City to resident: take your signs down

Despite the threatening letter from the City of Long Beach concerning the election-season signs nailed to his house on East Olive Street, Richard Boodman has no plans to take them down.

The letter, posted on Boodman’s front door on Dec. 1 and signed by buildings commissioner Scott Kemins, explained that Boodman’s display violates city code, and the signs had to be removed by Thursday. “You are hereby ordered to correct these violations within 10 days following the service of this order,” it read. The fine for this violation is $250 a day or 15 days in jail.

But Boodman sees no reason to take down his seven custom-made signs — most of them blaming Long Beach Republicans for a man’s death — which he had a contractor post across a wooden deck that wraps around the front of his home on Sept. 23.

“To the best of my knowledge, I’m protected by the First Amendment,” said Boodman, adding that he is considering hiring an attorney. “They can’t curtail or diminish my freedom of expression ... If I have to go to federal court, I am going to sue professionally and personally all Long Beach city officials, whether elected or appointed, for this action against me.”

Boodman posted the signs, he said, to bring attention to what he believes is the city’s failure to put up three-way stop signs at the intersection of East Olive and Monroe Boulevard. He contends that the two stop signs that are there now were insufficient to save Joseph Shannon, a 76-year-old Florida man who was hit by a school bus while riding his bicycle on the corner on July 28, 2008. Shannon died two days later at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside.

“Dead man’s corner: We need all way stop signs and strict enforcement,” reads one of Boodman’s sign. “If this corner had a stop sign, a bicyclist might not have died,” reads another.

Boodman argues that the city code cited by Kemins appears to address commercial, not residential, property. But City Manager Charles Theofan maintains that the code governs residential signs and political signs that can be displayed no longer than 75 days.