ROCKLAND –– City officials won’t challenge a resident who’s violating an ordinance by posting two oversized signs supporting President Trump – at least not yet.

“This is not a priority as far as I’m concerned,” chief code enforcement officer John Root said Thursday.

The decision followed an email sent Sept. 18 by assistant code officer William Butler to Seavey Lane resident Susan Reitman telling her that the two signs on her driveway gate were larger than allowed for residential properties.

Butler gave Reitman until Sept. 22 to remove the signs, but Reitman refused, instead moving them to the exterior of her house. The two signs are about 3 feet by 4 feet. One says, “I Love Trump,” and the other says, “He Won, Get Over It.”

Butler told Reitman the issue was the size of the signs, not the message on them.

The city’s sign ordinance limits residences to one sign of no more than two square feet attached to a structure, or one freestanding sign of no more than four square feet.

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Violations carry a potential penalty of between $100 and $1,000 per day for violations.

Butler said he had received a complaint about the signs from a woman he would not identify, saying she feared for her safety.

After the controversy became public, Butler received phone calls and emails, including some that contained obscene and hateful speech.

City Manager Tom Luttrell said late last month that he wanted to give the City Council a chance to weigh in on whether the sign ordinance should be amended.

The council met Oct. 2 and Oct. 11, but did not discuss the issue.


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