Community Development District 4 supervisors want Community Watch to get aggressive on sign removal.
Supervisor Cliff Wiener at Friday’s board of supervisors meeting told Community Watch Chief Nehemiah Wolfe that he believes Community Watch personnel have been less than aggressive about pulling signs that have been improperly placed in CDD 4’s right of way. CDD 4, located in the Marion County section of The Villages, is in the unique position of owning its roads.
Last year, CDD 4 supervisors voted to begin enforcing its prohibition on signs after years of essentially looking the other way. Now with the change in policy, supervisors have indicated they’d like to see more signs pulled up by Community Watch.
“I can assure you they are driving by signs on district property that have been there for weeks. I think these signs are starting to take over our streets,” Wiener said.
Wolfe said it’s a fine line between seizing a sign and trespassing and Community Watch personnel try to err on the side of caution.
Assistant District Manager Carrie Duckett agreed with Wolfe.
“If it is not clearly in the road right of way they will not take them. They are not out there with measuring tape,” Duckett said.
Supervisor Cary Sternberg countered that perhaps it’s time for Community Watch to start carrying measuring tapes.
“If there is a question at all on a sign, they need to bring that back to you, sir, for guidance as to whether they need to go back and pull the sign,” Sternberg told Wolfe.
Supervisor Mark Hayes, who comes from a law enforcement background, offered a little insight.
“The drivers aren’t getting out of the car and notifying the owner that it’s potentially in violation. It has to be instilled in your people. If we don’t do it, it’s never going to get done,” Hayes told Wolfe.