The following year local leaders went a step further by appointing a committee of storeowners to develop a sign ordinance. The committee banned billboards, set height and color limits, and prohibited neon signs in windows. In the downtown area already posted signs that didn't conform to the specifications were demolished using hydraulic lifts. The ordinance is still in place today and has burgeoned into a 44-page document that covers everything from awning signs to yard sale signs. Neon signs are still forbidden, as are portable signs, certain residential signs, and signs with more than two colors.
Some residents oppose the strict ordinance, saying that the rules and regulations go too far.
But ignoring the regulations won't work in this town as officials take violations seriously. During the 2000 elections more than 20 local candidates were fined for displaying unapproved signs. National Geographic Books, 1997. All rights reserved.