MOULTRIE — A city moratorium on creating new signs – which won’t favor a Tennessee company’s south Georgia business venture – was approved Tuesday.

The Moultrie City Council met in a called meeting to consider the 60-day moratorium. It halts the review and acceptance of applications regarding new signs larger than 36 square feet effective immediately.

Planning and Community Development Director Daniel Parrish said the consideration was brought on by New South Media. The advertising media company had already applied for nine signs before the meeting’s occurrence. Most of these were over the current sign limit — 20 square feet.

“There may be one out of the nine that actually follows the ordinance,” Parrish said.

The new signs varied from 50 to 396 square feet with some being externally lit. Parrish said the company wanted to appeal for a variance.

City Manager Pete Dillard said the moratorium will allow the council time to review the current ordinance.

“It may not need any change. It may be perfect the way it is, but we want to make sure and then go through all the right steps—A, B, C—to reapprove the ordinance.”

The moratorium was originally called for 90 days. City Attorney Mickey Waller said NSM would “comply” without contest, hence the drop to 60 days.

Waller said he didn’t have much experience with signs, so Moultrie is calling in outside help, via attorneys Ted Meeker and Laurel Henderson, to speed up and vet the process.

Moultrie handled a similar issue in 2014 where the council had to reevaluate the ordinance.

“We want it to be fair. We want every step of the process to be done accurately and timely,” Dillard said.  The moratorium replaces the Oct. 3 variance hearing by the Board of Zoning Appeals.