Mayor Issues Stop Work Order Over Pittsburgh Billboard

POSTED: 3:10 pm EDT April 10, 2008
UPDATED: 6:39 pm EDT April 10, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- Amid controversy over the city's approval of an electronic billboard downtown, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl issued an immediate stop work order for Lamar Advertising on Thursday.

If the company does not comply, it could face up to $1,000 a day in fines.

"There's a stipulation in the zoning code that allows us to stop work, so we've used that to stop work on the building," said Ravenstahl.

During a brief appearance before the Zoning Board on Thursday, Lamar Advertising's lawyer, Sam Klien, made it clear he believes the city has no right to stop the work on the sign.

"We understand the law to be that if they want to have a stay, they're going to have to have an injunction and post a bond," said Klien.

On Wednesday, the billboard blowup led to the resignation of Ravenstahl's press secretary, Alecia Sirk, and a temporary leave of absence for her husband and Urban Redevelopment Authority executive director, Pat Ford.

Ford is considered a longtime friend of Lamar executive Jim Vlasach, with whom he worked on a deal that bypassed Pittsburgh's permit process and allowed Lamar to put up an electronic billboard at the Grant Street transportation center.

There is also speculation that the couple have received gifts from Vlasach in the past.

Sirk resigned from her press secretary position on Wednesday, and Ford -- a part of the mayor's inner circle who has held a variety of top posts -- requested an immediate, temporary paid leave of absence.

When asked on Wednesday if he prompted Sirk's resignation, Ravenstahl said he did but that it was a mutual agreement.

Both Ford and Sirk have said their friendship with Vlasach goes back some time and has nothing to do with the billboard deal.

Ravenstahl said he wants the state Ethics Commission to look into anything and everything panel members feel is necessary in the wake of revelations that Ford accepted gifts from Vlasach.

"Certainly it raises concerns, and we want to make sure that, now that these issues have come up, that any and all information that otherwise wasn't made available to me becomes made available," he said. "So, we'll ask more questions and make sure that we get answers."

Lamar Advertising said it would cooperate fully with a state Ethics Commission investigation.

The company said it is launching its own internal review of the matter, too. The company said it takes very seriously its responsibilities to live up to the letter and spirit of all ethics laws.

Lamar is suing City Council members who are challenging the billboard deal.

The council has also put a six-month moratorium on any new roadside advertising billboards, to give lawmakers time to write tighter zoning restrictions for them.

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