BENNINGTON — A tiny forest of political signs that sprouted on public land during the August primary season has spurred a new policy in Bennington that prohibits them.
“The proliferation of political signage this year has been incredible, and quite an eyesore in many cases, as far as the clusters of signs on public property,” Town Manager Stuart Hurd told the Select Board Monday.
After discussion of the problem during a prior board meeting, Hurd said Assistant Town Manager Daniel Monks researched the town’s legal options and learned that “the law allows us to prohibit any signage on public property.”
ALL PUBLIC LAND
The prohibition would cover parks, town building sites, and street or road rights-of-way, Hurd said, but not private land.
“The staff strongly recommends that you adopt this,” he said, and the board unanimously agreed.
But before the vote, board member Jim Carroll asked whether the ban would encompass signs that might be placed by a human service or medical service provider directing people to services.
In that case, Hurd said, the town could approve such a sign and would then agree to place it. In effect, he said, the sign would be “placed by the town.”
Under the policy, the town would have authority to approve or reject all signs, he said.
TEXT OF POLICY
The new policy states:
Signs prohibited on public property
“Except for signs owned and/or maintained by the Town of Bennington, signs of any kind, including but not limited to political campaign signs, are prohibited on all public property.
Definitions
“Sign: Any sign, display, or representation which is intended to be visible from a public right-of-way.
“Public Property: Any property owned, leased, held, controlled, and/or maintained by the Town of Bennington, including but not limited to, public parks, highway rights-of-way, public facilities, and municipal buildings and infrastructure.
“Political Campaign Sign: Any sign with the name, image, or likeness of a candidate for public office.”
Prior to the board’s vote Monday, it appeared that most, if not all political signs placed during the primary election on town rights of way had already been removed.
Jim Therrien writes for Vermont News and Media, including the Bennington Banner, Manchester Journal and Brattleboro Reformer. Email jtherrien@benningtonbanner.com
