FOUNTAIN VALLEY : City OKs Ordinance on Signs and Notices

In an effort to reduce the clutter of signs posted on telephone poles and other public property, the City Council this week unanimously approved an ordinance clarifying guidelines for posting bills.

Residents posting notices of garage sales and small-time entrepreneurs advertising their services are subject to fines of up to $1,000 or six months in jail, or both, for violating the ordinance. Notices for city-sponsored special events, such as the annual Fiesta, are exempt.

Under the ordinance, announcements for city-sanctioned events can be displayed on street lights and utility poles throughout the city, and at the northeast corner of Brookhurst Street and Warner Avenue.

A similar ordinance had been in effect but was less definitive. By explaining who can post signs and where they can be posted, the new ordinance increases the penalties, city officials said.

“This ordinance spells out what you can and can’t do,” city planner Don Contraman said. “It means that we’re more aggressively going to pursue it to assure compliance.”

In response to concerns from residents regarding first-time violations for posting garage sale and neighborhood craft boutique signs, Councilwoman Laurann Cook said: “The rule of thumb is to work with first-time offenders.”