Chesapeake works to revive volunteer ‘sign sweepers’ program as city grapples with influx of temporary signs

Apr 06, 2023

For residents, the sight of a cluster of "We buy homes" signs or a mass of blue and red political signs near the highway may feel like normal roadside scenery.

But city leaders say the proliferation of improperly placed temporary signs — particularly political ones — have become an issue that calls for more action, especially in the run up to November's statewide elections and ahead of next year's national elections.

Now the city is working to revive a program that uses volunteer "sign sweepers," an initiative dating to at least 2011, according to previous Virginian-Pilot reporting. Volunteers were tasked with tearing down illegal signs on public property, documenting where the signs were posted and logging any phone numbers on the signs.

During discussion of the city's sign problem last week, Council member Robert Ike called for more enforcement for political signs in particular.

"They grow like mushrooms everywhere," he said. "Next year we got a presidential election coming up. Congressional elections, Senate elections. It's gonna be crazy. And if we don't stand as a council now against that and give the manager direction to take anything up that's in the public right-of-way, then it's going to be amazing what signs you see laying around the city."

In 2017, City Council voted to ban temporary signs from public rights-of-way, complying with federal law and a Supreme Court ruling that said content-based restrictions on signs violate the First Amendment. At the time, volunteer sweepers were active and enforcement was to remain complaint-driven. But City Manager Chris Price told Chesapeake City Council members last week that the program eventually fizzled out a few years ago due to a lack of volunteers.

The city still operates on a complaint basis, Price said, particularly because of limited staffing. Price called the regulation of signs in the city a "constant challenge," saying his office is often asked about the prevalence of temporary signs, especially during election season.

"We see them every day but generally speaking, unless it's an obstruction … we’re operating on a complaint basis," he said during a May 23 work session. "So there's probably a lot of things that irritate a lot of people that we all know about that we’re not doing anything about because nobody's complained about it."

The city allows temporary signs on private property without a permit for no longer than 90 days per year. Up to four commercial signs — which staff say often take the form of attention-grabbing banana flags — are allowed per parcel also for 90 days, but require a permit.

Improper signs are removed as complaints are received. Development and Permits Customer Service Manager Sandra Witherow said last week that inspectors evaluate the complaint, remove and dispose of the signs, then contact individuals to educate them on sign regulations if contact information is provided.

But if signs accumulate in areas that can be a safety hazard for drivers, for example, they’re removed immediately.

However, the city currently handles political signs a little differently. Witherow said if staff receives complaints for those, they take pictures of the area and contact candidates with a "digital doorhanger" including instruction to remove the sign within five days. If that doesn't happen, staff can remove and dispose of the political signs, but Witherow said such action hasn't yet been necessary.

Witherow said she hasn't sent any notices to candidates so far this year, but three were delivered last year.

Price said in a recent election, sign sweepers were posting photos on social media with signs of one candidate only. So he directed them to be hands-off on political signs until the city figured out how best to enforce the issue.

"Whether it's perception or reality, the perception of the signs sweepers program was really, really negatively impacted," Price said.

Ike suggested looking at vacancy savings in the budget to fund two full-time staff members who can remove illegal signs as city staff may be hesitant to remove them for fear of favoring one candidate.

"I’m embarrassed that we as a city pick up everybody else's signs but when it comes to political signs, it's hands off," Ike said.

Ultimately, council agreed to give the volunteer program another shot before exploring paid positions. Price expects such an endeavor will take "months."

Council member Amanda Newins suggested the revived volunteer program include ways to track activity, such as what and where signs are being removed, in an effort to keep sign sweepers accountable.

Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, [email protected]

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