Say Goodbye to Election Signs in Fairfax County
Beginning this week, new program tasks prison inmates with removing signs Tuesday through Thursday
http://tysonscorner.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/fairfax-county-to-begin-removing-signs-from-roads-tuesday

Virginia’s gubernatorial election is underway, but Fairfax County residents can rest easy knowing that this year, campaign signs posted in public stretches of major roads will be removed.

Starting this week, nonviolent inmates from the Sherriff’s Office Community Labor Force will remove signs, including political campaign signs and advertisements, every week Tuesday through Thursday.

The Board of Supervisors approved the program, an agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation, in February. It will cost the county $150,000.

Putting up signs on any state road is illegal. The law does allow some signs, such as signs at the intersections of two or more roads giving the distance or direction to a church, residence, or place of business and signs advertising or providing directions to a “special event.” Such signs will be allowed to stay up from Saturday through Monday.

Signs will only be removed from major public rights of way across the county, including the Fairfax County Parkway, Leesburg Pike, Lee Highway, Richmond Highway and more. A full list of roads with sign removal is available on the county’s Web site.

Signs removed by the county will be stored for five calendar days at the I-66 Transfer Station, where they can be reclaimed. Signs will be destroyed after five days.

Signs on neighborhood streets will not be tended to through the program.

The same goes for signs on private property, although residents with complaints about such signs can file online forms with the county. Adopt-a-Highway groups can collect signs from neighborhood streets.

Signs collected by VDOT's Adopt-a-Highway groups may be removed at any time within the designated stretch of roads, and volunteers may destroy these signs immediately.

Though there was serious public support for including garbage removal with the initiative, trash isn’t part of the deal. Litter will not be removed from the medians while signs are being collected.

Great idea, but I hope the deputies have their shotguns ready when one of those inmates starts to run.

HALLE-FUCKING-LUJAH.

Will the state or county levy fines against the campaigns like they have fined small businesses for signs?

I think they should.

After they are done doing that they will be headed to the candidates houses to cut the lawns and do some light yard work

I predict that this will not end well.

Crystal Ball Wrote:
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> I predict that this will not end well.

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! +100

I wish Fairfax City would do something abot all the Mattress Sale signs that spring up across from Fair City Mall every weekend.

YES YES YES

I wonder if it is illegal for me, a civilian, to take down signs as a part of my civic duty?

Just to help out.

Holy shit - I would LOVE to take some time and follow one of the groups of people they have putting out signs and just take them down right behind them - literally 50 feet behind them.

It will be interesting to see if there are any first amendment challenges crop up and how they turn out.

I hope the firefighters union signs supporting the Weasel are the first to be taken down and sent to the Lorton landfill.

Can they "accidently" mow the medians while they are out there?

How about we allow a sign to be legally put up if that sign owner agrees to mow that section all summer long?

There MUST be some way to get the medians mowed ....

7YxtC Wrote:
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> YES YES YES
>
> I wonder if it is illegal for me, a civilian, to take down signs as a part of my civic duty?<

Yes it would

You are allowed to do it if you are part of a group that has "adopted" a section of a road. These groups agree to pick up litter four times a year in exchange for recognition on a sign and cleanup supplies. That being said, I take them down all the time without belonging to a group. They are illegally posted so the legality of removing them doesn't concern me that much.


7YxtC Wrote:
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> YES YES YES
>
> I wonder if it is illegal for me, a civilian, to
> take down signs as a part of my civic duty?
>
> Just to help out.
>
> Holy shit - I would LOVE to take some time and
> follow one of the groups of people they have
> putting out signs and just take them down right
> behind them - literally 50 feet behind them.

Additionally, we should fine those that place those signs roadside. They should also be tasked with mowing the medians.

For the Inmates working force they should be tasked with the mowing, planting, and sign removals.