[Chat] Fw: Question???

Brad Schlegel william.schlegel at us.army.mil
Mon Jul 16 16:45:24 EDT 2007


Regina,

Signs like yours are illegal if placed on poles, trees, vacant houses, etc., unless you have permission of the owner.  If you want more clarification, please contact 
Ms. Dale Thompson.  The fines for placing shuch signs can be $200/per sign per day.  See the article from the Baltimore Sun, as well.

Sincerely,
 
W. Brad Schlegel
Block Captain - EGLSCA
1552 Oakridge Road
Baltimore, MD 21218-2228

410-467-1933 - H
410-962-9506 - W and Voice Mail
william.schlegel at us.army.mil, brad.schlegel at irs.gov, Schlegelw at mi.army.mil
 
Sent: Wednesday, May 03, 2006 9:17 AM
Subject: RE: differences in signs COUNCIL BILL 05-0051

> Any sign posted on City right of way even if it is for a lost dog, yard
sale; community clean up etc. is a violation and would be subject to a
citation.  I would not suggest an exception to the Bill.  With an exception
you open the door to a long list of exceptions, i.e.  Private owners selling
their home who feel they are very different from the large real estate
company.  Yard sales are for profit, and lost dog signs many times offer a
reward.
>
> When you start making exceptions to Bills you only open the door for those
who are cited to appeal the citation and you weaken the Bill.  If it is a
violation to post signs on poles and vacant properties it should not matter
what kind of sign.
>
> I would strongly suggest people having yard sales and those who have lost
their pet should ask neighbors, friends and relatives to put signs in their
yard.  They should also take advantage of community message boards in super
markets.
>
> S. Dale Thompson
> Assistant Chief
> Environmental Services
> Bureau of Solid Waste
> 410 396-8618  fax 410 539-7502

 Legislative File ID   05-0051

 

        

This story was sent to you by: Dana Moore

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Council approves city signs measure
Bill raises fines, allows removal
By John Fritze
Sun Reporter
May 2, 2006
Businesses caught placing signs on telephone poles and along street medians in Baltimore would face not only stiffer penalties but also the wrath of community groups incensed over the practice, under a proposal approved by the City Council yesterday.

The ordinance - the latest intended to increase the quality of life in city neighborhoods - doubles the penalty for posting illegal signs to $200 and directs half of the revenue collected from those fines to the neighborhood groups who organize efforts to rip them down.

"This puts citizens into the effort," said City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, who authored the legislation. "We're already taking the signs down. Let's reward those who have to suffer the insult."

Neighborhood leaders throughout the city and beyond have registered complaints about the "Work from home" and "We buy homes" signs that have proliferated public spaces, blocking sight lines at busy intersections and cluttering up green spaces along public rights of way.

The council approved the measure unanimously, with one abstention, from Councilwoman Belinda Conaway. A city spokesman said Mayor Martin O'Malley would sign the legislation.

Illegal signs have become an issue in communities across the country, as city and state governments have looked at stepping up penalties.

The Baltimore County Council approved legislation last night that would authorize residents to remove illegal signs, expanding that power beyond certain county employees. The council also set a civil fine of $500 for the posting of illegal signs on public property.

For Baltimore City, Clarke introduced the measure last year but said momentum has grown in the past several months as the number of signs increased with the warmer weather. The ordinance also would specifically allow residents to remove the signs.

The monetary impact of the measure will be small for the city and the designated neighborhood groups expected to receive the revenue collected from penalties.

In the past three years, the city collected $5,700 in fines associated with illegal signs, according to the city Finance Department. Another $139,000 remains unpaid.

Still, the signs have drawn attention from neighborhood groups. Last month, residents of Charles Village, Waverly, Guilford and Ednor Gardens organized an event to tear down illegal signs. Some neighborhood leaders say the advertisements make it appear as though their community is declining.

"They need to come down, and they need to be stopped," said Beth Bullamore, president of the Charles Village Civic Association, which took part in the event last month. "We're all just tired of seeing these signs everywhere. They look tacky."

The sign ban is the second piece of legislation passed by city officials this year aimed at cutting down paper in neighborhoods.

Earlier, the council approved - and O'Malley signed - a ban on fliers placed in doorways and on fences. Businesses placing commercial material on private property, from Chinese takeout menus to advertisements for Realtors, could receive a $50 fine.

john.fritze at baltsun.com
Sun reporter Josh Mitchell contributed to this article. 


Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun | Get Sun home delivery 
 
 
        




----- Original Message ----- 
From: regina ARMENTA 
To: Chat at charlesvillage.info 
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2007 9:54 PM
Subject: [Chat] Question???



Hello all
  My name is Regina, you may have seen my flyers around Charles Village, for a Community Yoga Class.  I was in the park tonight checking on the flyers so I could take old ones down and put new ones up.  A man rode up on a bike and told me that this was not allowed stating that it was the day after the park clean up.  He tore them down and handed them to me crumbled out of his pocket.  I took the rest of them down to avoid any conflict.  I have seen many flyers put up around the park advertising community events.  I can imagine that this could be a problem if the flyers were not taken down after they were out of date, therefore, becoming an eye sore.  I am not sure who this man was, but I wanted to know if this is a community decision.  I thought this was okay especially because the flyers I had put up last week were still in the park a day after the park clean up.  My assumption was that people would have ripped them down yesterday during clean up if they thought they were inappropriate.
I am a new home owner in the area and would like to know the general etiquette for this type of situation.
Have a beautiful night!
Regina
   

 
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