(A) Types allowed:
(1) Flags and signs of duly constituted governmental bodies, including warnings;
(2) Flags or emblems of political, civic, philanthropic, educational or religious organizations;
(3) Public service or public information signs;
(4) On-site business signs;
(5) Outdoor advertising devices;
(6) Garage or yard sale signs;
(7) Subdivision signs;
(8) Signs pertaining to sale, lease or rental of the property on which the sign is displayed, and temporary signs pertaining to real property to be sold at auction;
(9) Memorial plaques, cornerstones, historical tablets and the like; and
(10) Electronic signs with the following restrictions:
(a) The sign's luminance or brightness shall not exceed 0.3-foot candles (candela) when measured at a distance of 100 feet.
(b) The sign's copy shall not be permitted to flash or scroll. The copy should show frames in a slide-show like arrangement.
(c) Static images should have a three-second minimum hold time.
(B) Signs listed above shall not resemble, obstruct, or otherwise physically interfere with the effectiveness of an official traffic sign, signal or device and cannot obstruct or physically interfere with a driver's view of approaching or intersecting traffic based on sight triangle distance.
(C) No freestanding flashing signs will be permitted within 40 feet of the edge of any roadway except for official government use and/or public safety.
(D) No signs are allowed in the public right-of-way except for official government use and/or public safety.
(E) No illumination sign shall be of such intensity as to unduly disturb the use of any residential property.
(F) All temporary signs described must be removed within one week following the event or sale of property.
(G) No sign, floodlight or other outdoor advertising device shall be erected or continued in operation which constitutes a nuisance by reason of light, glare, noise, animation, or is considered unsafe or abandoned.
(H) Electronic message centers shall be equipped with sensors that automatically determine the ambient illumination and adjust the sign's brightness accordingly.
(I) No sign shall contain obscenity, defamation, fraud, or fighting words.
(J) No sign above two feet or below ten feet in height shall be allowed within the sight triangle.
(K) All entrance signs and freestanding signs located near the comers of an intersection of city streets and/or private drives, shall be located outside the sight distance triangle.
(L) All signs except for banners, flags, temporary signs, and/or sandwich board signs allowed shall be constructed of permanent materials that are permanently attached to the ground or a structure.
(M) No sign shall be painted on or attached to any trees, rocks, fence posts, utility poles, or similar structures or objects.
(N) All signs shall be maintained in good condition at all times.
(O) No sign shall obstruct any means of egress.
(P) Mobile signs or portable signs can be used as an on-premise business sign but cannot be used as off-premises advertising, except to make temporary announcements for a period of no longer than 14 days.
(Q) The City Council is hereby designated to serve as the Sign Board to review and decide on requests for variances or adjustments from the specific terms of this chapter. The appellant shall submit a request letter with site plan and maps to the City Manager outlining all reasons for needing the variance. Any variance request or appeal may be taken up at any City Council meeting at which the request is part of the agenda. The Board may render a decision at the meeting or may take the request for study and render a decision at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
(R) The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced by the Building Official. Any person or business failing to comply with the requirements of this chapter shall be cited into City Court.
(S) Should any section, clause or provision of this chapter be declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional or invalid, this judgment shall not affect the validity of the chapter as a whole or any other part than the part judged invalid.
(Ord. 1679, passed 8-9-2022)