(a) No sign shall be a safety or health hazard due to inadequate or inappropriate design, construction, repair, or maintenance.
(b) Signs must be maintained so as not to show evidence of deterioration, including peeling, rust, dirt, fading, damage, discoloration or holes.
(c) Abandoned Signs and Failure to Maintain.
(1) When a tenant leaves the premises, they are responsible for removing all the signs they owned or erected within ten days. If the tenant does not do so within ten days, the owner of the premises, shall, within thirty days, remove all signs owned or erected by such tenant.
(2) When the use or required maintenance of any sign is discontinued, the owner of such sign shall immediately remove the same.
(3) Any non-conforming sign which is unused for a continuous period of six months or which advertises business activities, products, or services which have been discontinued or abandoned for a period in excess of six months shall be removed or altered to comply with the provisions of this chapter.
(d) Abandoned or Unmaintained Signage.
(1) Any sign which is a nuisance (defined as being a threat to the safety of persons or property), or for which there is no permit, or which violates any provision of this chapter will be ordered by the Department for removal, repair or maintenance. Every such order shall be mailed by personal or certified mail to the sign owner and/or property owner using the address listed on the County Auditor's website. If service has been refused or unclaimed, no further service or notice shall be required, and the time for compliance shall begin from the date such service refusal or failure to claim is entered in the records of the Department.
(2) Whenever the removal, repair or maintenance of any permanent sign has been ordered by the Department, the owner or person in possession of such sign shall comply with such order within fourteen days after notice is served upon them. Whenever the removal, repair or maintenance of a temporary or portable sign has been ordered by the Department, the owner or person in possession of such sign shall comply with the order within twenty-four hours after notice is served upon them. In the event of noncompliance, the Department may seek an order of removal from a court of competent jurisdiction, or may pursue criminal action against the owner and/or person in possession in accordance with the appropriate provisions of this chapter and Code relating to violations. If, following an inspection, the Department determines that any sign constitutes an immediate danger to the public safety the Department may effect the immediate removal of said sign without regard to the time intervals for compliance cited above, at the sign owner's expense. Removal of a sign shall include the sign face, enclosing frame, all sign supporting members and base, unless otherwise specified in the order to remove.
(Ord. 3227. Passed 4-23-18.)