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Tamarac and Pompano Beach to use robocalls against snipe signsJul 04, 2012 (Sun Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- More Broward cities have found a new way to drive people crazy, but this time it's the scofflaws they're targeting. Following Hollywood's example, cities are going after businesses who scatter their advertising in the public right-of-way by starting a robocalling system -- which is essentially serial calls. Now Tamarac has started the calls and says it sees a marked improvement. Pompano Beach has agreed to start soon, too. "We're hoping this will solve the problem by annoying them," said Pompano Beach Vice Mayor George Brummer. "That's the purpose, to upset them enough and to interrupt their business enough by making the phone calls." In Hollywood, where signs abound to buy gold and junk cars, fix your AC or rescue you from foreclosure, pre-recorded messages tell those businesses their signs were illegally placed in a public right of way and must be removed. And if they want the calls to stop, they must go to City Hall -- where they'll receive a citation -- and fill out paperwork confirming that the signs have been removed. Pompano Beach decided last week to jump on the robocall bandwagon. As soon as the city purchases the robocalling software, the snipe sign businesses can expect a few calls. Businesses in that city often plaster utility boxes or electrical boxes in the right-of-way on main thoroughfares with small, colorful signs that are unsightly and hard to remove, Brummer said. And calling the number once won't work, he said. The person on the other end often professes innocence when it comes to posting the signs, claiming someone they don't know and can't identify put the signs up on their behalf. Tamarac has already taken action. In early April, the city spent $700 to be able to make multiple calls at one time to businesses that insist on posting what code enforcement calls "sign litter." Mark Woods, Tamarac's code compliance manager, said his crews pick up the signs on public property such as a median or swales on weekends and toss them in the trash. "The problem has been as fast as we can pick them up, they're coming right back out, especially tax season with people advertising tax return services," he said. Now, the machine starts making the calls on Monday "constantly," every day, and it "basically says your signs have been found, it is against city code, pick them up, or be subject to a fine." Woods said the number of repeat offenders has been dropping. The machine makes about 15 to 20 calls a week. In Hollywood, the calls have worked, said city spokeswoman Raelin Storey. The city's removed 117 signs in March, when it first started the robocalling program; 24 were removed in April and 13 in May. "Our code enforcement unit reports an estimated decrease in the number of signs of 90 percent," Storey said. "We believe that as the companies that place these signs began getting the calls, they made the decision that putting up illegal snipe signs in Hollywood was not worth the trouble. The calls have had a deterrent effect." Cities and departments from all over the country have called about the program, Storey said. Among them are Las Vegas, Nev.; the Delaware Department of Transportation; Salisbury, Maryland; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Florida cities Oakland Park, Plant City, Lauderhill, Miramar, and Leesburg. ___ (c)2012 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |