No person shall erect or cause to be erected within the limits of this city any sign without first procuring a permit therefor from the city clerk. All such signs hereafter constructed or erected shall comply with and be erected in accordance with the provisions hereof.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 1)
Before a permit is issued by the city clerk, the applicant therefor shall furnish the proposed location, size, nature and method of construction of such sign to the city clerk and any other information which he or she may require in connection therewith. If the sign to be erected conforms with these regulations, the city clerk shall, upon payment of a fee of $1 therefor, issue such permit. The applicant shall be the owner of the property upon which the proposed sign is to be erected.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 2)
All signs hereafter erected within the fire limits as now or hereafter defined shall be either of metal or other noncombustible material, or of wood construction with both faces, or back and face, wholly covered by metal. Woods signs now in use may be reconstructed or re-erected, if the backs of signs flat against the building are covered with metal. Temporary cloth signs may be erected and maintained upon special permit secured from the city clerk and under such regulations as the city clerk may require, but no such temporary cloth sign shall be used for more than 30 days and no permit therefor shall be issued for a longer period.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 3)
No signs hereafter erected or constructed in this city attached to or projecting from any building, structure, post or other fixture, shall project into or hang over or across any street or public thoroughfare (including that part thereof occupied by any sidewalk or parkway) a distance of more than seven feet from the perpendicular side of the building, structure, post or other fixture to which any such sign may be attached or affixed, and in no event more than seven feet from the property line between the street and the private property upon which any such building, structure, post or other fixture is located and the lowest part of any such sign shall be at least 10 feet above any such sidewalk or other portion of the street or public thoroughfare above which such sign is erected, except that flat signs made of one thickness of metal only and having an area on one side of three square feet or less and the outer edges of which do not extend more than two feet from the building or structure to which they are attached may have the lowest edge thereof not less than eight feet above any such sidewalk or other portion of the street directly underneath the same; provided, that the city shall have the right at any time to change the requirements or specifications for any such signs or any such sign heretofore or hereafter erected which project into or hang over any street r part hereof or to order the same removed at any time hereafter and any permit for the erection or re-erection or construction of any such sign may be revoked at any time by the governing body of this city.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 4)
All signs erected flat against any building shall be securely anchored to such building or structure in a manner sufficient to support the weight of the sign and the probable wind pressure, the method of anchoring such signs in each case to be approved by the city clerk.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 5)
No sign hereafter erected or re-erected over or across any street or public thoroughfare or over or across any sidewalk or parkway therein except signs having an area of four square feet or less, and not extending more than three feet from the building to which attached, shall be allowed to hang on a pole or rod in such a manner that the same will swing with the wind, but shall be anchored so that the same will be rigid and self-supporting and no such signs shall have less than two side guy wires and one guy wire supporting same from the top, except by special permission from the city clerk when he or she may deem such guy wires unnecessary. No sign, which is now or hereafter erected, shall be supported by a pole or support place in or upon any street or public thoroughfare within this city, or in or upon any sidewalk or parkway therein, nor shall any such sign be supported by or attached to any tree in or upon any such street or other thoroughfare or any parkway or sidewalk therein.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 6)
All signs hereafter erected attached to buildings or structures and extending over a sidewalk, street or public thoroughfare, except signs having an area of four square feet or less and extending not more than three feet from the building shall be erected with hinged brackets, the center of action of which shall be not more than six inches from the building or other structure to which the same is attached, so that the sign will swing to the building without falling, should the side guy wires or braces become loosened from any cause. The support for any such sign shall be fastened to the building or structure in a safe and secure manner, sufficient to support the signs and to withstand the probable wind pressure and shall be subject to the approval of the city clerk.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 7)
All electrical wiring in connection with the erection of signs in this city, shall be done by a locally licensed electrician. All wiring shall conform to the electrical wiring code and shall be covered by a permit; provided, that this section shall not apply to the repair and maintenance of neon signs and strip lighting.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 8)
All signs erected under the provisions hereof shall have the final inspection and approval of the city clerk on notice to him or her of the completion of such sign, such approval to be evidenced by a certificate to that effect signed by the city clerk. Any person failing to notify the city clerk promptly upon the completion of any sign shall be deemed guilty of a violation hereof.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 9)
All signs now or hereafter erected, shall be, at all times subject to the inspection of the city clerk or whenever any complaint has been made to him or her or whenever he or she deems such inspection necessary. If the clerk shall at any time find any sign insecurely anchored or in any manner unsafe or in such condition that it or any support or part thereof is liable to fall or break, he or she shall have authority either to order the same entirely removed or to order the same to be repaired or secured in such a manner as he or she may deem necessary, if, in his or her opinion it can be safely repaired or secured.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 10)
Any sign hereafter erected or maintained contrary to the provisions and requirements hereof, or any sign which may at any time be deemed by the city clerk to be in an unsafe condition, shall be deemed and is hereby declared to be a nuisance and may be abated and removed at the cost of the owner thereof in the same manner as now provided for the abatement and removal of other nuisances.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 11)
Flat signs having an area of four square feet or less on one side thereof, which do not extend more than three feet from the building to which they are attached, may be supported by a pole or rod securely fastened to the building in a manner satisfactory to the city clerk and shall be otherwise supported in such manner as the city clerk may direct.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 12)
Commercial signs, billboards or poster board shall be constructed with reasonable care of the safety of persons and property and only in such areas designed as main thoroughfares. Such signs and billboards shall not exceed gross surface area of four square feet of sign area for each one foot of lineal street front, and no sign or billboard shall exceed gross surface area of 400 square feet.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 13)
No sign shall be maintained at any location where by reason of its position, size, shape or color, it may obstruct, impair, obscure, interfere with the view of, or be confused with, any traffic control sign, signal or devise, or where it may interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.
(Ord. 263, Sec. 14)