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by Guy Page
A North Hero farm family has been warned that their political signs violate town building codes and require a building permit.
As shown above, the signs are for Republican candidates, including Leland and Michael Morgan running for the Vermont House of Representatives. Also present is a GET REAL (a Republican policy platform) sign, and a sign for GOP Senate candidate Pat Brennan.
Brennan, a former Malletts Bay grocery store owner, is seeking the Colchester – Grand Isle Senate Seat against Andy Julow, the Democrat who was appointed to fill the seat when longtime Colchester grocery store owner Dick Mazza retired this spring. Mazza died several weeks later without endorsing any successor. Julow is married to North Hero Town Clerk Corinn Julow.
The Bullis Family Farm is a 4th generation dairy farm in Grand Isle also known as, Savage View Farm. The farm operation began in 1927 and has grown to be one of the Champlain Islands’ largest businesses, accordingto a 2016 release announcing it had received the Business of the Year Award from a local economic development organization. As of 2022, the farm milked about 700 cows. Dwight Bullis currently manages the farm with his two sons.
Bullis received a letter on August 14 from Town of North Hero Zoning Administrator Danielle Turin that reads:
“Please be advised that the temporary signs in stalled on your property at U.S. Route 2 in North Hero are in violation of the town’s bylaws.” The letter then quotes several exemptions (see copy below), and continues in bold face type: “Since there are more than two (2) signs posted on your property a building permit is required.” Turin advises that the application fee is $25, plus a 3% charge for handling credit card payments.
“We were just appalled at this,” Sara Bullis, wife Ryan Bullis said. “It was disappointing to be told what to do on our own property.”
“It was a violation of our constitutional rights,” Bullis said. “It’s almost like a trickle effect of what’s happening in the big cities.”
Most election years, many Vermont farm properties along highways are dotted with political signs. This is the first time Vermont Daily Chronicle staff can recall an official municipal complaint about political signs requiring a building permit. Accordingly, VDC emailed the following inquiry to Turin: “Have similar reminders been sent to any other property owners? How many complaints were received about the signs? I’ve heard just one. Also, was Town Clerk Julow involved in any part of this process?”
The email response said Turin doesn’t work again until Wednesday. VDC will publish her response when received.
Whether the U.S. Supreme Court’s 9-0 decision in Reed Vs. Town of Gilbert, Arizona supporting free speech rights over local government signage restrictions applies in this situation is unclear.
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Categories: Agriculture, politics
North Nero, the fortress of Liberalism. In open country this is stupid. I’ve seen Dem signs and no problem with the Libs in town government. Danieille Turin must think she’s from that holy cloth, the shroud of Turin. These females get power in their nose and think they can control the world. Interesting to know the town area limits. Oh yes they want money, pay or your freedom of speech. The town (Turin) is violating freedom of speech and the signs are a normal course of elections and are removed after elections as stated in the last sentence of the code. It’s not stated that the regulation is an ordinance, law or code and how applied. If bylaw, what teeth does it have, penalties?
Liberals just don’t want to be reminded there are conservatives in VT. I’d tell them to put their bylaw where the sun doesn’t shine.
The bylaw states a sign cannot exceed 15 sq ft. That’s 3.88 ft X 3.88 ft, about the size of a half sheet of plywood. It’s not to be considered a billboard by their sign bylaw I’d erect two supporting posts permanent to screw the sign to. After election take the sign down and store for the next election (may need to change the names). Just hand paint it. But also put a small sign up as seen in the above picture. That conforms with only two signs placed. If there’s other space, erect another similar sign, in another area, or perhaps on a agreeable neighbor’s property. Make Turin cringe. I’m all for getting even from the town stupidity.
Actually, there is a work-around in the North Hero zoning regulations whose ‘Purpose’ is to regulate ‘Development’ and ‘Land Use’.
The posting of a sign expressing one’s opinion is not specifically covered by North Hero’s ‘Development’ regulations. Read ARTICLE 11: GENERAL DEFINITIONS. Simply expressing one’s opinion in writing, on a sign, on one’s property, is not explicitly forbidden as long as the sign doesn’t create a safety hazard.
