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Council to advertise proposed yard-sale and ticketing ordinances after debate on signs and frequency
Summary
Council debated a proposed yard-sale ordinance that would require permits, limit sales to two per property per year and restrict signage, and an updated ticketing approach to speed code enforcement; members asked for revisions and approved advertising the ordinances for public comment.
The borough council voted to advertise proposed changes to the yard-sale ordinance and an updated ticketing process after a lengthy discussion about signage, frequency of sales and enforcement.
Council member Mark, who presented the draft ordinance, said the yard-sale changes would require a permit for yard sales, limit them to two per property per year and limit signage. He said the draft includes a community-wide exception for coordinated sales but that the exception as written would require seven dwellings on the same street, which committee members flagged as impractical. Mark said the ticketing update would create a courtesy-ticket step for minor code violations so officers can provide a lower-cost, faster remedy before escalating to a magistrate citation.
Supporters of a streamlined ticketing approach said the measure is intended to reduce administrative delay. "It gives a lesser expensive option in between," one staff member said, describing the proposed sequence of warning, courtesy ticket and then citation if violations persist.
Several council members and residents objected to parts of the yard-sale draft. One councilor said limiting signage and capping sales at two consecutive days could prevent traditional Friday-to-Sunday weekend sales and make it harder for residents on less-traveled streets to attract visitors. "Signs on telephone poles are how they get people to their yard sales," a resident said during the discussion.
After debate, council voted to advertise the yard-sale and ticketing ordinances for public notice and further committee review. The advertisement moves the drafts into the formal public-comment period where the council will consider public input before any final vote.
The council also discussed options such as waiving a permit fee while retaining registration information, or tailoring enforcement to target semi-permanent sales that resemble ongoing commercial activity. The council did not set fines in the advertised draft; committee members noted penalty amounts could be added later.
The advertisement does not adopt the ordinances; it begins the public-notice process and allows the council to collect feedback and revise the language before any final action.
