Selma’s city attorney presented a revision to the municipal graffiti‑removal ordinance at the council meeting March 18 that replaces an unconstitutional consent requirement with a short, three‑sentence consent form property owners can sign to authorize city crews to enter and remove graffiti from private property.

Under the revised process the city will deliver a written notice that graffiti is present; the notice will include a simple consent form property owners can sign to authorize city entry for removal and to waive liability for incidental damage tied to the cleanup. If the owner does not sign the consent and the graffiti is not removed within the compliance period, fines may be assessed daily. Once fines reach a set threshold (the draft cites $1,500 as an example), the city attorney will be authorized to file for a court order allowing entry and recovery of removal costs.

Council members debated the practical challenges of matching paint on fences and walls. Public‑works staff explained that block walls, wood fences and brick require different removal methods and paint‑matching is not always exact; public‑works staff cautioned against a practice that would obligate the city to repaint entire fences when only a small area is tagged. The council amended the originally proposed 72‑hour compliance period to 10 days to account for mailed notices and logistic realities; the city attorney said mailed notices legally add time for receipt but the ordinance will explicitly state the 10‑day rule. The council approved the introduction/first reading with the 10‑day amendment by roll call.

Why it matters: The change was driven by constitutional concerns about mandating property owners to consent to city entry. The new process aims to speed removal by offering a simple consent option and by deputizing city crews to do cleanups where owners agree, while preserving due‑process and a path to court action when owners do not comply.

Next steps: Staff will finalize the short consent form and publish it online; the council will consider final adoption on a future meeting agenda after staff provides final language and an estimate of expected program costs. Councilmembers asked public works to prepare a rough budget to allow crews to do graffiti removal on private property when owners consent and to return with historical remove‑and‑cost data.