No sign shall hereafter be erected, constructed, altered or maintained, except as provided by this article, until a permit for the same has been issued by the city manager or designee pursuant to this division; provided, however, that no permit shall be required for the erection or alteration of the following types of signs, providing such signs are in complete compliance with all other applicable provisions of this article:
(1) 
Official signs.
No permit shall be required for signs required or authorized by the local, state or federal government or a governmental agency.
(2) 
Real estate signs.
No permit shall be required for signs not exceeding six square feet in sign area and three feet in height advertising the sale, lease or rental of real estate.
(3) 
Open house signs.
No permit shall be required for signs advertising the display of an open house or unlocked unit for sale, lease or rent.
(4) 
Political signs.
No permit shall be required for signs supporting, encouraging or identifying any candidate, proposed amendment or bond proposal.
(5) 
Personal or incidental use signs.
No permit shall be required for temporary signs for personal or individual use to identify the sale of personal property or advertise garage, yard or estate sales and/or incidental private signs identifying private ownership or a danger to the public.
(6) 
Name plates.
No permit shall be required for wall or monument signs showing only the name and address of the owner or occupant of the premises on which it is erected or placed not exceeding a total sign area of six square feet.
(7) 
Memorial signs.
No permit shall be required for memorial signs, markers, plates, plaques, etc., when deemed an integral part of a structure, building or landscape.
(8) 
Flags.
No permit shall be required for public and/or private flag poles for the public display of a state, national, local, religious, institutional flag or emblem or a registered corporate logo not exceeding a height of 25 feet in residential zoning districts and 40 feet in nonresidential zoning property.
(9) 
Holiday decorations.
No permit shall be required for signs or materials displayed in a temporary manner on or prior to traditional civic, patriotic or religious holidays.
(10) 
Interior signs.
No permit shall be required for signs located inside a building and not visible from outside the building. Signs located in covered mall buildings shall comply with the applicable sections of the city’s building code.
(11) 
Gasoline price signs.
No permit shall be required for gasoline price or credit card signs placed on pump islands not exceeding four square feet in sign area.
(12) 
Directional signs.
No permit shall be required for small signs not exceeding five square feet in sign area and three feet in height that are displayed on private property for the convenience of the public, including signs to identify entrance and exit drives, location of drive-up windows, directions to parking areas, one-way drives, restrooms, freight entrances and the like. These signs shall be directional only and may contain advertising with registered corporate logos. Maximum height applies to ground-mounted signs and is not intended to prohibit placement of these signs over doorways, freight entrances, etc.
(13) 
Menu signs.
No permit shall be required for signs that display menus and related prices in connection with outdoor drive-through food service windows. Such signs shall not exceed 32 square feet in sign area and eight feet in height. These signs are strictly for on-site informational purposes and, therefore, shall be oriented so as to not be readable from the fronting public street.
(14) 
Ballfield fencing signs.
Any temporary or permanent sign placed inside ballfield fencing which is intended for advertising to raise funds for recreation programs.
(A) 
No permit application or fee shall be required for such signs.
(B) 
All such signs shall be one-sided and only face toward the interior of the field.
(C) 
No portion of such sign shall project over the fence in which it is attached.
(D) 
No such sign shall exceed the height of eight feet.
(E) 
Advertising on a scoreboard is not considered a sign for the purpose of this article and no permit is required.
(F) 
The back side of all such signs shall be protected with an application of paint or other protective coating and must be uniform in color.
(G) 
All such signs shall be maintained in good condition, as evidenced by lack of deterioration.
(Ordinance 200888, sec. 2 (112-14), adopted 8/5/08; 2013 Code, sec. 44-14)
Application for a sign permit, where such permit is required by this article, shall be made upon forms provided by the city and shall include the following information:
(1) 
A drawing to scale of the proposed sign and all existing signs located on the premises, visible to the public.
(2) 
A drawing to scale of the site plan or building facade showing the proposed location of the sign.
(3) 
Name, address and telephone number of the applicant.
(4) 
Name, address and telephone number of the owner.
(5) 
Name, address and telephone number of the person or firm responsible for the erection of the sign.
(6) 
Location of the building, structure or tract to which, or upon which, the sign is to be attached or erected.
(7) 
Any written consent as required herein.
(Ordinance 200888, sec. 2 (112-17), adopted 8/5/08; 2013 Code, sec. 44-17(a))
No sign permit shall be issued until all appropriate sign permit fees have been paid to the city as provided herein.
(1) 
Initial permit fee.
Initial permit fees shall be as established by the city council.
(2) 
Renewal of permit.
A renewal permit fee as established by the city council shall be required for all on- and off-premises project or development signs renewed in accordance with section 4.07.009(7) (development or project signs, on-premises, or 4.07.009(8) (development or project signs, off-premises).
(3) 
Sign repair permit.
Any repair or alteration to any sign requiring a permit by this article shall require an additional repair permit obtained by the city manager upon application and payment of a repair permit fee as established by the city council.
(4) 
Electrical permit.
Any sign in which electrical wiring and connections are used shall require an electrical permit obtained according to the city’s existing fee schedule. The electrical inspector shall examine the plans and specifications submitted with the application to ensure compliance with article 4.03 (the electrical code).
(5) 
Identification of signs.
All signs erected, constructed or maintained that require a permit shall be plainly marked with the name of the person, firm or corporation erecting and maintaining such sign and shall have affixed on the front of the sign the number and date of issue of the permit issued for such sign.
(6) 
Annual inspection of signs.
It shall be the duty of the city manager or his authorized designee to inspect all permanent signs requiring a permit at least once annually.
(7) 
Expiration of permit.
Every permit issued under the provisions of this article shall expire and become null and void if the work authorized by such permit is not commenced within 60 days from the date of such permit, or if the work authorized by such permit is suspended or abandoned at any time after the work is commenced for a period of more than 120 days. Before such work can be recommenced, a new permit shall be first obtained.
(8) 
Failure to pay permit fees.
If a sign is installed, erected, replaced, altered or relocated without a permit for such work, the applicable permit fee shall be doubled.
(Ordinance 200888, sec. 2 (112-17), adopted 8/5/08; 2013 Code, sec. 44-17(b); Ordinance adopting 2021 Code)
From and after the effective date of the ordinance from which this section is derived, no new construction permits shall be issued for the erection of an off-premises sign, including but not limited to a new off-premises CEVMS or the conversion of an existing non-CEVMS off-premises sign to a CEVMS, within the city limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction of the city.
(Ordinance 200888, sec. 2 (112-17), adopted 8/5/08; 2013 Code, sec. 44-17(d))