Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Sign controversy shows city’s anti-business bias

I agree with Robert Horgan in response to Fayetteville’s sign ordinance. I am a disabled person who grew tired of not having enough money to pay my bills because of the amount of disability money I receive each month.

I borrowed a lot of money from family and friends in an effort to start a computer services business in Fayetteville. Less than two months into business, I got a visit from the city about a banner I had up front advertising my new business. My permanent sign had just gone up a few days before. He wrote me a ticket and said I had to remove the sign immediately.

I explained to him that I was disabled and did not have the ability to remove it myself. I also explained that I would call my brother and have him come by this weekend to take it down. My brother came by that Sunday morning and took it down for me, but apparently it was not soon enough, as the next day the same city employee came by and gave me a ticket saying I did not follow orders to remove the sign quickly enough.

The ticket said he came by Saturday morning and still saw the banner!

In any case I went to court to plead my case. After speaking with the attorney representing the city, I was told I could pay a $250 fine or take my chances, plead my case before the judge and possibly pay over $1,000.

I explained I had very, very little money and that even $250, at that time, would be hard to pay. In the end I paid the $250 fine that day because the veiled threat I received was enough to show me that I would not, could not win. I closed the business two weeks later.

Needless to say, I am still paying the people I borrowed money from and the episode left a terrible taste in my mouth. I will never do business with the city of Fayetteville again.

I have lived here for over 35 years and Fayetteville used to be the place to live. The people who now run the city government are for the most part transplants who have brought the kind of service and customer “unfriendly” environment that they came from.

To anyone wanting to start a business here, check, check and double-check every aspect of what Fayetteville requires and look for no help, as they are intent on filling the city’s coffers with fine money!

John Allen

Fayetteville, Ga.