News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
"I don't want to make any secret of the fact that enforcement (of the sign ordinance) is one of the most distasteful elements of my job," Thompson told the Sisters Urban Area Planning Commission in their Wednesday, February 21 meeting.
Take the case of the banners.
A permit is required to put up a banner. A limit of 30 days is imposed on use of banners with a provision that in some cases allows an additional 30 days. According to Thompson, several businesses in town have had banners up for several months and many of them were never issued permits at all.
When Thompson sets out to enforce the ordinance, he said, he has been confronted with comments such as: "You get that guy across the street to take his banner down and I'll take mine down too, but not a minute before his comes down."
And across the street Thompson ran into the same problem.
"I feel like a monitor on the playground," Thompson said.
Then there is the "loophole you can drive a truck through," Thompson said. The sign ordinance permits deviation from the standard 1880s requirement on trademarks. The intent was to allow franchised businesses to use their registered trademarks on signs.
"For $20 anyone can register their company name and its design with the state's corporation division," Thompson said. In other words, he explained, if a sign doesn't comply with the ordinance standards, all a business owner has to do is register it as a trademark and he can legally display it in Sisters.
Commissioner Wayne Kimball asked what enforcement tools Thompson has besides "friendly persuasion." Thompson said the city can take violators to court and they can be fined up to $100 for each day the business remains in violation.
Kimball suggested a warning letter to violators with the very clear notice that such a fine could be levied.
Chairman Darryl Carper said he would appoint a committee comprised of members of the planning commission, the Sisters Improvement Committee, the Sisters Chamber of Commerce and a sign maker to study the loopholes and enforcement issues and come back to the commission with recommendations.
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