A. Applicability: All signs on private property must be installed, maintained, and/or removed according to the provisions of this article, unless specifically exempted or superseded by more specific provisions of this title.
B. Permit Required:
1. No sign requiring a permit in accordance with the requirements of this article shall be installed, altered, moved, improved or converted without first obtaining a sign permit from the building official or designee according to the procedures specified in chapter 8, "Review And Approval Procedures", of this title. A permit is not required for incidental repairs or routine maintenance.
C. Sign Installer's License Required:
1. Except for those signs not requiring a permit, as listed in sections 14-5B-8 and 14-5B-9 of this article, it shall be unlawful for any person to install, alter, move, improve, remove or convert any sign without having a sign installer's license in good standing issued by the city. A onetime sign installer's license shall be available to a tenant or owner of a building to permit the tenant's or owner's own sign to be installed.
2. The license to install, alter, move, improve, remove or convert any sign as required herein shall be known as a "sign installer's license" and shall be issued by the city to the person desiring to perform the work indicated above. No such license shall be issued to any person until such person shall have paid to the city a license fee as established by resolution of city council and shall have filed with the department of housing and inspection services a copy or a certificate of a contractor's public liability insurance policy with coverage limits as set out in this code. The city shall be designated as an additional insured, and the policy shall provide that the city is to be notified thirty (30) days in advance of the termination of the policy. The license shall indemnify and save harmless the city from any and all damage, judgment, cost or expense which the city may incur or suffer by reason of said license issuance.
3. All sign installer's licenses shall expire on December 31 of each year. Renewal fees and reinstatement fees shall be as established by resolution of the city council. Any license that has expired may be reinstated within sixty (60) calendar days after the expiration date upon payment of an additional reinstatement fee.
4. A onetime sign installer's license shall be valid for thirty (30) days from the date of issuance.
5. The building official or designee is responsible for enforcement of these provisions and is empowered to suspend or revoke a sign installer's license for a violation of the sign regulations or if the license was obtained by fraud or if the license allows any person not employed by the sign installer without a valid installer's license to do or cause to be done any work requiring a license.
6. A person aggrieved by the revocation, suspension or denial of a license may appeal said action to the board of adjustment.
7. If a license is revoked for any reason, another installer's license shall not be issued to such person for twelve (12) months after revocation.
D. Application Of State Law: In any case in which the code of Iowa, as amended, contains more restrictive requirements than the regulations contained herein, the code of Iowa, as amended, will govern. (Ord. 08-4319, 11-3-2008; amd. Ord. 20-4833, 11-17-2020)