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SYRACUSE - The sign ordinance in Syracuse won't be enforced until at least the end of June.
At the end of a special meeting and public hearing Tuesday, the council voted unanimously to extend a moratorium on enforcement of the ordinance.
The moratorium begins May 21 and continues for 30 days. The council is considering an ordinance establishing penalties for violations of the existing sign ordinance.
The sign ordinance, drafted in August 2001, prohibits any temporary signs on any public right of way. There are no exceptions.
While the sign ordinance has been in place since 2001, no penalties were established for violations.
The moratorium gives the council time to research the issue more thoroughly and to address concerns of local realtors and business owners.
The council could establish penalties, make changes and exceptions to the existing ordinance, or both.
The council is considering penalties because of an increase in the number of what Syracuse Town Manager Brian Redshaw called "junk signs" being placed in rights of way around town.
Many of those signs contain "1-800" numbers for weight loss or summer jobs or other types of non-local advertisements.
Currently, any sign in violation of the ordinance is taken down. If the sign is owned by a local business, it is returned to the business.
The town also has been making calls and sending out certified letters to businesses that have placed signs in violation of the ordinance.
Five Syracuse realtors spoke at the public hearing, each expressing different reasons why real estate signs need to be placed in tree lawns. A tree lawn is an area between the street and the sidewalk and is deemed a public right of way.
Realtors said it is important to place signs near the street. Many times, a sign placed in a yard closer to the home is not visible from the road.
The realtors also noted that homeowners often move signs. They wondered if realtors would be held accountable if a homeowner moved a sign to a restricted area.
They urged the council to make an exception to the ordinance for local realtors and other legitimate businesses, perhaps through a permit process.
Before voting on the moratorium, the council asked town attorney Michael Reed to research the issue. The council expressed the hope that it could find a way to eliminate the "junk signs" without harming legitimate businesses.
The council also voted to keep funds set aside for Ind. 13 improvements.
A total of $405,048 was available as of Jan.1, including $164,232 from the Economic Development Income Tax, $175,816 from the local road and street balance and $65,000 from the cumulative storm fund.
The council voted to keep the money in those funds earmarked for Ind. 13 improvements as opposed to spending them or moving them to thegeneral fund.
The council also decided to delay any action on employee raises until the next regular meeting Tuesday.
Syracuse Town Council members are Larry Siegel, Bill Hane, Paul Stoelting, Barb Carwile and Carol Koble.
