”
What’s the deal with all of these week-old yard sale signs still
posted on the light at the 10th and Church streets? Are these
people done with their yard sales? Or are they too lazy to go take
them down?
”
They are against city ordinance and can be removed by residents
“What’s the deal with all of these week-old yard sale signs still posted on the light at the 10th and Church streets? Are these people done with their yard sales? Or are they too lazy to go take them down?”
Dear Annoyed,
Red Phone contacted Scott Barron, code enforcement officer, who said those signs are illegal.
“Zoning Ordinance Section 37.31(q) prohibits the attachment of placards, posters, announcements or similar signs to any fence, pole, tree or any other object along the right-of-way of a public thoroughfare, except those of an official nature authorized by a city ordinance,” Barron said. “The city enforces violations such as these both proactively and by complaint. If someone observes a violation such as this, contact the code enforcement officer directly at the number below to place a complaint. It may be that we are not aware of the violation. As a result, it is best to have them contact the code enforcement officer at 846-0264 and provide a clear description of the violation and the location where it may be found.”
And, there is something every Gilroy resident can do to help.
“In this case I would also add; Municipal Code Sec 3.5 authorizes and empowers every citizen of Gilroy that observes and is offended by advertising attached to poles, trees, fences etc. to remove and destroy the prohibited advertisements,” Barron said.
So good caller, those signs posted are illegal. So if you walk by a sign that is old and you are offended, yank it down and properly dispose of it. Red Phone doesn’t want readers calling next week to complain about the litter at intersections where residents have pulled down old signs.
Police cracking down on taggers
“What can we do about the taggers in the Rogers Lane area? What are we doing to catch these vandals?”
Dear Tagged,
Red Phone contacted Sgt. Jim Gillio, who said the Gilroy Police Department is actively working on tracking and arresting “tagging crew” members.
“We have a part time Community Service Officer dedicated to graffiti tracking and removal as well as an Anti Crime Team Investigator who is assigned as a graffiti investigator,” he said. “We are also developing new strategies to deal with graffiti and other crimes. We encourage community members to report any suspicious behavior to GPD at 846-0350.”
So good caller, there you are. It’s a shame the city has to spend thousands of dollars a year and dedicate hours and hours to remove graffiti left by irresponsible people with no regard for society. Red Phone would like to see anyone caught tagging spend several days around town in a pink jump suit clearing graffiti. If punishment doesn’t work, perhaps humiliation will.
Foreclosed homes are a mess
“The front yards of many empty foreclosed homes in Gilroy have become very shabby. Who in City Hall is responsible to follow-up with the mortgage holders to get these yards maintained?”
Dear Maintained,
Red Phone contacted Scott Barron, a code enforcement officer for the city, who said a recent Senate Bill outlines who is responsible for keeping foreclosed homes up to par.
About six weeks ago, he said, the governor approved Senate Bill 1137, which took effect immediately and specifically includes language requiring the holders of residential mortgage loans upon foreclosure to maintain the exterior of the property.
“The bill states ‘failure to maintain means failure to care for the exterior of the property, including, but not limited to, permitting excessive foliage growth that diminishes the value of surrounding properties,’ ” he said. “If someone observes a violation of this regulation, please contact Code Enforcement directly at 846-0264 with a clear description of the violation and the location where it may be found.”
So good caller, next time you see the front yard of a foreclosed home looking shabby, give Scott a call.
