City to conduct fall Sign Sweep

(October 24, 2007) - The City’s Sign Sweep Task Force will hit the street November 5-9 to remove and dispose of illegally placed signs located along City right of ways, medians and utility poles.

Dozens of two-person crews will don orange vests and gloves and sweep the City in a concentrated effort to attack the problem.  Hard-to-remove signs and banners will be tagged with green stickers and removed at a later date.

According to City Manager Jim Couch the crack down is in response to the beautification concerns of both citizens and the City Council.  The City’s Action Center receives more than 1,000 sign complaints each year.

The location of City right of ways vary depending on the width of the street.  On most arterial City streets such as May Avenue, NW 63, the right of way is 26 feet from the curb.  On residential streets the right of way is 12 feet from the curb.  Signs are also illegally placed when in medians, parks, on utility poles, hydrants or street signs.  In almost all cases, temporary signs are illegal, regardless of whether they are placed in the median or not.

Sign Sweep teams picked up more than 7,000 signs during last fall’s weeklong sweep.  The City conducts concentrated sign sweeps biannually and has a staff dedicated to removing signs year round.

The fine for repeat offenders is $500.  For more information about sign enforcement, call 297-2328.