(A) Enforcement. The Department of Development Services, or other departments or officers of the Town designated from time to time by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, is authorized and directed to enforce all of the provisions of this chapter. Upon presentation of proper credentials, the Development Director or his or her duly authorized representative may enter at reasonable times any building, structure or premises in the Town of Collierville to perform any duty imposed upon him or her by this subchapter. The Development Director shall be authorized to pursue all such remedies as are available under the law and shall not be limited to those remedies listed below.
(1) Notice of violation; repair or removal. The Development Director, or his or her duly authorized representative, shall send a letter by certified mail to the owner, agent, and/or person having the beneficial interest in the building or the premises on which the subject sign is located, ordering that such sign be brought into conformance or removed within 30 days of receipt of the letter or such other reasonable period of time as the Development Director may determine to be appropriate under the circumstances. If the sign is not brought into conformity or removed by the end of the 30-day period, the Development Director may cause the same to be removed or repaired, as the case may be, at the expense of the owner of the sign and the owner of the premises on which the sign is located, each of whom shall be jointly and severally liable for such expense.
(2) Signs in public right-of-way. Signs illegally placed in any public right-of-way shall be forfeited to the public and shall be immediately confiscated by the Department of Development.
(3) Unsafe signs. The Development Director, or his or her duly authorized representative, may cause any sign or sign structure to be removed immediately upon written notice at the expense of the owner of the sign and the owner of the premises on which the sign is located if the sign is an immediate hazard to persons or property by virtue of its construction.
(B) Appeals to Board of Zoning Appeals. As set forth in § 151.308, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall hear and decide appeals from any order, requirement, decision or determination made by the Development Director or any other official charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of this chapter.
(C) Penalties. Any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this subchapter shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than the maximum prescribed by Tennessee law. Each day’s continuance of a violation shall be considered a separate offense. The owner of any sign, building or premises, or part thereof, where any matter in violation of this subchapter shall be placed or shall exist, and any person who may have knowingly assisted in the commission of any such violation shall be guilty of a separate offense.
(Ord. 2010-01, passed 8-23-10; Am. Ord. 2012-15, passed 9-24-12; Am. Ord. 2013-01, passed 1-13-14)