Rapid City officials receiving 'steady' line of political sign complaints

Election Day is three weeks away and Rapid City's Code Enforcement Division is keeping busy with citizen complaints over improper placement of campaign signs.

City Code Enforcement Division Manager John Olson reports citizen complaints "are coming in steady" regarding campaign signs and their placement. Olson said candidates and organizers of ballot measures worried their signs are being stolen should check with the city to determine if code enforcement officers have retrieved the signs due to complaints regarding improper placement.

It is unlawful to place signs in public rights-of-way or medians, including the boulevard areas of homes, public rights-of-way along streets and railroad areas, city parks, public greenway areas, as well as placing signs in areas that can block the sight of traffic.

"People need to stop placing signs in the boulevards and right of ways," said Olson. "The complaints are coming in steady. If they think their sign was stolen, check with us as we may have removed it from the right of way and currently have it in our possession, because it was illegally placed and we received a citizen complaint."

Examples of prohibited signage in the public rights-of-way areas include political, real estate, roofing and siding company signage, banquet and church signage. Such signage is permitted on the property owner's yard excluding the boulevard right-of-way. City ordinance 17.50.080 prohibits signs in public rights-of-way, and any signs placed in the right-of-way are subject to immediate removal. The public is also advised to not place candidate or issue stickers and signs on traffic control devices and signs.

Temporary political signs are allowed so long as they are not located within the public right of way, do not block a required sight triangle or impede traffic, or block or occupy a required parking stall or parking area. Temporary political signs are limited to 32 total square feet and a maximum height of eight feet.

The area in front of a property from and including the sidewalk to the curb is public right-of-way. Signs are not allowed in this area. Signs can be placed in a yard, or in front of a building.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation also reminds the public that political campaign and ballot-issue signs cannot be placed on state highway rights of way. The use of right of way is reserved for official highway signage. The State DOT indicates all signs in the right of way not required for traffic control are prohibited and will be removed by SDDOT crews and DOT staff will attempt to contact the owner of the signs to pick them up.

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