100% correct! If it were me, I would check the dimensions of a billboard(not allowed in VT). And make 2 large signs, less than a billboard, and post them all on 1 sign. That should get them boiling! Lol
@Joe
I absolutely love your idea!! Something I would SoOoOo do!!
No choice but to show up these “Grand Pubas”!
Hey, North Hero’s zoning laws are clear.
Re: “…the signs are for Republican candidates, …”
The implication of this article is, however, that some nefarious practice against ‘Republicans’ is at the bottom of this restriction. If that’s the case, town officials should be held to task. But there is no evidence presented in this article that discrimination against a political party, or against farmers for that matter, is occurring.
Re: “Most election years, many Vermont farm properties along highways are dotted with political signs.”
It doesn’t matter what the zoning laws are in other towns. Even Vermont statutes restrict signage.
10 V.S.A. § 495. Other regulations applying to permitted signs…
There’s no story here… yet. Just make sure no one else circumvents the sign restrictions.
This will easily be recinded by a letter of complaint that includes a possible lawsuit. The dems signs will need to be fined as well with copies of their violations sent out upon request.
Why did I instantly know they were Republican signs before verifying it in the article. Because only left looney people have a problem with competition in politics.
This zoning administrator should be fired immediately for election interference and harassment of a landowner. I hope they take her to task, this crap has to stop and it’s a one-party deal. They will cheat anyway the can get away with it.
The problem is with the excessive number of signs, not what or who they are for.
except they each seem to have a different message
The Town of Gilbert case applies to this explicitly. In that case, signs by the road were held to different standards based on what they said, on their content. The North Hero by-law states that signs of differing content have different standards. Sort of like comparing apples to apples.
So, yes, North Hero is in violation of Reed vs. Town of Gilbert.
Since I live in a Liberal, etc. town, I am not surprised with this maneuver. I know, personally, that they have NO shame about going to great lengths to counter us Republicans, esp. during elections. I am not able to share my story right now, as it involves State Statutes.
Typical liberal “government” over reach. Shades of communism.
The signage in question is in violation of no enforceable statute. The reasonable surmise is that, lacking both credibility and standing, the Zoning Office of the Town of North Hero should be ignored.
Over my signature,
Alan Morrison
No where in the By-Law 7.9 Signs does it mention anything about needing a building permit for the signs, also what is he building that requires a permit???
Sounds like a classic First Amendment case in the making. ACLU ought to itching for the chance to file that case!
Once the aliens replaced the cows they proceeded to work on the school boards, select boards AND THEN they went to Montpelier ….
They need to be removed/replaced with conservative thinkers.
Vermont’s ‘progression’ has left us with 3 millionaires in Congress.
Yes Vermonts 3 stoogies
Political signs are protected speech. Thru ways are traditional public forums.
§ 71. [Declaration of rights not to be violated]
The Declaration of the political Rights and privileges of the inhabitants of this State, is hereby declared to be part of the Constitution of this Commonwealth; and ought not to be violated on any pretence whatsoever.
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
What about all these non-temporary signs I see everywhere on phone poles and in yards with the Ukrainian flag painted on them, without a permit?
How to convert a sign to a flag. Get wooden steak. Staple edge of rectangle to wooden steak, and steak into ground. Enjoy your new weatherproof decorative flag!
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If we had a party worth their salt, we’d be orchestrating and ice cream drive with car flags on the back of vehicles going to the islands, it’s gorgeous up there.
Get maybe 30,000 Trump supporters to drive around 1 or 2 times per week for a month.
This is how they divide and conquer people; they intimidate, threaten and make up or change the rules as the go along.
They can’t stand competition OR free speech, that’s why all the big sites curate/censor and cancel.
This shows their weakness, their thoughts and ideas can’t stand the scrutiny of sunlight or exposure. Criminal like to work in the dark so nobody can see them, same for Montpelier.
