Election sign violations

Partially copied from our post of October 24, 2014.

More election sign violations sprouting everywhere on public and private land: What you can do …

In response to repeated CityHallWatch inquiries to the City Manager (Penny Ballem) and Chief Election Officer (Janice MacKenzie), on October 15, 2014, Ms. MacKenzie wrote, “I can assure you that election signage complaints will be acted upon expeditiously. These complaints are to be directed to 3-1-1.”

CityHallWatch notes that this is a complaints-based system. What can you do if you are concerned about a possible bylaw violation?

On public land (i.e., violating City bylaws) 

• Call the City at 3-1-1 to report and ask for City staff to investigate and remove the signs if in violation.
• Even better, write an e-mail to the City at info@vancouver.ca giving the exact location and time you noticed the sign. Include photo if available.

On private land (i.e., place without the property owner’s permission)

• Remove and dispose the sign.
• Or ask the offending party to come and get the sign (contact the party by phone, or ideally, by e-mail so that you have a record of the communication).

In both cases, we urge you to take a photo, for the record. If you send an e-mail we also appreciate a copy to CityHallWatch(citizenYVR@gmail.com) so we can track and report on cases. If the City gives you a case number, take note, for the record.

In numerous cases we have heard about, signs (always Vision Vancouver so far) have been place on private property without permission of the property owner. For example, below is a message we received on October 18 (name removed to protect privacy).

I rent an apartment in a duplex house in East Vancouver [near Main & E 41st Ave]. I get on well with my landlords and consider them decent people. Imagine my horror when I came back home one evening and saw a Raymond Louie [Vision Vancouver] election sign on the grass outside the house. However, I decided not to do or say anything since I didn’t want to antagonise my landlords and risk the good relationship we had built up.

I happened to be leaving the house at the same time as my landlords were coming in and I decided to poke a little fun and tell them they had some litter on the front lawn – in the form of the Louie sign. My landlord surprised me by saying she has no idea where the sign came from and that she certainly didn’t put it up or give permission. My faith in her was restored when she allowed me to remove and destroy the sign.

I would be shocked if this is typical behaviour from Vision. Can you confirm if this is known to happen regularly?