Iowa City welcome sign target for vandalism

After 12 years posing as a welcome into Iowa City, a North Dubuque Street sign is turning into a gift that keeps on giving for vandals in the Iowa City area.

In late September, the letters “I” and “A” were taken from a sign which reads “IOWA CITY.” The city acted quickly as Nesper Sign Co., of Cedar Rapids, replaced the letters within a few weeks at a cost of $950.34 to the city.

But the theft was not new to city officials said Kathi Johansen, administrative assistant to the city manager.

The sign was built in 1998 and it remained in its original form for several years. But almost a decade later, the letters began to disappear. Between April 2005 and December 2006, the city paid to repair the sign three times at a total price tag of $3,934.77, Johansen said.

“Whenever it happens it always seems to be the same thing,” Johansen said. “They just take a letter or two.”

The thefts not only make the sign look bad due to missing letters, but it can also damage wiring which lights the words from behind the letters at night. The city has discussed several theft deterrent strategies since letters began to disappear from the sign, which stands in close proximity to Mayflower Residence Hall on the University of Iowa campus.

Former Iowa City Manager Steve Atkins jokingly made a suggestion to install poison ivy in front of the sign after the thefts became frequent in 2005. More recently, Nesper Sign Co. coated the sign's letters with “bird product,” a sticky substance used to keep birds from sitting on the sign. Not only could this be a deterrent for the birds, but it would leave a very sticky mess for anyone trying to steal a letter, Johansen said.

Johansen added Nesper has taken structural measures in attempt to keep the letters intact.

“I know they have fastened the letters more securely so they are not as easy to pull off,” she said. “[Vandalism] actually has decreased from that.”

The vandalism continues to puzzle city officials and police as the location of the sign is very well lit on the side of a relatively busy Dubuque Street. After all of the tactics the city has discussed to keep the sign vandal free, it seems to continue anyway. But that will not stop city officials from continuing to try.

“Were trying to evaluate the costs and see what else we can do to make [the sign] more secure,” Johansen said. “Hopefully we can find a way so it wont be so attractive for vandals.”