(A) (1) No sign shall be erected, nor the location of any existing sign changed, until the enforcement official shall have issued a permit.
(2) An application for a sign permit shall be accompanied by plans and specifications. The plans and specifications must be drawn to scale and shall include the dimensions, material and details of construction of the proposed sign, together with an accurate colored rendering of the proposed sign. A site plan of the property where the sign is to be located indicating the location of the sign must also be provided.
(3) Before a permit can be granted for the installation of any sign, the applicant for the permit must submit evidence of an agreement signed by the owner or owners of the property granting permission to the applicant to install the sign and binding the owner or owners, their heirs and assigns irrevocably, to permit the village through its agents to enter on the real property for the purpose of removing the sign or signs as provided under the provisions of this chapter and waiving, and holding the village harmless from any damage to the real property occasioned by the sign removal.
(4) The enforcement official may prescribe suitable regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this section concerning the form and content of all applications for the various types of permits herein required.
(5) The following signs are exempt from the preceding requirements contained in divisions (A)(1) through (4) above:
(a) Real estate signs not exceeding six square feet in area, which advertise only the sale, rental or lease of the premises, upon which the signs are located;
(b) Bulletin boards and/or reader boards not over 25 square feet in area, for public, charitable or religious institutions, which are located on the premises of the institutions and wherein the color of any lettering or copy to be displayed is of one color not including the background color or the color of the sign structure;
(c) Signs denoting the architect, engineer or contractor when placed upon a site under construction not exceeding 16 square feet in area for residential construction and 32 square feet in area for commercial construction, and only for the duration of the construction period;
(d) Memorial signs or tablets, names of buildings and date of erection when cut into any masonry surface or when constructed of bronze or other incombustible materials;
(e) Traffic or other municipal signs, legal notices, railroad crossing signs, danger, emergency or non-advertising signs;
(f) Political signs may be displayed on residential property during any period of time and are allowed to measure a maximum of eight square feet in area and five feet in height. Consent of the owner of the residential property upon which the sign will be placed must be obtained before the sign is installed;
1. Political signs may be displayed on commercial property for a duration period of not more than 30 days prior to an election and not more than seven days following the election and are allowed to measure a maximum of eight square feet in area and five feet in height.
2. Political signs may not be placed on or affixed to any utility pole, traffic signal standard, utility/traffic control box, sign post, mailbox, or tree and must not be placed so as to obstruct the view of traffic.
3. Political signs may not be placed on or within any public right-of-way within the village.
(g) Professional name plates not exceeding three square feet in area;
(h) Occupational signs not over four square feet in area (on building);
(i) Signs erected inside a building and not visible through windows; and
(j) Yard or garage sale signs abiding by the restrictions in § 155.57.
(B) (1) No permit fees are required for the erection of signs listed in division (A)(5) above.
(2) Before the issuance of each required sign permit, a fee of $30 shall be paid to the village.
(3) For each temporary sign requiring a permit, the fee shall be $10.
(4) For each directional sign defined in § 155.53, the fee shall be $5.
(5) The permit fees herein provided for shall cover the inspection of the location of the proposed sign and the inspection during and after construction and all monies so collected by the enforcement official shall be deposited in the general revenue fund of the village.
(6) The provisions of the building code and electrical code of the village shall govern the construction, alteration and maintenance of all signs, with their permanent and auxiliary devices, so far as they do not conflict with the provisions of this chapter.
(7) If the sign is illuminated, an electrical permit and inspection by a village electrical inspector shall be required. A fee covering the electrical permit and inspection shall be charged as provided by the electrical code.
(8) Fees provided for in divisions (B)(1) through (6) above may be waived for charitable organizations if approved by the enforcement official.
(Ord. 2002-09, passed 4-3-02; Am. Ord. 2010-31, passed 12-15-10; Am. Ord. 2011-06, passed 2-16-11)