For some, a good garage sale is marked by good buys.

But for Hermistons part-time code enforcement officer Mike Marcum, a good garage sale isnt marked at all, at least not with sale signs advertising it around town.

Marcum checked Craigslist on Friday and spent an hour that morning driving around Hermiston looking for the sales. Marcum, who has served in his position since December 2012, wasnt trying to spot a bargain but trying to enforce a city code that bars signs that advertise garage or yard sales on public property.   

He recommends using social media sites, stating they are a cheap and easy way to advertise a sale.

It doesnt leave any trash behind, he said.

Advertising sales through media such as the radio and newspapers are also encouraged.

Most of the time Marcum finds signs attached to telephone poles or on street corners taped to boxes filled with rocks. Wherever a garage sale sign is posted legally or illegally in Hermiston it is likely Marcum has seen it. He keeps track of the sales and follows the sign to the residence to distribute a copy of the citys ordinance.

The only place anyone is allowed to put a sign is on the premise where the yard sale is being held, Marcum said. People tell us all the time Ive never been told this.

Marcum said the city is trying to make Hermiston more livable by having the signs removed. The ordinance, approved by the City Council in 1984, was a response to signs left over on public property, Marcum said.

They dont clean it up and then the wind comes and it just becomes an ugly mess, Marcum said. If I can educate them, I can alleviate future problems, which is what Im trying to do.

The citys ordinance also prohibits people from having more than four garage sales each year.

Property owners hosting garage sales have 96 hours to remove illegal signs, or it is a Class A violation, according to the ordinance.

Police Chief Jason Edmiston said the move from a fulltime to part-time code enforcement officer is a department attempt to be efficient with limited resources. Sworn officers have increased by three since August 2011, he said.

We are being frugal with resources yet trying to stay atop of demand,?Edmiston said. After a full year we will re-evaluate.  

Meanwhile, promoting compliance through educating the public about the citys ordinances is Marcums job.

Marcum drives around neighborhoods in search of those in and out of compliance with city ordinances and isnt shy about enforcing the rules. He prefers to let hosts remove illegal garage sale signs and said he never has had to cite someone for the ordinance since he started last winter.

Ive had three people out of 20 get upset about it, he said.

Marcum emphasized he is not a sworn police officer but has a background in law enforcement. He  served as a Hermiston patrol officer from 1977-2004.

I dont carry any equipment but a pen, papers and the ordinances, he said.

To do his job, Marcum said patience is necessary as is a willingness to step up and enforce the rules, even if that means using an abatement process. He also oversees the citys abatement contractor who will tackle graffiti, junk and weed removal on private property for a price.

When youre talking abatement, youre talking about getting into peoples pockets, he said.

Marcum not only tries to keep residents accountable to city codes, he also points out when the rules are being followed. Sometimes he even drops an ordinance off at the home of those who are abiding by the rules.

Theres no signs here, Marcum said, pointing to a sale as he drove by last week. This is a good yard sale. These people are doing right.

For a copy of ordinance No. 1533, go online at www.hermiston.or.us or stop by City Hall, 180 N.E. Second St.