The Vidalia Board of Aldermen wants citizens to know that removing or defacing city street signs is no joke.

Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said the city is having some problems with city street signs being torn down or spray-painted.

“We are going to find out who is doing this and prosecute them to the fullest extent,” Copeland said.

After Tuesday’s aldermen meeting, Vidalia Police Chief Billy Hammers said he thinks teenagers are damaging the signs.

Hammers said little could be done to prevent the sign damage, but officers are working on it.

“When we can pinpoint an area that they have been working, then it will be easier to set something up, but until then it’s just a shot in the dark,” Hammers said.

At the meeting Copeland said the city would offer a $500 reward for the arrest and conviction of the individuals or groups responsible for the damage.

“Whether (the people responsible for the sign damage) realize it or not, if someone runs through an area where a sign has been and gets killed, that person that tore down the sign is liable,” Copeland said.

In other business:

The board approved a motion to hire Calvin Dotson, Charlie Canon, Eric Guillot and Dickie Nugent as firemen for the city’s fire department.

An ordinance was adopted to change the Hughes property on Carter Street from residential to commercial.

The board granted occupational and sign licenses to Joe’s Crawfish at the Kaiser Mobil Mart at 4291 Carter St. and the Cash-N-Dash at 207 Carter St.

The board also granted a liquor and beer license to the Race Way gas station at 511 Carter St,

City Manager Kenny Davis said the city’s natural gas rates have gone down 33 percent since Nov. 2005.

“This is an accumulation of decreases of cost to the town which is passed on to the customers,” Davis said.

Last year, citizens were paying an approximately $50 more per month per 100 cubic ft. for natural gas, Davis said.