City wants to ban windshield marketing
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

INVASION OF PRIVACY?- The City Council is looking to adopt an ordinance that would prohibit the placement of fliers, like the one shown above, on vehicles in the city.

The Simi Valley City Council introduced an ordinance Monday night prohibiting the placement of fliers, handbills, leaflets and other printed materials on vehicles in the city.

If passed in its second reading next week, violators of the ordinance may be charged with an infraction or a misdemeanor, according to a city staff report.

Councilmember Barbra Williamson, who asked the city attorney's office to draft the ordinance during a meeting of the City Council on March 17, said the measure would reduce the amount of litter on city streets and parking lots.

"People have a right to privacy on their cars," Williamson said. "This is just another way of keeping our community clean. It's just a tool for the police department if they feel they need it."

Development of the antilitter ordinance came about when members of the public began complaining of finding advertisements for adult entertainment on their cars, Williamson said.

"Then people would take them off their cars and throw them on the ground," she said. "We need to be able to go back to these people and tell them they can't be doing that."

Direct distribution of fliers and similar materials would not be prohibited as long as the recipient- a pedestrian or vehicle owner- is willing to accept it, the ordinance states.

According to the staff report, infractions are punishable by fines of $100 for the first violation, $200 for a second violation and $500 for a third or subsequent violation.

Misdemeanors are punishable by fines up to $1,000 or six months imprisonment or both.

Violators of the antilitter ordinance would also be subject to the city's Civil Fine Ordinance, which charges $100 for the first offense, $200 for a second offense, and $500 for a third or subsequent offense.