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Health & Fitness

Is This a Sign?

What's going on? It's a weekly question asked by a thirtysomething resident of the Sagamore Hills community.

Illegal signs on power poles, street easements, and medians are indicators of a community's social health.

These signs that promote buying junk cars, tax services based on number of children, and carpet cleaning for fifty dollars show visitors and residents that this area does not show pride in its appearance and is in keeping with local laws and ordinances.

DeKalb County states that no sign should be placed on a power pole, within a sidewalk easement, or any county owned property.

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I always thought this would be the easiest crime at which to catch someone. They are putting their phone number on the sign! How can these people not be caught?

If that does not work, go to the sign shop off North Decatur Road that promotes making these signs. With little effort, this growing problem could be resolved.

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This past year, DeKalb County started a Neighborhood Ambassador Program, a two night event that concluded a resident could legally remove signs. A big component to this is knowing what is illegal and what is not. Two nights may be a bit excessive, but no one asked me.

I think this is a great idea, but it is also a lost potential source of income for the police and/or community.

For example, the gas station at the intersection of Briarcliff and Clairmont Road had at last count, 8 signs nailed to an adjacent power pole in a small patch of grass. If these stations/ business were fined because it hosts these illegal signs, I'm sure they would be removed daily.

The only way to get people to do something is to hit them in the pocketbook.

Maybe when the owner gets fined a few times, he would re-evaluate his property and notice that people have been disrespecting it. He has not shown that he even cares about this property. The sign above the door should read, "We appreciate your business, but do not care how our business reflects your community."

If the businesses take care of their area, and the Neighborhood Ambassadors and county employees handle the rest, this problem could be solved.

The last way to remedy the problem is have the County personnel that pass by these signs multiple times a week, and that have the ability to stop and grab these efficiently… DeKalb County Trash people.  These people can stop just about anywhere, grab the signs and help clean the negotiated parts of the county.

The vast majority of DeKalb residents are proud people, but a few rotten apples are trying to take a piece of that. They are disrespecting people’s property and blatantly telling everyone that laws do not apply to them.

In the meantime, take pride in your own area - if you see a sign, stop, take it down, and throw it away.

Take Pride, DeKalb!

@laroberts426

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