[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Paterson as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Garage sales and flea markets — See Ch. 249.
[Adopted 5-23-1995 as Ord. No. 95-028]
Real estate signs customarily necessary in the offering of real estate for sale or to let by the owner thereof or by his real estate agent or broker are permitted to be erected in the City, provided that the following requirements are complied with:
A. 
In all zones, one real estate sign is permitted for each principal use.
B. 
All real estate signs shall be nonilluminated.
C. 
All real estate signs may be freestanding or attached to the building which is for sale or to let.
D. 
Signs permitted hereby shall pertain only to the sale or lease of the lot or premises upon which the sign was placed.
E. 
Signs customarily used to indicate that the real estate offered for sale or to let has been sold or leased by the owner, real estate agent or broker concerned are prohibited. Permitted real estate signs shall be removed within seven days of the day that a contact of sale or lease of a premises has been executed by both parties to the document.
F. 
In the event that the owner, real estate agent or broker conducts an open house at the premises, an addition to the signs, stating "open house," may be added to the on-premises sign.
[Adopted 2-10-2004 by Ord. No. 04-009]
The Municipal Council finds and declares that the safety and welfare of the people of the City and others using the streets and sidewalks of the City are endangered because of the common practice of candidates for public office and their supporters, and of supporters and opposers of public questions posed in elections to:
A. 
Affix posters, signs and other campaign literature to trees, lawns, poles, trestles, traffic signs and other structures in the City, causing same to be obliterated, obstructed and defaced.
B. 
Write names and slogans upon the streets and sidewalks of the City, causing lawful markings upon same to be confused, obstructed and defaced.
C. 
Fail to remove such signs, posters and other campaign literature after the elections, thereby requiring the diversion of the work effort of municipal personnel and causing an unsightly condition and expensive drain on municipal funds.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CAMPAIGN MATERIAL
Any poster, sign, handbill, circular, banner, card, advertisement, printed sticker, painted words or material having reference to any election or to the adoption or rejection of any public questions at any general, primary or special election.
PERSON
Any individual candidate, corporation, political committee, citizen's committee or partnership, organization, association or any committee or group of persons organized on behalf of or against any candidate or public question to be voted on at any special, primary or general election.
POLITICAL SIGN
Any sign, including on the lawns or grounds of private property, advancing the candidacy of any candidate or group of candidates for public office or supporting or opposing a public question, expressly excluding, however, any such signs posted or displayed on existing commercial billboards by or with the consent of the owner thereof and any such signs posted or displayed on licensed motor vehicles in operating condition; provided, however, that no such vehicle is parked or placed in any location for the primary purpose of displaying any such signs, it being the intention of this article to eliminate the unsightly condition created by the parking or standing of motor vehicles bearing political signs at or adjacent to trafficked areas for the purpose of displaying such signs.
PUBLIC PLACE or PUBLIC FACILITY
Any property or item used for public purposes, including but not limited to all public streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other public ways, all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds, buildings, medians, traffic signal facilities, utility poles or any other type of public pole, public trees, litter receptacles, benches, bus shelters, fences or any object affixed to or placed upon public streets, parking lots or sidewalks which is affixed or placed thereon for public purposes or for the use of the public.
A. 
Except as provided in Subsection B hereof below, any such political signs shall be a ground sign or a sign placed on or in private property, with the consent of the owner, and no such sign shall exceed eight square feet in total display area nor have a setback less than 10 feet from the inner line of the sidewalk upon which fronts the lot on which such sign is situated or, where no sidewalk exists, less than 20 feet from the street line upon which fronts the lot on which such sign situated.
B. 
Any privately owned building or part thereof designated and serving as the campaign headquarters of any candidate or group of candidates for election for public office or as headquarters of a person or entity supporting or opposing a public question may display one political sign not exceeding 20 square feet in total area.
All campaign material and political signs shall bear upon the face thereof a statement of the name, address and other information required to be disclosed by New Jersey Election Statutes.
The following persons shall be responsible under this article for the removal of any campaign material or political sign posted:
A. 
Any person, firm or corporation who shall erect or display or who shall cause or permit to be erected or displayed any campaign material or political sign on premises subject to his, her or its control.
B. 
Persons whose names appear on any political sign or on any campaign material and as required by New Jersey Election Statutes.
C. 
Any other person who actually places any campaign material or political sign in any public place or public facility, even though his or her name does not appear thereon.
[Amended 2-8-2005 by Ord. No. 05-006]
No campaign material or political sign shall be erected, posted or displayed, including on private property, more than 30 days prior to the date of the election to which such material or sign pertains, and any such material or sign shall be removed not more than 14 days after the date of such election.
A. 
No person shall draw, write or print or permit or suffer to be drawn, written or printed upon any street or sidewalk or upon any public place or facility any slogan, motto, name or symbol whether the same is written with chalk, paint or any other substance. Each day the political sign, advertisement or writing remains in violation of this section may be considered a separate violation, and a separate complaint may be issued for said violation until it is removed.
B. 
No campaign material or political sign shall be attached to or affixed upon any public place, public facility or on public property by any means. Each day the political sign, advertisement or writing remains in violation of this section may be considered a separate violation, and a separate complaint may be issued for said violation until it is removed.
C. 
No campaign material or political sign shall be painted or affixed upon private property or private fence or a private tree without the consent of the owner thereof. Each day the political sign, advertisement or writing remains in violation of this section may be considered a separate violation, and a separate complaint may be issued for said violation until it is removed.
D. 
No person shall remove, tear down, deface or destroy any lawfully erected political sign on private property without the consent of the owner of said private property.
[Amended 2-8-2005 by Ord. No. 05-006]
A. 
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine in the amount of $50. Fines for violation of any provision of this article are payable at the Violations Bureau without a court appearance. Costs of court of $30 will be imposed, consistent with New Jersey Court Rule 7:11-4, for all such payments.
[Amended 5-23-2006 by Ord. No. 06-050]
B. 
No summons or complaint shall issue to a candidate or the owner of private property on which a sign is located more than 14 days after the election until a warning is first issued to the candidate and owner and the sign is not removed within seven days of the issuance of said notice.