Rio Grande City is reminding candidates and the public of the city’s regulations that require permits for signs on public property.
In 2018, the city commission approved two ordinances that regulate the posting of temporary signs in general and that regulate signs in the city’s historic district.
Temporary signs — including banners, posters or advertising displays that seem intended to only be displayed for a limited period of time — are not allowed unless the person posting the sign obtains a valid permit and the sign must meet certain criteria.
Criteria includes required distance from property lines, not being on public property or on right-of-ways, not being within 50 feet from another sign, must not be larger than 10 feet, and the limit of three signs per property.
The application for a permit comes with a fee of $25 and if the signs are not removed seven days after an election, the city may take legal action to remove them.
They would also charge a $25 removal fee per sign for those that are less than 32 square feet and $100 per signs over 40 square feet.
The second ordinance also requires a permit for handbills, posters, placards or other temporary signs within the historic district.
Whether the sign is approved will depend on certain factors such as the size, color, lighting, the material, the concentration of other signs, and the proposed orientation.
The city’s preservation commission shall approve the permit if it determines that the sign won’t adversely affect a significant architectural or historical feature of the district and, as applicable, is consistent with the city’s preservation plan, the character of the National Register District, and the purpose of historic landmark regulations.
The application fee for these signs is also $25.
“The public has a right to assemble and exercise their free speech during this election time,” the city stated in a news release issued Thursday. “However the City has passed several regulations about placing any signs on public property.”
The city further warned that code enforcement officers would continue enforcing those ordinances.
“If you own a sign that has been recently tagged, please contact the City’s Code Enforcement Office to find out more information about how you can get your sign into compliance with City regulations,” the release stated.
