City struggles with sign placement for Gentry's yard and garage sales

Yard-sale ordinance needs size limits.

— City council passed on its first reading a new ordinance which would separate the issue of yard- and garage-sale signs from the proposed sign ordinance being discussed and allow the popular signs on city right-of-ways.

The proposed yard sale ordinance would restore the restrictions accidentally omitted from the codified city ordinances, limiting the duration of yard and garage sales to four days and limiting the number of such sales allowed at any property to four per year.

The proposed ordinance would also remove current restrictions on posting yard- and garage-sale signs on city right-of-ways but would limit the signs to the days of the sale only.

Signs may also be placed on private property with the written permission of the property owner.

According to the proposed ordinance, those holding yard and garage sales within the city of Gentry would still be required to obtain a permit (at no charge) from city hall. Signs promoting the sales would be required to include the address of the sale and would be required to be removed by midnight on the day or last day of the sale. Violators couldbe cited and would be subject to a $25 fine on a first offense and a $50 fine on subsequent offenses for not removing the signs prior to midnight on the final day of the sale.

The proposed ordinance does not remove restrictions in place by state law which make it illegal to place signs within state highway right-of-ways. It would also continue to be illegal to attach signs to any public utility pole or street sign or on any living tree, shrub or plant located on the right-of-way of any public property.

It was pointed out by Mayor Kevin Johnston that the downtown Main Street District, South Collins and North Rail-road are all state highways and would continue to be regulated by state law.

The proposed ordinance was recommended to the council by the city’s street and alley committee.

Though some had hoped to dispense with the matter and pass the ordinance on three readings with a single vote, former Gentry mayor, Wes Hogue, pointed out that the proposed ordinance failed to limit sign size.

“When I want to hang my 5-by-25-foot yard-sale banner on the police station and city hall, how do I attach it,” Hogue asked, pointing out that the proposed ordinance set no limits on the size of garage- and yard-sale signs.

Council members suggested the street and alley committee study and suggest an amendment to the proposed ordinance to be considered when the ordinance is brought back to the council in July for its second and possibly its third reading.

The council has been looking for a workable solution to the issue of garagesale signs so that those having the sales can promote them but also making sure the signs are removed promptly following the sales because of complaints about the signs being left out, cluttering up the city and blowing into people’s yards.

News, Pages 1 on 06/08/2011