Eastpointe, MI Free Speech

STOP THE ILLEGAL SIGNAGE & BLIGHT

Sat. 9/2 & Sun. 9/3, 2006
Time approx 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
10 minute drive in one area of the city
Locations - 9 Mile road (Kelly to Gratiot),
Gratiot (9 to 10 mile)

Below, a small sampling of Illegal signs in our city.

Several of these unsightly signs are never taken down by those who illegally install, left to maybe removed by someone or not all all, creating an additional unsightly mess as they weather, shred and fall to the ground.

It's very simple - issue these offenders a ticket, address and phone number are all ready on the illegal signage.

Residence, property and business owners:
We all have a responsibility and the right to remove such items in front of your area. When others place such signage on your property without permission or even on public property, you should call the Police and the Building Department to have them removed or just remove them yourself.

Individuals will typically state "We didn't know of such ordinances". Common sense should have immediately taken place, you do not post signs of any type on others property or even on your vehicles on public streets or private property parking lots, post on your own property! This is a disregard, disrespect to others and turns our /my city into a garbage dump.

It's disgusting enough when people throw trash out there vehicle windows and the droppings from trash collection day. They (waste collection) make a mess and don't even bother to pick it up.

Our city officials need to immediately work on this problem, enforcing such ordinances on a continual, regular bases. This is also the responsibility of our code enforcement officers, who typically look the other way and have mentioned I don't bother with garage sale signs, lost pets, etc. You better, that's your job!

Locals have been seen taking down illegal signs and so can you, as well as P&R, DPW, building dept. workers.

Littering carries a large fine in our city and state, as well an additional state law along with placement in public rightaways.

Thank-you to the gentleman who has been doing his best in keeping the downtown area clean, many of us appreciate your efforts.

Court action sometimes used to discourage signs
Published: January 3, 2006
By: Frank DeFrank - Macomb Daily Staff Writer

Small signs advertising a myriad of businesses and services pop up in intersections, usually on weekends, like dandelions sprout in the spring. Some communities are striking back against the illegally placed signs, using everything from weekend collection sweeps to court action. The signs — some of them professionally made — hawk everything from snow removal to home improvement to low-cost health insurance. Others are hand-scrawled productions trumpeting garage sales or lost pets. The signs usually are stuck in the ground between the sidewalk and the curb. On occasion, you’ll find them nailed to wooden utility poles, where the higher elevation promises greater visibility. All are designed to attract the attention of motorists, who, presumably, can scrawl the advertised telephone number while waiting for the traffic signal to change. The signs are potentially hazardous, definitely illegal and a pain for public officials. “It looks terrible,” said John Brennan, Macomb Township supervisor. “Some guys literally put (multiple signs) three feet apart.” Macomb Township’s ordinance prohibits the erection of signs — even small ones — without a permit. Most communities have similar laws on the books. Following a recent rash of resident complaints, Macomb Township officials cracked down on illegal signs. On a recent weekend, three ordinance enforcement officers — Gary Budchuk, John Renard and Lonnee Stiers — were sent out to collect illegally placed signs. “The Board (of Trustees) was fed up,” Budchuk said. After one 4-hour shift, the men had collected more than 600 signs advertising about 40 different businesses or services. The haul was so large, Budchuk said, the booty filled a Dumpster and dozens more signs had to be stored in a pickup truck until they could be discarded. The usual protocol, Budchuk said, is for ordinance officers to track the owners of the signs — usually by calling the listed telephone numbers — and remind them about the prohibition. Sometimes, that’s enough, Budchuk said. Sometimes it’s not. “A lot of them have been warned in the past,” he said. “It’s very hard for them to say, ‘I didn’t know”. In cases of notorious repeat offenders, officers will go to court to enforce the ordinance. The latest sign sweep resulted in the issuance of about 30 tickets, Budchuk said. Placing the signs is a misdemeanor offense. Violators face maximum penalties of 90 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both. “We haven’t lost any (cases) in court yet,” Budchuk said. Ralph Maccarone, supervisor of neighboring Shelby Township, said his community deals with the same problem. In addition to violating local ordinances, placement of the signs in public rightsof-way — the favored location for perpetrators — is against state law, Maccarone said. “They’re litters,” he said. While arguably the signs are unsightly and could block the vision of drivers, Maccarone said their presence creates another problem. Business operators who illegally place signs near intersections have an unfair competitive advantage over established businesses bound by sign restrictions. “We have a vested interest in protecting our tax base,” Maccarone said. “These interlopers take it upon themselves to put up signs where they see fit. If every business put up signs as they see fit, we’d have nothing but litter.” Maccarone said Shelby Township focuses more on removal of the signs than prosecution of violators, though ordinance officers will take hard-core offenders to court if necessary. He also said officers have adjusted work schedules to include some weekends when most of the signs pop up. Signs unrelated to business — a lost dog alert or garage sale promotion, for example — do not get a pass, officials said. “We don’t look at content,” Maccarone said. “If you look at content, you have a problem.” While that might seem a bit heavy handed, there are reasons to enforce the prohibition against that type of sign, Budchuk said. “Now the puppy is returned,” he said. “They’re not going to come back and take those signs down. Nobody I’ve ever seen will take it down.” While officials insist they’re making progress in the battle against illegal signs, they concede the war is never-ending. Brennan said enforcement of the ordinance will remain a priority in Macomb Township. “It’s not right and it won’t be tolerated,” he said. “They can take ads out in the paper.”