Wow, a Vermont town has aa official Karen position? Who woulda thought.
FROM THE LEFTIST
“LOONEY TURNS”
THAT’S ALL FOLKS
Grifters gotta grift and empty-headed, activist climate clown globalists are installed for a purpose on purpose.
Cannot find a whole lot of background on Danielle Turin. However, she started her “job” in North Hero in April 2024? Also holds the same/similar position in Sheldon, VT as June 2024? Also listed as Assistant Planning and Zoning administrator Northwest Regional Planning Commission starting March 2024. Prior to these multi-taxpayer funded positions, she was employed with Green Mountain Solar submitting applications to the Vermont Department of Public Service for solar installations on behalf of Tesla products?
See how these people worm inside the bureaucracy? Why is “green energy” being shoved down our throats with the hefty utility bills and taxes attached? They are trained in the trenches of leftwit activisim. They are employed by the companies grifting off our money and manipulated stock market (aka laundry services – NGOs and millions upon millions in grants.) It they prove to be an astute liar are deceiver, they are installed inside government offices to push and legislate their scam agendas. All a conflict of interest, all a colluding coercive, mafia style, arm twisting, lawfare warfare taxpayer thievery. The swamp of DC is no different than the swamp of VT.
That’s some nice Google stalking you’ve done here.
Blame my legal professor “legal research and analysis” and experienced asset recovery investigating fraud and contract torts. The Truth is not hidden. They have to brag about accomplishments, file appropriate documents, and public information is for our consumption and discernment. Besides, circumstantial evidence has a way of leading to suspect patterns of conduct – birds of a feather theories work as well.
Appears to be a violation of political free speech. Seems like an easy win in court for the Bullis’s. I would bet the ACLU would be willing to take this one to court.
This is so very, very simple. Political speech, which includes yard signs, is protected speech under the First Amendment. As is all speech.
This exact set of circumstances has been litigated countless times across the country over t least the last 40 years. And every time, the courts say, “Political speech is protected under the First Amendment”.
So why oh why do towns, cities, whatever, continue to fritter away the tax dollars of their citizens attempting to defend a position they cannot win? They can call a yard sign a billboard just like they call an experimental genetic altering shot a vaccine, I suppose, but I’m sure the legislators who created the billboard law knew the difference between a billboard and a yard sign. And if they meant “yard signs” they would have explicitly stated: “yard signs”.
Of course, I’m quite sure that, had these been “Heels for Harris” signs or “Re-Elect Savior Balint” signs, no one would have batted an eye.
So go ahead, Bullis family – sue the pants off ’em. You WILL win. In general, we have to keep doing this every time they try to take one more inch of ground. Otherwise, they’ll never, ever stop. You know it and I know it.
Show me in the US Constitution where it says my First Amendment rights end with what I espouse on my yard signs. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
Drag out all the misc. equipment you can and place the signs
on each one. I had a problem here in Rockingham with creeps stealing my signs. Can’t bear to have someone exercising their first amendment rights.
Balint beating her drum ….
“I presented $500,000 to the Town of North Hero to improve reliable, safe water access by constructing an elevated water storage tank that will provide a backup water source to areas south of the village and eliminate any disruption of service during future breaks and necessary repairs.”
Know how it works now?
Danielle Turin was simply doing the job she was hired to do: enforce the North Hero development regulations. If people have a problem with these regulations, they should address these concerns to the North Hero Planning Commission to begin the process of making changes. They have indicated they will consider changes based on this controversy, which has totally been blown out of proportion.. Who would have ever guessed that something as simple as regulations on temporary signs would lead a controversy like this? If you all are looking for someone to blame, please direct your anger toward the person who initiated the complaint: David Erich. Danielle had no choice but to follow up on the complaint once received.
You people who are demonizing her are totally out of line. She is a good person who is doing her absolute best to perform her assigned duties. I wish we had more people in town government as dedicated to doing the right thing as she is,
The miserable cranks who frequent this site prefer to shoot first and ask questions later.