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Margate Commission throws code enforcement under bus
• Sign code exceptions fraught with inconsistencies over the years
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Thursday,
May 6, 2010
As Margate Code Enforcement puts its best foot forward cleaning up sign code violations in the city, Margate City Commissioners, without public notice, approved a moratorium Wednesday night on “truck sign” violations, effectively calling off code enforcement efforts.
Margate City Commissioner, David McLean, acting on calls from local business owners who said they were being cited for truck signs by Margate code enforcement, asked fellow commissioners to side with him in approving the last minute moratorium, which was neither listed on Wednesday’s city commission agenda nor procedurally noticed to the public.
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At first, Margate Mayor, Joseph Varsallone, insisted that the moratorium motion be appropriately introduced in the form of an agenda item at the next city commission meeting, maintaining the integrity of public notice, but Varsallone eventually caved, approving the moratorium alongside Commissioners Arthur Bross and McLean.
Margate Commissioner, Frank Talerico, dissented, insisting that some truck signs are tacky and make the city look bad.
“Have you seen some of these signs? They’re sheets thrown over a truck with hand written letters,” Talerico said.
Commissioner, Pam Donovan, was absent from the meeting.
Since approving amendments to the city’s uniform sign code more than five years ago, which imposed strict regulations on sign fonts, colors and sizes—and made pole signs illegal—elected officials in Margate have habitually made exceptions to the city’s uniform sign code on a case by case basis, often acting against the best advice of Margate planning and zoning officials and to the dismay of taxpayers who support code enforcement efforts.
Because Margate taxpayers were not properly noticed regarding McLean’s last minute motion Wednesday night, the question may be less whether exceptions should be made to the city’s sign code and more whether Margate taxpayers can trust elected officials to conduct business on the dais in a procedurally ethical manner.
No business owners with truck signs were present at Wednesday’s commission meeting to either comment on city sign laws or to voice concerns about being cited for truck sign violations.
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