The Ocean Ridge Commission on Oct. 21 agreed to have the Planning and Zoning Commission and the town lawyer reexamine an ordinance prohibiting political signs in swales during election season.
“I don’t think the town of Ocean Ridge should be driving around — the Police Department, especially — moving signs, touching signs. I don’t appreciate that,” Mayor Geoff Pugh said.
At the meeting, former Commissioner Terry Brown said a police officer came to his home on Oct. 17 after a neighbor complained that his sign supporting Vice President Kamala Harris was not 3 feet back from the street.
“Why would you dispatch a police officer to come and out and do that?” he told The Coastal Star. Brown moved the sign into his tree.
Town Manager Lynne Ladner said the town is not out looking for political signs that are in the rights-of-way, but said police or code enforcement officers are dispatched when there is a complaint from a resident.
Commissioner Ainar Aijala Jr. then suggested that there should be a policy that police and code enforcement ignore complaints about political signs during election season.
For the time being, Brown put his offending sign up in a tree but he told commissioners he has a Constitutional right to place political placards where he sees fit. “I will be using the road’s right-of-way for signs the week before the election,” he said.
— John Pacentii
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