The Village of Keremeos will be restricting how residents are able to display election signs.

The new election sign bylaw was one of three decisions made in the regular council meeting held on Nov. 16.

The new sign bylaw takes effect immediately and puts multiple restrictions for signs on private property.

In addition to requiring the owner’s authorization, signs on private property will be subject to restrictions including time, size, number and location.

Properties will be able to display no more than two signs per frontage per candidate, and signs can be a maximum size of two feet by two feet. If the sign is free-standing, it can be up to three feet from the top to the ground, with the sign itself still two feet by two feet in size.

Signs are permitted only within the respective election period for local, federal, provincial or school district elections. For referendums or plebiscites, signs are permitted 30 days before the first advance voting day. All signs must be removed within four days of the election day.

The village’s chief administrative officer and bylaw enforcement officer are authorized to enforce the new restrictions, including ordering the removal of the sign.

As part of the bylaw, no election sign can be placed on any property owned or under the control of the Village of Keremeos, including any street or public thoroughfare, park, curb, sidewalk, pole, hydrant, sign, fence, tree well, planter or on any traffic control device or location that impairs pedestrian or vehicular safety.

Council also approved a grant application to the Union of B.C. Municipalities’ Community Emergency Preparedness Fund Structural Flood Mitigation program. If the grant is successful, the funds would be used to flood-proof the wastewater treatment plant.

The grant application would be for up to $750,000.

Council also adopted amendments to the subdivision and development servicing bylaw and the fees and charges bylaw.

The amendments address inconsistencies between the two bylaws, which were adopted five years apart in 2012 and 2017.

The bylaws now both stipulate that the village will require developers to provide a performance security of 125 per cent of the estimated costs of the required works and services. It also requires a maintenance security of 10 per cent of the estimated construction costs of works and services to be owned and operated by the village such as roads and sewer.

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