If you live in Buena Vista and want to express your feelings a little more in the next election season, know that the Town is looking at expanding your legal ability to place more signs in your yard.
The Board of Trustees on Tuesday evening unanimously voted to direct staff to produce a draft amendment to town code, likely allowing for five yard signs during election seasons, as well as three flags that can be flown year-round.
Political signs were a hot button in Chaffee County last fall, with several reports of theft and signs being ditched. Buena Vista is looking at increasing the allowed numbers of election-season signs. Ark Valley Voice photo
Town code currently provides for two signs during election season as well as two flags that can be flown anytime.
Looking back at the weeks preceding the 2020 election, which saw an uptick in yard signs – often violating Town regulations on the numbers allowed – code enforcement officer Grant Bryans brought the recommendations to the board.
“We noticed during the last election cycle that we had a gap in the code,” he said.
Staff will examine codes for the county and local municipalities in drafting the changes, including how long signs can be in place before and after an election.
Responding to questions from Trustee Amy Eckstein about enforcement and freedom-of-speech gray areas in sign regulations, Town attorney Jeff Parker said sign codes “are notoriously difficult to deal with.” A town can regulate the size and number of signs, he noted, but regulating the content can trigger free-speech issues.
“We’re pretty much fine regulating the number of lawn signs, we just can’t say what they can say,” he noted.
He added that if somebody wanted to put up a yard sign “that’s totally unrelated to the election, they can still do so. It’s not content based.”
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