Sticker Shock: Proliferation Makes Poles, Signs Unsightly

CHATHAM – In his walks around town, one change Robert Byrnes has noticed in the past few years is the proliferation of advertising stickers. Stickers promoting everything from local shops to craft beer to bands and politics can be seen plastered on telephone poles, trash receptacles, traffic signs and even light and flag poles.

 The stickers are unsightly, he said. He’s met with Town Manager Jill Goldsmith and Public Works Director Rob Faley to try to come up with a way to remove the clutter, and he recently brought his concerns to the select board.

 “I can’t understand why the town continues to allow this to happen,” he said.

 Since then there has been some progress. Public works employees removed stickers from trash containers and signs at the Lighthouse Overlook, and Building Commissioner Jay Briggs convinced the Chatham Squire to remove stickers from its windows that violated the town’s sign code. Byrnes said Cumberland Farms removed stickers from its gas pumps when he requested.

 A contact at Eversource indicated that the town is welcome to remove the stickers from its poles, but didn’t seem interested in doing the work itself, Faley said in an email. While town staff are removing stickers from street signs and other town infrastructure when they are made aware of them, he said that removing them from the utility poles would be time consuming.

 It’s easy to see the attraction to promote something with a sticker on the back of a stop sign or on metal shields that cover the bottom three or four feet of utility poles downtown. Some are humorous or strictly promotional; others carry messages, such as “Free Ukraine.” A few years ago, stickers promoting a far-right hate group were found downtown.

Often brightly colored and featuring logos or other artwork, the stickers are easy to place but can be difficult to remove, Faley said.

 “It is an ongoing issue that goes beyond just maintenance,” Faley wrote in an email.

 In an email to Byrnes, Goldsmith said she reached out to other area town managers to find out how they handled the situation. It may not be a problem in other towns, however. Byrnes said he sees few if any stickers on signs and poles in Harwich Port.

 He also suggested that a silicon-based coating that prevent stickers from sticking be applied to street signs, rubbish receptacles and and other structures susceptible to sticker placement. 

 Byrnes is hoping the select board will place the issue on a future agenda. He called for an ongoing working agreement between Eversource and the town to clean and maintain utility poles.

 When Byrnes brought the issue up during the public comment section of the board’s Oct. 13 meeting, Chair Jeffrey Dykens said the board supported his efforts.

“We need to have a conversation with Eversource,” Dykens said.

“I don’t think it’s insurmountable,” added board member Stuart Smith.