Law establishes regulations for political signs in town
BY KATHY BARATTA Staff Writer

MANALAPAN - The Township Committee has adopted an ordinance that will place restrictions on the placement of political campaign signs.

Committee members Andrew Lucas, Anthony Gennaro and Susan Cohen voted for the adoption of the ordinance. Committee members Michelle Roth and Richard Klauber voted against the adoption of the ordinance.

During a discussion among committee members before the vote was taken Klauber said he was concerned the ordinance might be a problem to enforce and might also place the onus on the wrong individual.

Klauber said the ordinance did not provide for people who put up campaign signs for a candidate or candidates "unbeknownst to candidates." He asked how would it be determined whose sign was placed first when it came to enforcing the part of the ordinance which decrees that political signs must be a certain distance from one another.

"I agree with what we are trying to accomplish, but I have concerns also about First Amendment rights," he said.

Roth said she agreed with Klauber's concerns and called for the ordinance to be tabled in order to "fine-tune" it.

Lucas carried the day and the 3-2 vote with the observation that the ordinance could be adopted and amended later.

Manalapan's code enforcement officer will be the individual responsible for enforcing the law.

According to the ordinance, regulations were established regarding signs pertaining to federal, state, county or local candidates, or referendum questions to be voted upon by residents in an upcoming election.

Signs are not allowed to be placed out

until 45 days prior to the date of a scheduled election and

must be collected within 14

days following the election

or a fine of $25 per

day will be imposed

against the individual

who is responsible for

placing the sign.

The ordinance stipulates that such signs are not to be more than 12 square feet in area if they are placed in a nonresidential district or more than 6 square feet in area if they are placed in a residential district.

Signs are limited to not more than one per lot and must be entirely on private property with the owner's consent. All signs are to be clearly marked with the name, address and telephone number of the person who is responsible for the removal of the sign.

The ordinance also stipulates there must be at least 100 feet of separation between signs of a particular candidate or campaign and that no political sign shall be located or placed closer than 10 feet to any other sign of a candidate or campaign.