That type of promotion is prohibited in Centerville, although the Davis County city may relax the ban.

As it stands now, the strict regulation rarely gets enforced, says Community Development Director Cory Snyder. Some voluntarily comply; others do not.

"Visual pollution and the identity of the city are at issue here," Snyder said. "There's a propensity to outdo one another with signs and they multiply as businesses compete. So . . . cities feel they have to regulate."

On Wednesday, officials sought input from the business community on how to loosen the law or ramp up enforcement.

"It seems to me it's really easy to over-regulate," said Ken Jones, who owns an office building and insurance business in Centerville. "The more you do that - and you lack the ability to enforce - the less meaningful the ordinance becomes."

By tweaking the existing ordinance, city officials hope to enhance the ability for small businesses to compete.

"We have the 10,000-pound gorilla coming into our community now," says Mayor Ron Russell, referring to the new Wal-Mart. "How can we help you do what you need to do?"

For starters, the city needs to remove its 30-day restriction on temporary signs, Jones advises.

Scott and Julie Thompson own the Dairy Queen at 400 W. Parrish Lane and say they willingly abide by the city's regulation, even though they pay a fee to the parent company for promotional material, some of which they cannot use.

Still, Julie Thompson says she supports stronger enforcement to keep down commercial clutter. "I admire them for trying to keep the community feel."

cmckitrick@sltrib.com