Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Guest View: Oro Valley Should Enforce Its Sign Codes

We received the following from one of our readers:

In the 9/19 edition of Inside Tucson Business there is a quote from an Oro Valley resident regarding the Town's sign code.
 "If you do write something, I must insist it be remarkably lenient, with education and intervention that occurs much before anyone pays a fine. The last thing I want to see is us having someone pay a fine for a violation on this rule. That would be unacceptable to me."
This quote is from Dave Perry, the ex-editor of the Explorer, and current head of the Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Did anybody in Oro Valley put this guy in a policy making position? Did any Oro Valley citizen vote for Mr. Perry.

The answer is YES.

The Council majority is in agreement with Mr. Perry's stance. The General Plan (a voter written and ratified document) states that signage should be the least intrusive as possible. The council majority disregards the General Plan and allows for a temporary, now 5 years and counting, ordinance that allows for A-frames and banners. Mr. Perry, and his 4 supporters, do not want any fines established for those businesses that violate the sign code.

I wonder if Mr. Perry would want all traffic fines, construction fines, food inspection fines, or zoning fines removed? Mr. Perry is the head of an organization that should be on the forefront of business education. Mr. Perry's organization should insure that no business is in any code violation, and educate them in the ramifications of not following the Code. Instead Mr. Perry rants that business should be exempt from fines and be allowed to do whatever they please, regardless of the existing codes.

Codes and ordinances are established through a public process. Yes it is the Town's responsibility to educate applicants about codes relevant to their business including the ramifications of non-compliance. Mr. Perry, and the Council majority think otherwise.

What are your thoughts?
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