OXNARD—The Oxnard City Council authorized the mayor, city clerk and city attorney to respond to the Ventura County Grand Jury “Campaign Sign” report during its July 17, meeting.
According to city documents, the grand jury published a report regarding campaign sign placement policies in five cities in Ventura County, including the City of Oxnard.
The city is required to respond to specific findings, conclusions, and recommendations in the grand jury report.
The grand jury recommended the City of Oxnard provide political candidates for sign placement within the city limits, and it also gives the county policies in the candidate manual.
The grand jury concluded the city’s sign-placement policy provides insufficient direction about campaign sign placement on private property, and the city needs to rewrite their regulations and give more definitive guidance to the candidates.
The proposed action does not provide a permit for the sign, but freestanding signs must be no more than six square feet in size and shall not locate signs within 10 feet of any property line.
City Attorney Stephen Fischer said the city is required to respond to the report from approximately 90 days ago.
He said the report revealed that Simi Valley has a clear and concise statement of rules regarding campaign signs.
“I have put an agreement together for the council’s approval and signing and filing by the mayor, the city clerk and myself that the city is in agreement with the finding and conclusion relating to Oxnard, and the recommendation has been implemented through the draft statement,” he said.
The report follows the same format as the Simi Valley model, he said, and plugs in the city’s existing zoning code provisions related to election sign placement and temporary signs.
Councilman Oscar Madrigal said his grandfather lived in Simi Valley.
“I know they put campaign signs all over the businesses, so I think Oxnard does a better job than Simi does,” he said.
Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez asked how they will enforce the rules and can it be abused.
“I see Mr. Brooks there, you would be in charge of going out and knocking on doors and do we have the time to get after people for misplacement of signs,” she said.
Code Compliance Manager Roger Brooks said there isn’t much time spent on campaign signs.
“There are very few complaints when we do get them,” he said. “They’re mainly on public property, so our public works department is very generous and helps us out with removing those signs.”
Ramirez said it was much ado about nothing.
“I have a friend who is running for office in the City of Ventura and never uses signs and always wins,” she said.
Councilman Bryan MacDonald said Ventura is a “free-for-all” with campaign signs.
“I think we do a little better job of regulating them,” he said.
Councilman Bert Perello points out Oxnard; even if it’s one of many cities, they must act responsibly and answer.
“The comment that hit home was not about a campaign sign, it was about a resident that had a business, and he got nailed for having a ribbon sign,” he said. “He wanted to know if we are going to have consistent rules concerning ribbon signs, or people that are dressing up figurines and advertising on the side of the street usually after hours of code enforcement when they are off duty.”
Mayor Tim Flynn said he supports the item and Fischer should respond to the grand jury.
“What I hear from Mr. Brooks is if we get complaints in the city, a candidate or a volunteer for a candidate has placed a sign in a public right-of-way,” he said. “We don’t allow that in the City of Oxnard.”
July 20, 2018
Tri County Sentry
By Chris Frost
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