Media Release

4:45 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY - The American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE) has declared May 19-25 as National S.O.S. (sick of signs) Week.

Alachua County Codes enforcement will join the American Association of Code Enforcement in its national campaign to rid our neighborhoods and business districts of illegally posted signs.

Hundreds of code enforcement jurisdictions have found that a common violation irritant shared by most communities is illegally posted signs on public property.  The illegal signs are normally found clustered at busy intersections and along main thoroughfares.  Code enforcement personnel spend an enormous amount of time removing and destroying these illegal signs, pulling them away from other, more serious issues in their neighborhoods.  It can also be dangerous to remove these signs, given the heavy traffic along main thoroughfares and at busy intersections.

AACE has requested nationwide participation of Code Enforcement entities to focus attention on illegal signs posted in the right-of-way, on utility poles, light poles, medians, tree lawns, parkways and on other public property.   AACE further requested that Code Enforcement Officers take the lead in organizing sign removal sweeps in a national coordinated effort to remove signs and, if the code authorizes, identify and site violators.  Code personnel will remove illegally placed signs, keeping track of the number of signs and the amount of time spent removing them.  The County will collect the information from their code enforcement staff and email AACE with the results.  AACE will tabulate the results and produce a further national media release for use by all contributing cities.

For more information, contact the Alachua County Codes Enforcement Office at 352-374-5243.

-30-