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MPLA checks Rota for signboard compliance
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Posted on Jul 20 2005
The Marianas Public Lands Authority has brought its campaign against illegal political signboards to Rota and Tinian.
MPLA compliance supervisor Dwayne Duenas visited Rota last week to check public lands for improperly erected signboards. He is scheduled to make a similar trip to Tinian next week.
“[Duenas] and MPLA officers in Rota drove street to street looking for any signboards that are in violation of the regulations. Majority of the signs were on private lands and everyone else was in compliance,” said MPLA public information officer Ed Arriola Jr.
He said all the gubernatorial candidates have their advertisements on Rota erected on private properties. Only five candidates have applied for temporary permits to put up signboards at public lands on Rota. They are Juan Ayuyu, Diego Songao, Vicente Atalig, Victor Hocog, and Paterno Hocog.
Arriola also reported that none of the candidates on Saipan have been penalized for failing to comply with signboard placement rules.
He said that MPLA has issued verbal warnings to some candidates. Those warned immediately took down their signs or brought them to compliance within the 24-hour deadline. “It has not come to a point where we had to take down the signs ourselves or fine the candidates,” he added.
According to MPLA, candidates may not put up any signboards on trees or political poles situated on any piece of public land. Signboards may not be erected within 50 feet from any traffic light, or within six feet of any road pavement or any right-of-way.
No signboards may be placed on any public buildings, facilities, monuments, public parks, and tourist sites, MPLA added.
A non-refundable, one-time fee of $100 will be collected from each candidate seeking to place signboards on public land.
“A candidate may place any number of signboards after paying the required non-refundable fee. If, for example, three candidates wish to place their names on one signboard, then the three candidates have to pay the fee separately for a total sum of $300,” MPLA explained.
The MPLA also stressed that the signboards must be taken down five days after the election in order to ensure pedestrian and auto safety and to preserve the islands’ beauty.
