By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Look out, litterbugs!

Butler County officials want to show they're serious about keeping Butler beautiful - and to clear up any confusion about those signs about volunteer clean-up efforts.

During the next year, 50 signs reminding everyone that a litter citation carries a $500 fine will be posted throughout the county. Two signs already have been placed on Woodsdale Road in Madison Township.

The 50 signs cost $3,500.State grants will cover 70 percent of that.

Don Lodder, a Hanover Township resident, sparked this initiative when he complained two months ago to Commissioner Courtney Combs about the county signs stating that some organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, are helping to keep a specified area litter-free.

Lodder, who was at the commissioners' meeting this week to pose for pictures with the first litter sign, believes the signs unintentionally send the message that it's OK to litter because somebody came around to pick it up.

"Don said to me, 'Why is the county promoting littering?,' " Combs said. "I said, 'What?' "

"When he explained it to me, I thought his point was well-taken," Combs said. "We don't want people to think, 'Somebody will pick it up, so I'll go ahead and throw it out the car window.' "

The signs complimenting the litter pick-up volunteers will stay. But the $500 penalty signs will be there to keep potential litterbugs from getting the wrong idea.

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com