New bill holds business liable for posters
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer
People who allow posters that advertise their businesses or events to be plastered on utility poles and lamp posts across the island could be cited and fined by city officials, under a bill moving before the City Council.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Outdoor Circle and its public policy affiliate, Na Leo Pohai, called on council members yesterday to toughen the city's litter law that bans such advertising.
According to authors of the City Council bill, the intent is not to go after temporary signs for a yard sale, such as this cardboard poster that Rholand Daan is looking at. The lawmakers say advertising by commercial enterprises is getting out of hand.
Under the stricter proposal, the city would be allowed to cite owners of the businesses advertised or the promoters printing them.
Current law makes it illegal to post the signs. Honolulu police have interpreted that to mean officers must catch people in the act of posting the signs if they are to be cited. The new proposal would make it illegal to display such signs.
The City Council's Public Works Committee gave the bill preliminary approval yesterday.
The Outdoor Circle's Mary Steiner supported the changes, noting that such posters have become increasingly common. She said her organization gets a lot of calls from "frustrated community members wanting to clean up this visual blight which has recently gotten out of control."
Steiner said the fliers show up all over the island advertising everything from concerts to "Work at Home" and "Lose Weight Now."
She said people often find that the listed phone numbers are wrong.
The bill was introduced by Councilmen Duke Bainum and Steve Holmes. Bainum said the bill is aimed at "chronic commercial abuses" that "disregard community values."
"Fear should not be struck in people who are trying to have first birthday parties and yard sales," Bainum said.
Steiner acknowledged that those signs are illegal, but "we sort of turn a blind eye" because they come down within a few hours.
Holmes and Bainum said they don't believe that the changes will raise new constitutional issues because "it's been illegal to post for a long time."
