Goodrich – As the May 3 election nears, political signs are creating a stir.
All 10 Goodrich village council contenders were mailed a letter Tuesday reminding candidates of the sign ordinance, which prohibits political signs in road right-of-way or on property without an occupied structure.
‘If these signs were placed by you or for you and are not removed by noon, Friday, April 1, 2005, they will be removed by the department of public works,? wrote village administrator Jakki Sidge.
The political sign placement violates the sign section of the Goodrich zoning ordinance, which has been in effect since 1991, says Sidge.
Sidge summarized proper placement as being outside of the road right-of-way, more than 1 foot away from the building-side of a sidewalk, or more than 33 feet from the center of most side roads.
Norman Bass of Goodrich is running for the village council. He contributed $100 to have his name printed on the signs, along with Diane Fredericks, Cindy Hendry, David Monan, and Patricia Wartella.
Signs were missing along M-15, says Bass, along with two signs at the entrance to the Hawthorne Ridge Condominium complex.
‘Yesterday I got a call from my neighbor that the DPW was pulling up our signs. These were signs we paid for. I was quite upset.?
After complaining to the village office, one sign was returned, says Bass, noting sign placement wasn’t an issue for pro- or anti-recall groups prior to the February election.
When in the narrow strip between businesses and State Road, illegally placed signs create a hazard for motorists trying to enter M-15 traffic, says Sidge.
‘This time they’re in the islands impeding vision. When people start sticking them all over in those areas, it becomes an issue.?
Although the letter mailed March 29 indicated candidates would get a grace period before signs were removed by the village, they were confiscated early, Bass says.
‘Technically we can take them down,? said Sidge, ‘but we gave them the courtesy of sending a letter first.?
The village received numerous calls about where to properly locate signs, said Sidge, who feels candidates running for village council should make an effort to learn about and follow village ordinances.
Bass feels village officials should have been more flexible.
‘I had a letter indicating we had up to April 1 to take care of the matter,? he said. ‘I don’t know who gave the order to take down the signs, but we had no notification to reconcile the problem.?