PINE HILLS, Fla. – Sandra Fatimi-Hall with the Pine Hills Community Council called them an eyesore.
“They’re a nuisance and they don’t uplift the community in any way, shape, or form. It actually brings the community down,” she said.
Fatimi-Hall and several other Pine Hills residents said they want nothing to do with these signs.
“They’re not well put together. People can tell they’re in Pine Hills when they see those signs,” she added.
Snipe — or bandit — signs are temporary signs placed on trees, utility poles, or other structures in the public right-of-way. They’re not permitted under the Orange County sign ordinance, making them illegal.
Fatimi-Hall said she and many Pine Hills Community Council volunteers have picked up hundreds of these signs. She’s even tried calling some of the businesses behind them.
“Some don’t, and when they find out that you’re calling to do this, they don’t want to speak with you. So I wouldn’t say we got too far, but it’s always worth trying,” she explained.
Orange County officials say they remove more than 100,000 signs from the right-of-way each year. A private contractor is now helping code enforcement officers pick up the nuisance signs.
Fatimi-Hall and others said it’s time for stiffer laws and harsher penalties.
“I don’t know if that is what it will take. Maybe something even more. It has to be something that works, and clearly what we’re doing right now is not working,” she said.