Journal Reporter

Billboard company representatives are not saying much publicly while the City of Des Plaines investigates the legality of several billboard permit sales that took place over a year ago.

City officials are investigating the circumstances of how Lamar Outdoor Chicago bought the permit rights to erect five billboards from Premere Outdoor, Inc. in July 2003---just a few months after City Council members approved granting Premere the authority to erect 10 billboards along local tollways.

According to Des Plaines officials, the acquisition of billboard permits is not permitted unless first approved by the city.

When the Journal recently contacted Lamar to learn details of the transaction with Premere, company representatives declined comment, citing those specifics as "proprietary information."

"To protect the interests of our advertisers ... I'm not going to comment," said Jon Terpstra, Lamar's vice-president/general manager.

Terpstra did agree to respond to a few of the questions after consulting with other company officials. Those questions, however, had to be put in writing. Included in his response was a brief explanation of how Lamar took ownership of Premere and its permits:

"In July of 2003, Lamar acquired Premere Outdoor, and as a result of that acquisition, we have the ability to construct a total of five signs in Des Plaines. We have already built two, and re-built one, so we are looking to build two more. All of the billboards were built with state, local, and FAA approval."

Terpstra refused to elaborate on how much Premere was bought out for, approximately how much revenue signs can generate, or how much Des Plaines companies are being compensated for allowing billboards on their property.

Terpstra also would not say where Lamar plans to build the two billboards it still has permits for.

City Attorney Dave Wiltse said last week that he believes Lamar wants to erect the remaining two billboards on the 800 and 900 block of Touhy Avenue.

The Mt. Prospect Park Dist. was approached last year about allowing billboards at Metro-Majewski Park along the Northwest Tollway. That, however, did not materalize because the property is not owned by the park distict, but by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation Dist. of Greater Chicago.