Jackson officials want signs taken down from utility poles
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

JACKSON - It is time to say goodbye to some of the clutter that people call road signs - not the signs that provide useful directions, but the signs that people place on utility poles in violation of state law.

At its meeting on Aug. 14, the Township Council passed a resolution supporting the state statute that prohibits the placement of signs, political or otherwise, on public utility poles. The ban includes company advertising, notices of garage sales and lost pets, and "going out of business" signs, to name only a few.

Council Vice President Jason Gudaitis said, "It is a resolution that supports a state statute that is already in place, but at times it gets a little lax. We are supporting the enforcement of that law."

Gudaitis said officials do not want Jackson littered with signs on utility poles because they pose a danger to utility workers.

"There are nails and staples and things that are left in the poles," he said. "They are not always immediately visible and the workers should have a safe work environment."

The law states that the signs pose a safety hazard to utility workers and often prevent them from being able to physically climb a utility pole, potentially injuring workers due to nails, staples, etc., and ultimately jeopardizing the integrity of the safety equipment issued to the workers.

The state law prohibits signs from being painted, drawn or maintained on trees, rocks or other natural features in addition to utility poles.

Gudaitis said there are other laws that deal with signs that are placed in the ground on public property.

"We have a township ordinance in place that clearly states no signs are to be put on public property or medians," Mayor Mark Seda said.

Seda said he has instructed the code enforcement officer to enforce the law on any sign that is a violation of the law.