Signs of the times

When Cory Farley ran a quip about readerboard road signs that promote political agendas in his Street Beat column on Sept. 22, politicos and news organizations around the area perked up their ears. Farley reported on a sign owned by Granite Construction that was endorsing WC-2, a ballot about transportation upgrades.

KOLO-TV picked up the story on Oct. 9, mentioning a Q&D construction sign near the corner of Rock Boulevard and Greg Street. At the time, the sign promoted the election of Bob Cashell for mayor and Dwight Dortch and Sharon Zadra for the Reno City Council. It has supported other things since, like voting on Nov. 5 and WC-2.

What wasn’t mentioned in either story is that Reno Municipal Code (18.06.903) forbids “Signs which initiate or simulate official signs, or which use yellow or red blinking or intermittent lights resembling danger or warning signals and signs on public property or rights-of-way or signs attached to utility poles, street-light standards, fences, sheds or similar structures.’

The City of Sparks has its own law to forbid non-official signs on public rights-of-way (20.56.070).

“What I can’t believe is that they would put their agenda ahead of the public safety,’ said Reno City Councilman David Rigdon.