San Mateo clarifies campaign sign policies: Policy is solidified after high number of complaints during last election cycle

During a meeting March 16, the City Council approved an updated resolution clarifying some of the rules around distancing and location of campaign signs during the election period.

“Residents and candidates alike had misunderstandings about the rules or found it difficult to understand what our sign code requires,” McTaggart said of the previous cycle. “There is no modification to the existing sign ordinance. The policy is just intended to help streamline the intake process for complaints, helps overall enforcement and overall give better public awareness of what our sign code permits.”

The updated language standardizes the enforcement mechanisms and procedures related to sign violations, which usually starts with the issuance of courtesy notices to formal notifications and eventually to the collection and removal of signs.

It also clarifies allowable placement, which can get quite technical, McTaggart said. For instance, the city allows campaign signs on sidewalks but they have to be a certain distance from one another, and up to four signs are allowed on the corner of an intersection, provided it’s public property.

“I think this is a great piece of work … to try and make it much clearer about where you can put signs, where you can’t put signs and what the process will be if someone does something incorrectly,” Councilmember Lisa Diaz Nash said during the City Council meeting.

The updated ordinance makes it clearer that residents can submit concerns directly to the City Clerk’s Office, which will follow up on each complaint. It also outlines the specific process by which potential violations will be verified and handled, which usually involves courtesy notices to formal notifications and removal.

The temporary sign placement ordinance isn’t the only policy the city has to regulate signs but is meant to specifically address campaign signs during the election cycle, McTaggart said.

“Our sign code has been on the books for quite some time to address different issues,” he said. “Community aesthetics and pedestrian safety are the two determining factors.”