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Our township engaged in some questionable so-called bylaw behaviour recently when someone at the township dropped the ball as to how they interpreted and carried out the removal of private realtor 'for sale' signs.
The township's undertaking of removing most of the 'for sale' signs in Lagoon City from residents' maintained properties on road frontage was, in my mind, very disrespectful and unprofessional to do without even a warning.
Most people maintain their properties and even township easements by cutting the grass without question and putting a for sale sign on properly maintained land that does not affect visual safety should have been no issue.
The township work crew said most of the signs removed were on the township easements side, an imaginary line that runs from one hydro or telephone pole to the next one. I was told by the sign removing work crew that the for sale signs need to be one metre from this easement line and on your own property only.
Even one of Lagoon City's local real estate agent was blindsided when he drove by me and saw his sign was also removed. The sign wasn't even near any easement line.
I understand the need for bylaws which are implemented when a reasonable amount of complaints are forwarded to any township, town or city. A course of action needs to be established to deal with the issue and the protection of residential rights and safety upheld.
Common sense needs to be used in forming any bylaw and the decision of how to proceed in a non-negative or combative manner with residents when dealing with any bylaw issue.
In this case, it seems no thought of that was even considered. No warnings sent out or even a simple phone call to all the real estate agents was considered, it seems.
Many residents have seen the uglyness of paper pollution stuck literally in our faces. We see it stuck on utility poles, on the back of municipal metal signage. Most have a phone number. If there is a bylaw prohibiting this, bylaw personnel can call it to have those persons responsible remove it; simple.
The meeting held this past Monday of the committee of the whole of Ramara council discussed these issues of signage. It was good to see some councillors who pushed back on leaving for sale signs and, of all things, yard sale signs alone.
A possible $50 permit for yard sales was being tossed around for having the right to get rid of someone's excess, unneeded stuff by having a yard sale. Some of us like checking out yard sales. Someone else's garbage is someone else's treasure. It also cuts down on landfill and things found laying in roadside ditches.
The hands off our for sale signs and no permits for yard sales with no parking tags issued to participants should be a simple task for Ramara council.
Ray Kopylciw
Ramara Township
