City citations for violations of sign laws a ‘slow’ process

Question: Recently, we have seen many new storm chasers pop up in Kailua due to last year’s hail damage. Now Kailua, Kaneohe and Waimanalo are seeing contractor signs all over town. I believe the sign ordinance is for contractor signs to be placed directly in front of job sites — not on public roadways, easements and public property. Is there anyone we can call to have the offending signs removed or the company fined for abusing the sign laws?

Answer: The Outdoor Circle agrees with your observation about the number of signs, but the city Department of Planning and Permitting says it has not noticed an increase in illegal activity on the Windward side.

"Yes, illegal contractor signs on the Windward and Leeward sides of the island are proliferating," said Marti Townsend, executive director of the Outdoor Circle, when asked about your complaint. "As with any illegal activity, left unchecked, it becomes pervasive."

She encouraged residents to report the signs to the department, but noted it "is understaffed to keep up with the rise of illegal signs."

However, "Our inspectors in the Kailua, Kaneohe and Waimanalo areas have not reported an increase in illegal sign activity, nor have we seen a dramatic increase in complaints from the public," said Art Challacombe, deputy director of planning and permitting. The department’s Residential Code Enforcement Branch responds to complaints of illegal signs on public property.

He made no excuses about staffing, saying when a complaint of an illegal sign is made, "We respond within 72 hours in most cases, unless the area inspector is out for some reason."

Also, if inspectors on a routine site inspection do see an illegal sign within a public area, they will write down the name and phone number on the sign, then contact the responsible party to have the sign removed, he said. If the sign isn’t removed, he said a citation is issued and mailed to the violator.

"We understand the public’s frustration when signs are not removed immediately," Challacombe said. "However, because the issuance of a citation for illegal signs can be a slow and deliberate process, we request the public exercise patience and understanding."

The public can help by informing the department of specific locations of illegal signs by calling the city complaint office at 768-4381. Or, complaints can be reported online at www1.honolulu.gov/csd/publiccom/fixit.htm or by emailing complaints@honolulu.gov.

RESOURCE NUMBER

The state Consumer Resource Center, part of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, has a new Complaint Intake Line: 587-4272.

People can file complaints or get information from DCCA’s various divisions, including the Office of Consumer Protection and the Regulated Industries Complaints Office. For more information, go to http://cca.hawaii.gov/divisions/.

MAHALO

To Dr. Werner Grebe, nurse Cynthia and the entire staff at Pali Momi Medical Center for their excellent care when a family member needed emergency surgery for appendicitis. What started out as a nerve-wracking experience turned out to be a smooth, comforting, successful procedure, thanks to them. Everyone we encountered was patient, compassionate and caring. — The Rieta Ohana

AUWE

To the many residents who park their cars and trucks completely across the sidewalk in the Enchanted Lake area of Kailua, necessitating a walker to go into the street. This is very dangerous. There is one scofflaw on every street! Are they lazy or ignorant? If I called to report everyone, HPD probably would label me the "problem." — Anonymous

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Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.