Vancouver city councillors approved a staff report Tuesday that recommends a bylaw amendment banning most floating signs larger than one square meter, including electronic ones.

The report recommends the city now take the issue to public hearings.

Earlier this year, Burke Billboards began cruising around False Creek with a 12-metre electronic billboard in early March, leading to several complaints that the display was "crass."

The vessel was temporarily detained by Transport Canada because it wasn't properly registered as commercial, but then returned to operation.

Oceans fall under federal jurisdiction.

The incident led to a report by city staff recommending the municipality change its bylaw.

Burke Billboards' floating electronic billboard was again seen on False Creek, April 18. (Tina Lovgreen/CBC)

The amended bylaw would specifically prohibits floating signs in all zones, except small ones under one square metre, "to allow limited promotional advertising on commercial vessels."

The recommended changes define a floating sign as "a sign that contains third-party advertising and is mounted or affixed to a barge, vessel or other structure that floats or is capable of floating on water."