property that are within 500 feet of an interchange.

"They cannot be within 500 feet of an interchange, even if they are on private property," he said.

He emphasized that he must enforce state and federal laws, and that the state could be subject to sanctions and lose federal highway money if the signs aren't moved.

"I'm sorry about the situation.We certainly aren't trying to hurt the candidates," he said.

Candidates generally did a good job of keeping signs out of the state right-of-way, he noted.

But the only signs on private property allowed within 500 feet of an interchange are "on premise" signs, such as advertising for a gas station or another business on the premises.The off-premise signs, such as the political signs, are not allowed, he said.

"I apologize to the candidates," he said, adding, "I'd like to keep my job if any of them get elected."

According to the memo received by the county from Patrick Hurley, MDT coordinator, "since the sign permits have been revoked, and the signs converted to on-premise, non-permitted non-profit owner advertising, the plaque size restrictions. . . now apply."