A. General. Violation of this chapter is a civil infraction and shall be enforced pursuant to chapter 5-7 of the town code.
B. Removal of signs by town; notice; fees.
1. A code compliance officer or other authorized representative of the town may immediately remove or cause the removal of a sign in either of the following circumstances:
a. When the sign is unlawfully placed in the public right-of-way or on public property.
b. When the sign poses an immediate hazard to persons or property.
2. If possible, when exercising its right to immediately remove or cause the removal of a sign, the town shall provide the sign owner with verbal or written notification of the removal at the time of the removal. The notice shall include all of the following:
a. The reason or reasons for the removal.
b. The location where the sign owner may claim the sign.
c. Notification that if the sign owner does not claim the sign within five days of the notice, the town may destroy or reuse the sign.
3. If a sign is placed in violation of this chapter but does not pose an immediate hazard to persons or property and is not located in the public right-of-way or on public property, a code compliance officer or other authorized representative of the town shall provide written notice of violation to the sign owner.
a. The notice shall include all of the following:
i. The reason or reasons the sign is in violation.
ii. Notification that if the sign is not removed within 48 hours of the notice, the town will remove the sign.
iii. The location where the sign owner may claim the sign if it is removed.
iv. Notification that if the sign is removed and the sign owner does not claim the sign within five days of the notice, the town may destroy or reuse the sign.
b. The notice shall be delivered either by personal delivery or, if the town is unable to determine the owner of the sign, by affixing it to the offending sign.
c. If the offending sign is not removed within the 48-hour period, a code compliance officer or other authorized representative of the town may remove or cause the removal of the sign.
4. The town’s cost to remove or store a sign shall be borne by the sign owner in the amount set forth in the fee schedule approved by the council and amended from time to time.
C. Effect. Neither the suspension nor revocation of a sign permit, nor the removal of a sign by the town, shall be a defense against prosecution.
Ordinance 2022.022 amended Section 17-10-15 B.