08/19/09 - Garage sales are great, but litter we hate
Mayor: Remove your sign or pay a fine
City Codes Department enforcing litter law on 'garage sale' signs
August 19, 2009- (Utica, NY)- Utica Mayor David Roefaro is taking his litter initiative one step further today by focusing on 'Garage Sale' signage.
Last year, in an effort to quell city wide littering, the mayor made changes to the city's litter law, increasing the minimum fine for littering to $100.
Today, he's hoping that high price tag and his warning pertaining to 'garage sale' signs is taken seriously because the signage is contributing to litter, an eyesore on highly trafficked streets.
"This weekend, I drove down Genesee Street, and Oneida Street, just two highly trafficked areas of the city. I removed 14 'garage sale' signs dating back to June. These outdated signs are litter, and some of those signs find their way onto the streets," the mayor said.
"So, my codes department is warning residents today. If your outdated 'garage sale' sign is found on a pole or on the ground, you will be charged with litter, paying out a minimum of $100."
How will this happen?
The codes department, while performing their daily city wide duties, will be checking 'garage sale' signs, and if they are outdated, the addressee will receive a ticket for littering. If they find them on the ground, the same holds true.
"When residents put their address on their litter, it makes it easy to ticket them," said City Codes Commissioner Goran Smiljic. "Since garage sale legislation was introduced earlier this year, people need to familiarize themselves with it, and not only pick up their old signs after their sale is done, but realize they need to have a permit to hold a garage sale, a law put in place to curb 'garage sales' that were permanent in some neighborhoods."
What's defines an outdated sign? Any sign three days old is considered outdated.
"It's important to note that outdated 'garage sale' signs also annoy citizens who enjoy hunting for them. Old signs confuse citizens, have them wondering why no one is home when they finally find 'that house'," the mayor said. "I hope citizens will keep garage sale edict on their minds the rest of this summer."
