City shares campaign signs etiquette as complaints rise

City of Sequim staffers say they look to educate the public and candidates alike about political signs as they become more prevalent prior to the Nov. 5 General Election.

Alisa Hasbrouck, Department of Community Development specialist, said staff continually receive complaints about where political campaign signs are going with some in compliance and some not, particularly on private property without the owner’s permission.

“Sometimes it’s in the public right-of-way, but sometimes that doesn’t mean it’s out of compliance either,” Hasbrouck said.

Where can signs go?

According to the Sequim Municipal Code, campaign signs can be placed on a landscaped area or parking strip of a property where the property owner controls and maintains the area, including right-of-way.

City staff said signs can go on the city’s right-of-way within the planter strip between the curb and sidewalk. Permission is required of the property owner or from his/her agent, however.

Where can’t signs go?

The city’s code states political signs cannot go within street medians, roundabouts or in right-of-way areas not maintained by the adjacent property owner.

Signs also can’t obstruct sidewalks, streets or the triangle at intersections. They can’t go on City of Sequim properties except in its planter strips.

Sign removal

Lisa Hopper, the City of Sequim’s code compliance officer, said she hasn’t removed any political signs this election cycle. Rather than removing, Hopper said she looks to have candidates or property owners to come into compliance.

“I encourage (property owners) to remove them (if they haven’t given permission),” she said.

“Every sign is supposed to have contact information on it.”

Hopper said she has removed one sign against the proposed medication-assisted treatment (MAT) clinic at the request of the property owner because it was placed on the property without permission. She contacted the group Save Our Sequim, returned the sign and provided a copy of the city’s sign code.

Hopper said she doesn’t plan to treat the MAT signs like campaign signs, however. She said they must have permission of each property owner but said they can stay up because it’s not a political candidate sign.

Typically, campaign signs must be removed within 14 days of the election unless there’s a runoff election, and then those signs can stay up 14 days after the runoff election.

Under the city’s code, “Political campaign signage” means “Signs advertising an existing or potential ballot issue upon which residents of Sequim may be eligible to vote.”

Hopper said she’s focusing more on nuisance issues as of late, but will pull campaign signs if there’s a public safety hazard.