(A) (1) No person shall carry on the business of posting handbills, posters, cards, signs, circulars, or advertisements of any kind (hereinafter called billposting), or distributing handbills, cards, circulars, samples of merchandise or advertisements of any kind within the City without first having obtained a license therefor. Each applicant shall pay the annual license fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) for a license for billposting. Each applicant shall pay the license fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) for a license for distributing handbills, cards, circulars, samples of merchandise and advertisements of any kind except that the fee for a license for one day shall be three dollars ($3.00).
(2) Applications for such license shall be made to the City Clerk and shall contain a statement of the nature of the article, merchandise, card, or advertisement to be distributed or posted and the name of the applicant and the name of the manufacturer or distributor of such article or service advertised.
(3) No person, whether licensed hereunder or not, shall post or place any handbill, sign, poster, circular, advertisement, or any other thing upon any sidewalk, street, alley, or other public place, nor shall he post or place any article upon any lamp post, telegraph, telephone, or electric light pole, fire hydrant, or any tree, private wall or door, or any private structure or property without the consent of the owner in writing thereof.
(B) (1) The term BILLBOARD is hereby defined to mean, and for the purpose of this section shall be construed to mean, any structure the sole or primary purpose of which is to be used for the display of advertisements or notices.
(2) No billboard shall be erected in the City of Mt. Vernon by any person unless a license shall first have been obtained therefor from the City Clerk. Each application shall state the location for such billboard and if same is to be located on private property. The fee for each such license for each billboard shall be five dollars ($5.00) per year.
(3) No billboard shall be permitted to become unsightly by reason of the accumulation of old bills thereon or dilapidated or in lack of repair; nor shall any billboard be constructed or located in violation of any other provision of the Revised Code of Ordinances of the City of Mt. Vernon; nor shall any billboard be constructed or maintained so as to constitute a health, fire, or safety hazard.
(Prior Code, Art. 11, § 11.4)