[Imc-newsroom] July 18, 2002 -- Police Visit the UCIMC:

[Sascha Meinrath]

Hi everyone,

The police visited the IMC today to give us official warning that
"BILLPOSTING IS ILLEGAL."  So, DO NOT, for any reason, illegally post
bills for the IMC.  Here's an excerpt:

"As a business owner or manager, you are responsible for bills posted for
your business by your employees and agents, including as an example bands
you have booked to appear in your establishment.  Please counsel your
employees, bands, and promotional agencies accordingly.

Fines for billposting can be up to $400.00 PER DAY FOR EACH POSTER EVERY
DAY THAT IT IS DISPLAYED... Strict enforcement begins August 15, 2002."

So, from here on out, EVERY band or organization that utilizes the IMC
should be told about this law and must agree to abide by it if they are to
utilize IMC resources.

As many of you know, the IMC has recently been ticketed for obstructing a
right of way during an art opening several weeks ago and the police have
refused to drop this rather dubious ticket.  Enforcement of this law could
bankrupt the IMC within 1-2 days and I have little doubt that the police
will strictly enforce this ordinance against the IMC.

Here's the law (Chapter 3 of the City Code of Champaign, Article II
Section 3-17):  "(a) No placard, poster, circular, showbill, handbill,
card, leaflet, sign, or other advertising matter whatsoever shall be
placed, posted, nailed, painted, printed, stamped, or in any way be
attached, on any street or sidewalk, or upon any fence, wall, post, tree,
platform tower, telegraph pole, telephone pole, electric light pole, or
other utility pole or tower or in or upon any easement, right-of-way, or
on property owned, managed or controlled by the City except where
permitted by law. (b) No person shall post any bill or advertisement on
any private property without the written consent of the owner thereof."

Yeah freedom of expression!

--Sascha

P.S. Please forward this message to other organizations that may be
effected since I doubt that the police individually visited all the groups
that flyer in the Champaign-Urbana area to warn them.