GENTRY — Yard sale signs, where they may and may not be posted and how long they may be posted was the main topic of a joint Gentry Police Committee and Street and Alley Committee meeting on Friday.

The meeting was called because police began enforcing state law and city code in regard to the signs and some residents were upset by the department’s enforcement actions.

State law prohibits any signs from being posted within state highway right-of-ways or the attaching of signs to utility poles or living plants. City code prohibits posting of signs within city right-of-ways. City law also limits the posting of signs to four days before the sale and two days after the sale ends.State and city codes also spell out fines and penalties to be imposed upon violators.

Those wishing to promote a garage or yard sale or give directions to the sale may only post signs on private property - far enough back from the street to be off the city or state right-of-ways- and with the permission of the landowner. Following the sales, the signs must be removed within the time limitations.

Violations of state and city laws have been commonplace, according to Gentry Chief of Police Keith Smith, and his department has begun to pick up the illegal signs.

City attorney Jay Williams told committee members it would cause confusion and trouble if the city relaxed its code regarding the posting of garage and yard sale signs in city right-of-ways because parts of Main Street, Third Street, Railroad Ave., and Collins Street are state highways and most people would not realize that. He also pointed out that property owners would likely be upset if people posted their signs in city right-of-ways in front of their houses.

“Whatever is legal, let’s keep legal,” said councilwoman Janice Arnold.

Williams suggested the committee consider how the city could best solve the problem, without relaxing the law.

Smith suggested including the rules for the posting of yard sale signs on the permits the city requires of those who hold the sales. Until the permits themselves can be revised, he suggested a stamp or pink piece of paper outlining where the signs may not be posted in an effort to prevent violations and his department issuing notices to appear.

Also suggested by committee members was a community bulletin board where the signs and notices could legally be posted and where those looking for garage sales could go to find out where the sales are.

“We would need to decide where the bulletin board is to be located and whether it should be built or purchased,” said councilwoman Janie Parks, indicating that more discussion and decisions would yet need to be made before a community bulletin board could be put up.

Also discussed was the possibility of having a public place where the sales could be held on a regular basis to draw more people to the sales.

The Gentry Police will continue to enforce city and state code and remove illegal signs, giving violators notices to appear in court where necessary. But the city will also begin advising those who come in for permits of the law in an effort to prevent violations. In the future, a community bulletin board and possibly even a place for sales on public property could become reality.

Also discussed at the meeting was lowering the speed limits on residential streets which are not through streets from 30 mph to 20 or 25 mph.

State law currently sets 30 mph as the maximum speed in residential areas unless they are otherwise posted, but Smith said 30 mph was too fast for many of the city’s narrow streets.

The question was raised, in part, because of streets in the Oaks Subdivision which are 20 mph while others have been left at 30. Numerous other much-narrower streets in the city were also discussed.

The possibility of setting a citywide residential speed limit at 20 or 25 mph was suggested by Smith because it would only require posting of signs at entrances to the city and not on each street, cutting down on the expense of a change. After additional study, an ordinance lowering residential speed limits may be brought back to the council for consideration.

Gentry Mayor Wes Hogue suggested the city begin having regularly scheduled brush and limb pickup days. He spoke of the possibilities of having a scheduled day each quarter or each month, but said quarterly was probably the better way to begin since the city budget could cover the costs and it would be hard to go back to quarterly if the city started the service on a monthly basis.

News, Pages 1 on 10/27/2010