Township officials issue right-of-way warning

Political signs illegal along some roads

Ross Township officials are reminding candidates that political signs are not permitted along roads in the township right of way.

Township Manager Ron Borczyk said Monday that the public works department filled four dump trucks with political signs that they pulled from the roadways.

“Within two days, boom, the signs are back up,” commission President Dan DeMarco said. “That’s absurd.”

Ross has an ordinance banning all temporary signs in the rights of way. That ordinance includes political signs as well as signs advertising groups and services.

Mr. DeMarco had harsh words for judicial candidates who violate the township’s ordinance.

“Candidates, especially judicial candidates, are breaking the law,” he said. “Please remove your signs.”

Commissioner Joe Laslavic suggested raising the $100 fine for violations, saying that $100 “is a drop in the bucket for these bigger candidates. We need to up the ante.”

In other business, Mr. DeMarco asked for a moment of silence for longtime resident Nelson Erb, who died last week at age 99. Mr. Erb served on the planning commission and zoning hearing board and was a regular attendee at commission meetings.

Also, Mr. DeMarco said that Monday was the 89th anniversary of the murder of police Chief Vernon Moses, who was gunned down when he pulled over suspected bootleggers.

Resident Joseph Brandt asked about the status of Short Line Hollow Park. The park, the township’s newest one, has been closed since the dirt from the Reis Run Road landslide was dumped there.

“We need to look forward on where we go from here,” he said. “We want to make sure that Short Line Hollow can be developed.”