a. Any person convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of section 10-119 or 10-120 of the code shall be punished by a fine of not less than seventy-five dollars nor more than one hundred fifty dollars, for the first offense and not less than one hundred fifty dollars nor more than two hundred fifty dollars for the second and each subsequent offense within a twelve month period, plus the cost of the removal of the unauthorized signs, imprisonment for not more than ten days, or both; provided, however, that subdivision b of section 10-119 of the code shall not apply with respect to criminal prosecutions brought pursuant to this subdivision.
b. In the instance where the notice of violation, appearance ticket or summons is issued for breach of the provisions of section 10-119 of the code and sets forth thereon civil penalties only, such process shall be returnable to the environmental control board, which shall have the power to impose the civil penalties of seventy five dollars for the first offense and one hundred fifty dollars for the second and each subsequent offense within a twelve month period. Anyone found to have violated the provisions of section 10-119, in addition to any penalty imposed, shall be responsible for the cost of the removal of the unauthorized signs. Anyone found to have violated section 10-119 of this chapter by affixing any handbill, poster, notice, sign or advertisement to a tree by means of nailing or piercing the tree by any method shall have an additional penalty imposed equal to the amount of the original penalty.
c. In the instance where the notice of violation, appearance ticket or summons is issued for breach of the provisions of section 10-120 of the code and sets forth thereon civil penalties only, such process shall be returnable to the environmental control board, which shall have the power to impose a civil penalty of not less than seventy five dollars nor more than one hundred fifty dollars for the first offense and not less than one hundred fifty dollars nor more than two hundred fifty dollars for the second and each subsequent offense within a twelve month period. Anyone found to have violated the provisions of section 10-120, in addition to any penalty imposed, shall be responsible for the cost of the removal of the signs that were torn down, defaced or destroyed.
d. In the event that a violator fails to answer such notice of violation, appearance ticket or summons within the time provided therefor by the rules and regulations of the environmental control board, he or she shall become liable for additional penalties. The additional penalties shall not exceed fifty dollars for each violation.
f. Liability and responsibility for any civil penalty imposed pursuant to this section for any violation of section 10-119 or 10-120 of the code shall be joint and severable on the part of any corporation found to be liable and responsible and its officers, principals, and stockholders owning more than ten percent of its outstanding voting stock.
g. For the purposes of imposing a criminal fine or civil penalty pursuant to this section, every handbill, poster, notice, sign or advertisement pasted, posted, painted, printed or nailed in violation of section 10-119 of the code or torn down, defaced or destroyed in violation of section 10-120 of the code, shall be deemed to be the subject of a separate violation for which a separate criminal fine or civil penalty shall be imposed.
(Am. L.L. 2021/080, 7/18/2021, eff. 11/15/2021)
Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 2021/080.