Atmore Mayor Jim Staff is concerned that citizens are not following the city’s laws concerning non-profit organizations that hang signs and banners.

“None of this is new, they’re just things that aren’t being followed in every case,” Staff said. “We just want everybody to be treated fairly and keep our city looking nice.”

Non-profit organizations are permitted to hang banners to advertise an event, but they are asked to follow the city’s ordinances while doing so. The ordinance pertaining to non-profit banners is as follows:

• Commercial messages advertising or promoting a business or its products and services are prohibited.

• A business or entity (such as a non-profit organization) may place one banner at the business’s or entity’s location for an event, fundraiser, etc. The banner must be permitted by the building inspector, and may be placed on the storefront but not public rights-of-way. The maximum allowed time for placement is 14 continuous calendar days.

• A business or entity may deliver one permitted banner to the city building inspector for placement on “city railroad handrails.” The building inspector will place and remove the banner.

• If a business or entity is hosting an event in public parks or upon publicly maintained property, then: one banner is allowed to be placed on the property, and it must be permitted by the building inspector. The business or entity can only place the banner on the day of the event, and it must be removed immediately after the event.

For any other questions concerning signs or banners, call Atmore City Hall at (251) 368-2253.