Peterborough County council approves bylaw for roadside advertising signs

After several years, Peterborough County council has approved a new bylaw governing roadside advertising signs in the county.

The new bylaw will prohibit and regulate the placing and erecting of signs on county road allowances and repeal previous bylaws, according to Peter Nielsen, the manager of infrastructure programs in the county.

Fees will be established for new and existing signs, but fees will be waived for 2020 to give businesses a break during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s still unknown what the cost will be.

At council’s virtual meeting on Wednesday morning, Nielsen told councillors county staff will consult with the eight townships on delegating authority to regulate the placement of election signs on county roads and signs on private property.

Each municipality will need to consider resources and other requirements associated with the regulation of election signs installed on county road allowances, according to a report presented to council.

Options available to the townships include adopting existing lower-tier election sign regulation standards to be used by a township in the regulation of election signs installed on county road allowances, the report states.

Another alternative could be developing new lower-tier election sign regulation standards to be used by a township in the regulation of election signs installed on county road allowances.

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A third option would see a lower-tier municipality adopt county sign election regulation standards to be used by a township in the regulation of election signs within county road allowances.

The last option could be rejection by a lower-tier municipality of the authority to regulate the placement of election signs in county roadways, the report states.

Trent Lakes Mayor Janet Clarkson praised the report for allowing some flexibility for the townships.

“I think for us being as rural as we are, I’m very, very glad that it isn’t more restrictive than what it is,” Clarkson said.

Otonabee-South Monaghan Township Mayor Joe Taylor praised the work done by the county’s sign working committee.

“Huge undertaking represents a number of years of work, and countless meetings. It’s a very detailed report. You can tell a lot of thought went into it,” Taylor said.

Asphodel-Norwood Township Mayor Rodger Bonneau said the new bylaw has been a long time coming.

“I’m glad we can finally put it to bed. I just wondered, though, if you were going to put a sign up to advertise that,” Bonneau quipped.