Anna Council approves yard sale ordinance

The Anna City Council last week approved an ordinance which sets guidelines for yard sales in the Union County community.

The ordinance was approved at a regular meeting of the city council. The meeting was Tuesday evening, Sept. 19, at Anna City Hall. The matter had been discussed at a number of previous council meetings.

The ordinance offers formal definitions of yard sales, as well as charitable, educational, fraternal, nonprofit, religious and veteran organizations.

The ordinance declares “Who May Have Yard Sales: People who are residents of the City of Anna, Illinois, Additionally, bona fide charitable, educational, fraternal, nonprofit, religious and veteran’s organizations that maintain a location within the corporate limits of the City of Anna, and which operate without profit to their members. Finally, the City Council may, upon written request, permit ‘special event’ yard sales such as the ‘River to River Yard Sale,’ upon such terms and conditions as the council in its sole discretion, deems appropriate.”

The ordinance sets guidelines for locations of yard sales, including:

Individual residents: “Yard sales shall be held on the premises of the individual Anna resident conducting the sale.”

Organizations: “Yard sales shall be held on the premises where the organization is located in the City of Anna. Provided however, the City Council may, upon written request, and at its sole discretion, allow an organization to conduct a yard sale at an off-site location.”

Special event yard sales: “Shall be held at locations approved by the City Council.”

Guidelines for when yard sales can be conducted are detailed:

Individual residents: “Yard sales shall be permitted one time monthly per residence. Each yard sale can be set up as early as Thursday, and shall be taken down/cleaned up no later than 5:00 p.m. on the immediately following Sunday. There shall be no yard sales between 5:00 p.m. Sunday and Thursday.”

Organizations: “Yard sales shall be permitted one time monthly at the organization’s location in Anna, or at the alternate location approved by the Anna City Council. Each yard sale can be set up as early as Thursday, and shall be taken down/cleaned up no later than 5:00 p.m. on the immediately following Sunday. There shall be no yard sales between 5:00 p.m. Sunday and Thursday.”

Special event yard sales: “Special event yard sales shall be permitted at such time as the Anna City Council, in its sole discretion, approves.”

Limitations on yard sales include:

“It shall be unlawful for anyone to conduct a retail selling business as a yard sale, or to engage in any sales other than of their own used property, junk, antiques or other discarded items of property.”

“No booths or concession stands shall be incorporated in any permitted yard sale except as approved by the Anna City Council upon written request, and at the Council’s sole discretion.”

“Yard sale signs shall not exceed four (4) square feet, shall not be erected more than five (5) days prior to the scheduled yard sale, and shall be removed immediately following the event. In no event may a yard sale sign remain posted more than twelve hours after the conclusion of the permitted yard sale.”

“No yard sale signs shall be posted on utility poles or City owned poles (i.e. stop signs, speed restriction signs, no parking signs, street signs, etc.)”

Penalties for violation of the ordinance include:

“Any person or organization found guilty of violating any of the provisions of the City of Anna, Illinois’ Yard Sale Ordinance shall be fined not less than $120.00 for each provision violation, but not to exceed a total of $1,200.00 for violations in a single yard sale. Violations at subsequent yard sales shall result in additional fines, per yard sale, in conformity with the provisions of this ordinance.”

The ordinance took effect immediately upon its passage at last week’s city council meeting. 

In other business at last week’s meeting:

The council discussed establishing guidelines for the use of a new concessions/restrooms building at the Anna City Park.