Mahwah June 20, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Council opts to restrict signs in rights of way by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Council has directed Township Attorney Andrew Fede to draw up an amended ordinance that would prohibit all temporary signs, political and non-political, in the public rights of way. At the last public council meeting, the governing body agreed by a 4-3 straw vote to address this problem. After a lengthy discussion about the ramifications of prohibiting all temporary signs from the township’s public rights of way, especially during the period leading up to an election, the council decided by general consensus to amend its ordinance on temporary signs. The problem the council is trying to address is the proliferation of political signs on the township’s roadways at election time, especially on Macarthur Boulevard. However, Fede advised that the council cannot legally prohibit political signs without prohibiting all signs in the rights of way. Councilwoman Lisa DiGiulio objected to preventing organizations like the Boy Scouts, charitable organizations, and real estate firms that put up Open House signs, from putting up temporary signs in order to prohibit political signs. The council generally agreed, however, that the township’s current ordinance should be amended to eliminate the discretion of the council to grant exceptions to the sign prohibition that exists in the current ordinance and thereby prohibit all temporary signs in the township’s rights of way. The township has historically not enforced the sign prohibition in rights of way for political signs during election (continued on page 8) Student signs on Mahwah High School senior Tyler Poland recently signed a National Letter of Intent after accepting an athletic scholarship to compete on the track and field team at Monmouth University. Poland will graduate from Mahwah High School as a highly decorated polevaulter for the Thunderbirds and will enroll at Monmouth University in the fall of 2012. Front row: Track and Field Coach Robert Pasek and Tyler Poland. Back row: Principal John Pascale and Athletic Director Roger Pelletier.