Federal gov’t sets unfunded sign mandates on counties

County zoning administrator Linda Fortson informed county commissioners of the new federal mandates Aug. 1. There were wide eyes and expressions of disbelief at the table and in the audience as Fortson informed the board that all signs in Madison County must be entered into a computer system, with perhaps all signs being replaced in the county. Signs must meet a certain reflectivity standard. And all upper case letter signs will be a “no no.” The federal government has determined that the most readable type style is an uppercase letter at the beginning of each word, followed by all lower-case letters.

“There’s a federally mandated program now and all counties must do a sign inventory,” said Fortson.

The zoning administrator asked for a $5,000 budget amendment to allow her to purchase the software license for a road inventory system in Macon. The county budgeted $7,500 for an update to the county’s comprehensive plan, but that update is no longer required. And the sign inventory expense will be covered with the comprehensive plan funds.

“I will enter every sign in the county, what kind of sign it is, when it was installed, what kind of pole it’s on,” said Fortson. “So they can generate reports from this to know when we need to go out and change signs.”

Fortson said the next phase of the project will be the replacement of all signs that don’t meet the federal reflectivity and type standards.

“What if we don’t do anything?” asked commissioner Pete Bond, drawing some chuckles.

Commissioner Stanley Thomas asked if the federal government planned to keep track of the signs after storms.

“Are they going to come back in after an ice storm and see that sign when it’s laying on the ground?” asked Thomas.

Chairman Anthony Dove said theft is a real issue with signs.

“The biggest problem is people taking them,” he said. “More than anything else, we run into that.”
Fortson said she plans to get the inventory done, then she’ll turn the information over to the road department.
She said she will also go to a two-day class soon in Macon on the new guidelines.

“Will the signs have to be in English and Spanish?” asked commissioner John Pethel.

“They haven’t said anything about that yet,” said Fortson. “As far as I know, it’s only English.”

According to a 2010 article by the USA Today, the road sign initiative was established by the Federal Highway Administration under the 816-page Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The article noted that the guidelines are a “nod to the fading eyesight of the nation’s growing number of aging Baby Boomers.”

Officials elsewhere in the country are very annoyed by the new regulations. The USA Today article quoted an official in Milwaukee, which will spend about $1.4 million on new road signs over the next four years.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” said Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan. “Our street signs have worked perfectly well for over 100 years or more. I think it’s just the federal government run amok. If they don’t have far more important things to deal with, they’re not doing their job.”

Mattox said the new signs in Madison County are a higher quality and are easier to see. But he questioned how long the signs will maintain that quality, noting the effect of sunshine on the reflectivity. He wondered if the new signs will be put up, then have to be replaced again when weathered signs fail to meet the new standards.

He also noted the funding problem, the fact new federal requirements don’t include any federal help.

“The thing is, they’re expecting us to pay for this,” he said.