A. Enforcement:
1. Duties: The zoning administrator shall monitor signage in the town of Ennis for compliance with town ordinances.
2. Noncompliance: When the zoning administrator determines a sign is not in compliance with town ordinances, the zoning administrator shall:
a. Give the property owner, occupant, business operator, or person in charge/care of the property notice, either verbally or in writing, the signage is not in compliance, and
b. Give the property owner, occupant, business operator, or person in charge/care of the property thirty (30) days to take corrective action.
c. If the zoning administrator determines that exigent circumstances exist, such as a safety hazard, the zoning administrator may require corrective action be taken in less than thirty (30) days.
d. Prohibited signs specified under section 11-6-7 of this chapter do not require a thirty (30) day compliance notice and enforcement action may be taken immediately by the police department.
e. If the property owner, occupant, business operator, or person in charge/care of the property fails to bring the sign into compliance in the required time period, the zoning administrator shall make a written complaint with the police department requesting enforcement action.
3. Failure To Comply:
a. The police department upon confirming the violation may issue the property owner, occupant, business operator, or person in charge/care of the property a notice to appear and complaint.
b. The property owner, occupant, business operator, or person in charge/care of the property is subject to a separate notice to appear and complaint each day the violation continues or is not corrected.
c. If the property owner, occupant, business operator, or person in charge/care of the property does not bring the signage in compliance with the town ordinances, in addition to issuing any notices to appear and complaints, the town of Ennis may petition the city court for an order authorizing the removal of the sign. The property owner, occupant, business operator, or person in charge/care of the property will be assessed the cost of the sign removal.
B. Penalty:
1. A violation of this chapter is a municipal infraction and subject to the penalties specified in title 1, chapter 4 of this code.
2. A violation of the community signage is an absolute strict liability offense. (Ord. 139, 5-24-2015)