Planning board backs ordinance to set campaign-sign timing, forwards it to County Commission

The Lawrence County Planning and Zoning Board voted to approve Ordinance 26-02, a measure designed to restore specific timing rules for campaign signs and clarify when signs must be removed. The board closed the public hearing and moved the ordinance forward to the County Commission for the required 1st and 2nd readings and a 20-day appeal period.

During public comment, Daniel Merchant urged the board to delay action until after the general election, saying the proposal was "ill timed" and questioning whether the county already had authority under state highway-beautification rules. Merchant asked if the ordinance was being proposed in response to complaints and whether compensation funds would be needed for enforcement. Staff responded that the revised language simply restores a campaign-sign timing provision removed when the sign ordinance was rewritten and that the intent is to clarify when signs can be put up and taken down rather than to impose size limits. As staff put it, the ordinance is "just putting it in so that I don't have to constantly be like, well, I don't have a rule." (Daniel Merchant; staff reading.)

Board members debated enforcement and free-speech implications, focusing on the ordinance's definition of "freestanding" signs and whether some signs (for example, magnetic vehicle signs or signs affixed to walls or fences) would be covered. One member said they would vote against approval because of enforceability concerns, while others emphasized that the ordinance addresses timing and can be adjusted in future revisions. Staff read the ordinance penalty language aloud, noting code provisions allowing fines up to $500 and/or up to 30 days' imprisonment for violations of the title. The board recorded a motion, seconded the motion, and voted to approve the ordinance and forward it to the County Commission.