(A) It shall be unlawful to place a sign in or upon any public property, including but not limited to a public street, sidewalk, right-of-way, easement, curb, grounds, bridge, or building, unless express consent therefor shall have been first granted by the City Council. This division shall not apply to a public employee in the regular course and scope of his or her employment. Signs authorized and placed by federal, state, or local governmental authorities are permitted.
(B) Impoundment.
(1) Any sign in violation of division (A) of this section may be removed without notice to the owner thereof. The code enforcement officer, employees of the Police Department, and the Department of Public Works are hereby authorized to remove any such signs and transport or cause the same to be transported to a location to be designated by the code enforcement officer. The city shall maintain records of where the signs were located when they were so removed and the date on which they were so removed, and shall hold the same in the storage area for a period of not less than 30 days.
(2) Any sign so held may be redeemed by the owner thereof upon the payment of a fee to the city consisting of a total of $50 for hauling the same to storage, plus $10 per day storage fee for each day the sign is stored. This fee shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any fine imposed upon the owner for violation of this section. Any sign impounded and stored and not redeemed by the owner thereof within 30 days may be disposed of or sold at public auction in the same manner as surplus property of the city.
(C) Exceptions.
(1) Public athletic facilities. Public athletic facilities may have signs attached to fences surrounding the facility to give public information or team sponsor advertising. Except for scoreboards, these signs shall not project above the fence line and shall face the athletic facility.
(2) Public and private parks. Public and private parks may have signs placed by the city to give information or regulations concerning park use.
(D) Painted signs. Painted signs shall be on permanently weatherproofed materials, and all sign surfaces shall be painted or treated with weatherproofed materials.
(Ord. 595, passed 5-23-2006) Penalty, see § 153.99