(A) Except as provided in § 155.494 no sign or structure shall be erected, constructed, altered, rebuilt or relocated until a permit has first been approved by the Zoning Administrator and issued by the Building Official.
(1) Sign application. The following information for a sign permit shall be supplied by an applicant upon submission of a sign permit application:
(a) Name, address and telephone number of person making application.
(b) Name, address and telephone number of person owning sign.
(c) The name, address, telephone number and signature of the person owning the property upon which the sign is to be located.
(d) A site plan to scale showing the location of lot lines, building structures, parking areas, existing and proposed signs and any other physical features.
(e) Plans, location and specifications and method of construction and attachment to the buildings or placement method in the ground.
(f) Landscape plans for area around signs.
(g) Written consent of the owner or lessee of any site on which the sign is to be erected.
(h) Any electrical permit required and issued for the sign.
(i) Future maintenance plans.
(j) Sign value.
(k) The applicant shall certify that the application is in full compliance with this chapter and all other applicable provisions of the City Code.
(2) Application processing and action.
(a) Within 15 working days of receiving an application for a sign permit, the Zoning Administrator shall review it for completeness. If the application is complete, it shall then be processed. If the Zoning Administrator finds that it is incomplete, the Zoning Administrator shall, within such 15 working day period, send to the applicant a notice of the specific ways in which the application is deficient, with appropriate references to the applicable sections of the City Code.
(b) Upon receipt of a complete application, the city shall review and comment upon application and shall either:
1. Issue the sign permit, if the sign(s) that is the subject of the application conforms in every respect with the requirements of the City Code.
2. Reject the sign permit if the sign(s) that is the subject of the application fails in any way to conform to the requirements of the City Code.
3. In case of a rejection, the Zoning Administrator and/or Building Official shall specify in the rejection the section or sections of the City Code with which the sign(s) is inconsistent.
4. If the work authorized under a permit has not been initiated within 60 days after the date of issuance, the permit shall be null and void.
(3) Fees. Fees for the review and processing of sign permit applications shall be imposed in accordance with the fee schedule as adopted by City Council.
(B) Inspection. All signs shall be subject to inspection by the Zoning Administrator and/or Building Official.
(C) Removal of signs.
(1) The Zoning Administrator and/or Building Official shall order the removal of any illegal non-conforming sign erected or maintained in violation of the City Code. Notice in writing shall be given by the city to the owner of such sign, or of the building, structure or property on which such sign is located, to remove the sign or to bring it into compliance with the provisions of §§ 155.490 through 155.500 within 15 days from the date of said notice.
(2) Upon failure to remove the sign or to comply with this notice, the city may remove the sign. Any costs of removal incurred by the city shall be assessed to the owner of the property on which such sign is located and may be collected in the manner of ordinary debt or in the manner of taxes, and all costs shall be assessed against the property.
(3) The Zoning Administrator and/or Building Official may order the immediate removal of any sign without notice, which is in violation of any of the following:
(a) Signs located within the public right-of-way.
(c) The condition of the sign is such as to present an immediate threat to the safety of the public.
(Ord. 0701, passed 1-9-07)