'Yard sale' signs fall victim to new sign code

Enforcement of Clovis’ new sign code has “created quite a ruckus” according to Clovis’ Building Safety Director Daron Roach.

Roach said the city’s new sign code went into effect in January and has regulations for all kinds of signage: Temporary signs, abandoned signs and more as well as new regulations for new signage.

One area of enforcement that caught the attention of area residents is the apparent crackdown on “yard sale” signs. People who erect such signs may discover they’ve been quickly removed by city personnel.

“We advertised the new ordinance on Facebook,” Roach said. “We’ve posted the sign code on the city’s Facebook.”

Roach said part of the plan for enforcement of the code was to give city residents plenty of time to get informed about the new code.

“It’s been six months, so it was time start enforcing the regulations,” Roach said.

Roach said the basic point about the new code and a temporary sign is nothing may be posted in a city right of way.

“No signs were allowed in the city right of way in the first place, even before the new code, but now we’re enforcing it,” Roach said.

Roach said enforcement, the removal of signs in the right of way, is content neutral.

“A temporary sign is a temporary sign,” Roach said.

What about political campaign signs?

Roach says election signs fall under a slightly different definition in Clovis’ new sign code. Campaign signs may be posted as early as 30 days before the first day of early voting but the sign must be taken down 10 days after the election at the latest.

“We went from not a lot of regulation to a whole lot of regulation,” Roach said.

Roach may be seen taking signs down as well as personnel from the Building Safety department. Public Works personnel may be seen removing them from the city’s right of way.

Roach said the city is trying to avoid issuing citations on the matter.

“Hundreds of letters have gone out to businesses,” Roach said of the new sign code.