TUSTIN : City Gives Initial OK to Restrictions on Political Signs

Moving to eliminate the practice of leaving political campaign placards posted long after the elections are over, the City Council this week gave preliminary approval to new rules governing non-commercial signs.

Under the regulations, all political signs on public or private property would have to be removed within 10 days of an election and could be posted no more than 90 days beforehand.

“We’ve had a problems with signs not coming down after an election, and we needed clear standards for how long people could keep them and when they had to take them down,” Assistant City Manager Christine Shingleton said.

Other provisions would require that signs on private property be limited to 32 square feet and be no higher than 10 feet above the ground; and that signs on public property be limited to six square feet and be posted no more than four feet above the ground.

The law would also prohibit tearing down or defacing signs that are properly posted.

Under the new rules, violators could be charged with infractions or misdemeanors, and be punished with fines up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

Final approval is expected at the council’s July 17 meeting. The ordinance would go into effect 30 days after that, Shingleton said.