City Council wants crack down on illegal signs

April 26, 2002
Santa Paula City Council

The City Council wants staff to crack down on illegal signage and work closer with those who legally go through the costly sign permit process.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe City Council wants staff to crack down on illegal signage and work closer with those who legally go through the costly sign permit process.A verbal discussion on the sign ordinance took a hard turn when several council members spoke of those who are cracked down on during the signage permit process and wondered why while illegal signage continues to blight the city.Councilman Rick Cook said a Main Street merchant and his architect were told that the sign they requested “didn’t meet what the city wanted,” raising concerns that signage enforcement is done “haphazardly. . .the Chamber of Commerce has to pay to post its See’s Candy sign,” but other businesses have had illegal banners hanging for years. “. . .this merchant was trying to do everything properly and I can’t say all the others had permits even pulled. I hear we don’t have the staff to enforce all of them, but it seems we do have the staff to enforce some of them.”Cook asked what guidelines are used for signage, which he noted carries a $500 permit fee.Tom Bartlett, planning director, said the only problem with the rebuffed Main Street merchant was that he was proposing two signs, when the code allows only one.
A business across the street from the applicant has two signs, Cook noted, as do many other businesses, while “others are doing it whether they have to pay or not.”Councilman Don Johnson said selective enforcement of signs is troubling. “. . .what I don’t understand is I don’t see consistency from business to business, that’s what really gets people.” If staff has the time to enforce “one or two or three, why isn’t there time for others.”Acting Mayor Laura Flores Espinosa asked if city staff tries to facilitate mutually agreeable solutions to such situations.“They do,” said Bartlett, and staff told the rebuffed applicant that the new code would be examined for such issues.Stephen Stuart, building and safety director, said the annual budget for sign code enforcement is $5,000, with “some of that time” devoted to temporary signage. “From time to time we do a direct sweep to enforce the ordinance, take 10 to 15 hours over a two-week period,” but enforcement is not done on a complaint basis for illegal temporary signs.



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