(a) There is hereby created a committee to be known as the special sign district advisory committee, hereinafter called the “committee”, composed of five members appointed by the city plan commission. The committee shall be appointed within 15 days following the effective date of the establishment of the first special provision sign district created pursuant to the provisions of Division 51A-7.500 of this article. The members of the committee shall include one architect, one graphic designer, and one businessman associated with the sign industry. The city plan commission is authorized to solicit a list of nominees from any trade or professional association the membership of which has special knowledge of or interest in the design, construction, and placement of signs or urban planning and design. Appointments to the committee shall be for a term of two years ending on September 1 of each odd-numbered year and the members shall serve without compensation. The commission shall designate a chairman and vice-chairman from the members. The commission may appoint up to three alternate members to the committee who serve in the absence of one or more regular members when requested to do so by the chairperson or by the city manager. The alternate members serve for the same period and are subject to removal the same as regular members. The commission shall fill vacancies occurring in the alternate membership the same as in the regular membership.
(b) The committee shall meet at least once each month with additional meetings upon call by the committee chairman or a simple majority of the committee members. A simple majority of members present shall constitute a quorum and issues shall be decided by a simple majority vote of the members present. The department shall furnish staff support to the committee.
(c) The function of the committee shall be to familiarize itself thoroughly with the character, special conditions, and economics of all special provision sign districts as provided in Section 51A-7.503 of this article. In addition, the committee shall, upon request, provide guidance, advice and assistance to any applicant for a sign permit in a special provision sign district.
(d) Nothing in this article shall be construed to affect or modify the authority of any committee or commission whose duty it is to review permits for changes to the exterior of buildings in a special purpose district. Such committee or commission shall continue to review said permits using the standards and procedures established for that special purpose district.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed as preventing the city council from creating a separate procedure for allowing a separate committee to function as or in lieu of the sign district advisory committee for a particular special provision sign district. Any such separate procedure or separate committee must be established as part of the ordinance creating the special provision sign district or as part of an amendment thereto. (Ord. Nos. 19455; 20345; 20927; 24232; 25047; 28073)