City to begin to Enforce Sign Placement

It's the political season again which means, it's time for piles of junk mail, I mean political flyers and yard signs.

The Vinton Police Department put out a reminder about where yard signs can be placed.

I had no idea this was a thing until about 30 years ago. I happened to live across the street from a polling place, and on one side of the sidewalk in the tiny yard was a swingset and the other side was all that grass not being used. So I planted some signs there. On election day, there was a knock at my door. "You can't put the signs there," the policeman said. Yep, it was news to me! He explained that I could put them on the other side of the sidewalk and we'd be good, however. So I did. Not a big deal, I just didn't know any better.

So if you need to move them, or they go missing on Monday you'll know why. All signs MUST be placed behind the sidewalk in the property owner's yard. They cannot be placed on city property...between the sidewalk and the street.

Otherwise, it would mean that the city is:

-supporting a candidate

- having a garage sale

- scaring you with Halloween decorations

- selling a house

The city will begin enforcing the placement of signs on Monday, October 9 at 8:00 a.m. If the city does remove your sign, you can collect it during business hours at City Hall.

Click to read the laws about sign placement.

City Codes 165.24, 135.10, 165.21(6)(D)

Iowa Code 68A.406

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EB October 9, 2023, 10:10 pm JO don't pay your property taxes and you'll find out you don't own any of your property.

BT October 6, 2023, 6:51 pm Does that mean I can charge the City for lawn maintenance?? For decades without a sidewalk; we’ve maintained the grass.

JO October 6, 2023, 5:19 pm EB finds it funny that most people think they own the tract of land between the sidewalk and street. What I find as sad, is that most if not all of The City Council and VPD and many citizens believe The City OWNS that tract of land. The City does NOT own the streets or the land from the street to about 1 foot to the inside of sidewalk or the alleys. Or from the center of the street however many feet of half the width of street where there is not a sidewalk. I believe most sidestreets to be 33 feet in Vinton. If you consult your deed/abstract I am willing to bet it says that streets, alleys, and public ground ie. Such as parks and school grounds were given by quit claim and released to the PUBLIC. I know that is how ours was laid out for South Vinton in 1855. The City is the care taker, responsible for making sure it is safe and accessible for the public. Making sure that the public can travel the streets and alleys and have access to your private property. If this property is vacated it should revert to the land owner directly abutting the vacated property unless that owner agrees to something different. Here us a link that tells more. I hope the citizens of Vinton educate themselves on what is PUBLIC property vs CITY property. https://iowaleague.org/resource/right-of-way-responsibilities/

EB October 6, 2023, 12:55 pm It's always funny how people believe they own what is actually city right of way. Even if there is no sidewalk it is still the city's and city ordnance requires them to maintain it. And for city's without said ordnance Iowa code covers what the city doesn't

News : City to begin to Enforce Sign Placement

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