Temporary signs and banners may soon become a rarity along Picayune’s streets.

Code enforcement officers Chad Dorn and Tom Milar are collecting illegally placed signs and notifying business owners the current ordinance will now be enforced.

Milar said he estimates he has picked up thousands of signs so far, some of which are being disposed of as opposed to returning them to the business owner. Of the thousands of signs that have been confiscated Milar estimates he has given back about 80 percent.

Some of the signs will be re-purposed as target practice for law enforcement training, Milar said.

During his ordinance enforcement, one business was found to be operating without a privilege license, forcing enforcement officers to close the business until the license is obtained, Milar said.

The effort is still in its first phase, but when phase 2 begins the officers will focus on illegal signs on real property, including signs that advertise alcohol and cigarettes, Milar said.

The sign and alcohol sales ordinances forbid their placement in front of a store, Planning and Zoning Director Diane Miller said. Beer and cigarette distributors installing those signs at each business will be notified to ensure compliance is met.

Some of the signs cropping up in the medians are from businesses outside the city limits. Milar said he is keeping a ledger of those businesses and notifying them that they can no longer place the signs in Picayune.

Miller said businesses from Slidell, Covington, Biloxi and Gulfport have been placing signs along Picayune’s medians.

Yard sale signs are also a problem. Milar said after he spends all day picking up signs, yard sale signs appear, typically on Friday evenings.

So far, Milar said most business owners have been cooperative, especially when they learn every business has to adhere to the ordinance.

There are locations where event signs can be legally displayed. However, the city installs the signs. Event promoters interested in utilizing these display points need to bring their banner to the Intermodal Transportation Center on U.S. 11. There is no fee for the city to install the banner at those locations, which are near each Interstate exit and on ramp. An additional location is currently in the design phase, Miller said.

Phase 2 will also involve enforcement officers entering every store to ensure they have the proper sign permits and a privilege license.

Phase 2 is planned to begin in the next couple of weeks, time permitting.