Spring has arrived and with it, the beginning of garage sale and non-profit yard sale season. Over the weekend, I observed city employees in city vehicles removing signs and visiting citizens. Speaking with these citizens, I learned that they were not aware of the ordinance.

Those of us who are habitual “sale-rs” remember last summer when the city decided to begin enforcing the signage ordinances before informing (outside of city water bills) citizens that the signs would begin to be removed and a fine handed to those who broke the law. Meanwhile, I know that many of us were left waiting for customers after having taken great effort and expense to produce our signs and merchandise. Many of us accused “delinquents” later found that our signs had been removed by the city.

Weeks later, we found out that our own city workers had been instructed to remove the signs, as part of the signage ordinance that had suddenly been deemed necessary to enforce. While we empathize with those whose path was obstructed by the signs, we as sale-rs had every right to be upset after a loss of our time, effort and expense—not knowing the city was at work enforcing an ordinance we hadn’t known had become a city priority.

Even after the story of signage appeared in the Whidbey News-Times, residents were finding that city employees were inconsistent both in their enforcement and in their interpretation of what was legal signage. Based on what I witnessed last weekend, the city must again review with their employees what is “legal” and what violates the signage ordinances. Evidently there is still some subjective interpretation going on.

The Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce stepped up last summer and offered citizens the opportunity to list their sale with the chamber and that the list would be available upon request. The city stated that they were researching a common signage area but no one, to my knowledge, has seen anything come of this. The chamber’s offer remains for this year, as those contacted by the city last weekend were referred to the chamber.

The Whidbey News-Times is widely read throughout our area but notification of this enforcement cannot be left to the media or in water bills that not every citizen receives. If the city is serious about creating a common area for signage or some other solution, we would like to know what those options may be. We would like to see the city make an effort to communicate with us in a proactive manner. Profitable and effective sale-rs know, however, that now it is more important than ever to produce quality signs, and remove them so that we can police ourselves.

Sale-rs, your signs must be within the ordinance, but they also must be readable to drivers. Please, as you create your signs, do not list your inventory on your signs. All that drivers need is the address, date and time. Make signs self-standing, communicating your information in large, thick, black print. A large arrow to help navigation is also useful. Consider the weather, wind and rain, the longer the signs stay up, the more customers you will receive on less than sunny days. If you buy “ready to use” signs, determine how to word them so that drive by customers can interpret the information.

The best idea I’ve seen is large neon poster board, posted to a “T-stake.” Signs too, are an investment of your time and money, so make money by making them stand out! Then, kindly remove them when you close your sale.

Save drivers their time and money (seen the price of gas lately?) and produce the type of signs and sale you would like to attend. Talk with your neighbors about the need for better signs and that the ordinances will be enforced. Let’s work together to have a profitable and effective sale-ing season. Wishing you “Super Sale-ing”,

Amy Hannold lives in Oak Harbor.