(a) Every person engaged in the business of erecting, altering, repairing and maintaining ground signs, wall signs, projecting signs, roof signs, post signs and any other type of outdoor display signs, or any person erecting one of the foregoing signs on his property or his premises, shall apply to the Building Inspector for registration for such purposes. Such applicant, whether or not he is a contractor, shall also file with the Mayor a certificate of standard form of public liability insurance covering personal injuries and property damage with limits of not less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) nor more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), protecting the City. Upon compliance with the foregoing and the payment of a registration fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the first year, and subsequently an annual renewal fee of ten dollars ($10.00), such applicant shall be registered for the foregoing purposes; provided, that such applicant complies with the other requirements of this article in relation to obtaining an erection permit fee and the payment of the required fees for such permit; further provided, however, that as to applicants erecting, altering, repairing, and/or maintaining a sign or signs covered by this Paragraph within Commercial District Two (C-2) only, all of the fees imposed by this Section 1741.02 are and shall be waived until December 31, 2023, but the waiver of and exemption from payment of such fees shall not except such applicants from compliance with the remaining provisions of this Section. Failure to file a renewal application and pay the required annual renewal fee on or before the thirty-first day of June of each year shall result in a termination of the registration, and the applicant will thereafter be treated as a new applicant and an initial registration fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) shall be required; provided, however, that as to applicants erecting, altering, repairing, and/or maintaining a sign or signs covered by this Paragraph within Commercial District Two (C-2) only, the filing of a renewal application and the payment of such annual fee are and shall be waived until December 31, 2023, and all such applicants are and shall be exempt from filing such renewal application and paying such annual fee until December 31, 2023.
(b) Every person desiring to erect, repair, alter, relocate or maintain within the City any sign or outdoor display sign as defined in this article shall first obtain an erection permit from the Mayor or the City Building Inspector and make payment of the required fee, unless the payment of such fee is specifically waived and/or exempt as provided for in Section 1741.02(a).
(Ord. 386. Passed 4-1-13.)
(c) Application for erection permits shall be upon blanks provided by the City and available at the office of the City Clerk, and shall contain or have attached thereto the following information:
(1) Name, address and telephone number of the applicant.
(2) Location of building, structure or lot to which or upon which the sign or other advertising structure is to be attached or erected.
(3) Position of the signs or other advertising structure in relation to nearby buildings or structures.
(4) A copy of the plan and structural drawings of such sign or structure; also, when requested by the Mayor, a copy of the stress sheets and calculations required to enable the latter to ascertain whether the signs or other structures are designed for dead load and wind pressure in any direction as required by the Building Code or such other regulation as may then be in force, and all such other information as may be required.
(5) Name of person erecting structure.
(6) Written consent of the owner of the building, structure or land to which or on which the structure is to be erected.
(7) Insurance policy or bond as required by this article.
(8) Such other information as the Building Inspector or Mayor shall require to show full compliance with this and all other laws and ordinances of the City.
(Passed 9-16-57; 12-21-70.)
(d) It shall be the duty of the Building Inspector or Mayor, upon the filing of an application for an erection permit, to examine such plans and specifications and other data in the premises upon which it is proposed to erect the sign or other advertising structure, and if it appears that the proposed structure is in compliance with all the requirements of this article, and all other laws and ordinances of the City, he shall then by and with the consent and approval of Council issue the erection permit. If the work authorized under an erection permit has not been completed within six months after the date of issuance, such permit shall become null and void.
(Passed 9-16-57.)
(e) Every applicant, before being granted a permit hereunder, shall pay to the City Clerk the following annual permit fee for each such sign or other advertising structure regulated by this article, unless the payment of such fee is specifically waived and/or exempt as provided for in Section 1741.02(a).
(1) All signs, not otherwise covered under this article: twenty-eight cents ($.28) per square foot; minimum fee six dollars ($6.00).
(2) Temporary signs: three dollars ($3.00) for each thirty-day period or part thereof.
(3) Canopy: Ten dollars ($10.00).
(4) Marquee: Four dollars ($4.00).
(5) Street or wall clocks: Five dollars ($5.00).
(6) Real estate agents and brokers: Any real estate agent or broker, licensed by the West Virginia Real Estate Commission, may, in lieu of the foregoing permit fees, pay to the City Clerk the sum of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per year, which fee shall permit such real estate agent or broker to place any number of “For Sale” signs on any and all properties being sold within the Municipality by such agent or broker during the year.
(7) In no event shall the minimum fee be less than four dollars ($4.00).
(8) Every permit issued hereunder shall be renewed on or before the thirty- first (31st) day of June of each year; fees for permits shall be prorated by quarters for the fiscal year.
(9) Special permit fees shall be determined by Council but shall not be less than fifty dollars ($50.00), and such special permit fees are to be in lieu of all other fees provided herein, except inspection fees.
(Ord. 386. Passed 4-1-13.)