Gig Harbor Undressed

Pierce County, Here’s Your Sign

Have you ever heard Bill Engvall’s “Here’s Your Sign” routine?  It’s a very funny take on people doing and saying things that Bill Engvall feels warrants that they should wear a warning sign around their necks so the rest of us can be alerted to their lack of intelligence.  Well,  Pierce County gets a sign from me.

You may have noticed that there are far fewer “For Sale” signs around the Gig Harbor area now than there were a few days ago.  It’s not that our housing market has picked up significantly and hundreds of homes magically sold this past weekend, but rather Pierce County has confiscated hundreds of real estate signs, small business signs, and other signs posted around the area.

Now let me be really clear on this point: I am actually GLAD, and I applaud Pierce County for taking the initiative to clean up our city and remove the multiple signs from around town.  Tuesday morning as I drove to a meeting in Gig Harbor, there was a gated development with 9–yes, 9–For Sale signs in front of the gates.  That wouldn’t be terrible, except there were only 4 homes for sale in this neighborhood.  One agent had 4 signs for 2 listings.  It looks trashy.  The neighborhood looks undesirable with all those “For Sale” signs out front.  Good for you, Pierce County, for cleaning them up and getting all those signs, and the small directional arrow signs, and other small advertising signs, off of our streets.

Here’s where I have the issue, and grant Pierce County their “sign.”  This was done with no warning to anybody.  Pierce County tax payers have had their money go to cover the costs to pick up literally hundreds of signs.  I know that one phone call, one email, one letter to ANY of the real estate offices in Gig Harbor would have been enough to alert ALL of Gig Harbor’s Realtors.  We would have gladly picked up our own signs at no cost to the tax payers. 

And the biggest problem?  All of these signs were dumped directly into the landfill.  Thousands of pounds of re-usable and recyclable posts, signs, flyer boxes, and fliers dumped into our landfills.  Agents weren’t given a chance to pick up our own signs (which would have saved us and Pierce County tax payers money), and we were not given the chance to come pick up our signs after they had been removed (which would have saved us money and saved our environment lots of needless waste). 

Again, kudos to the County for taking the initiative to clean up Gig Harbor.  The agents and businesses and sign installation companies should have known the long-standing sign ordinance and abided by it.  But good grief, Pierce County, a little communication and we could have saved money, waste, and hard feelings.

Here’s your sign.