Picayune now has two code enforcement officers, both with law enforcement experience, who are ensuring ordinances are being adhered to.

At times it may appear as though their efforts are all for naught; each time they pick up a sign, another sprouts up in its place.

But the code enforcement officers are not deterred.

One of the officers reports the team has collected thousands of these signs from the city’s medians and right of ways. What do they do with these signs? Well they either give them back to the business owner with a warning that the signs are not be replaced on city property, or they throw them away.

The other day as I was talking with the code enforcement officer he offered to show me the collection of signs he picked up. As he opened the rear gate to his full sized SUV, signs spilled out onto the parking lot. Now that’s a lot of signs.

Calls requesting the signs for target practice have received by the code enforcement department. To me this sounds like an excellent way to recycle these eyesores.

Targets may not sound like a rarity, but using these temporary signs in this manner is a great idea.

What some businesses should be mindful of is that while the officers will be looking for proper sign permits, they will also be looking for privilege licenses. The privilege license is how the city collects their portion of the sales tax collected by the state. So far one business has been closed because of that violation.

I believe that with time businesses and county residents will take notice that Picayune is working to keep these signs off the roadways. My hope is that their efforts will lead to less and less people putting them out. If that day comes, the city may have to find other work for those code enforcement officers.