Note: As to prohibition against operation of advertising vehicles on streets, see § 22.04.090 of this Code. As to destruction, removal etc., of signs, bulletin boards, etc., see § 26.01.110. As to distribution of handbills, see § 28.01.020.
Note: Prior history: Code 1964 § 7-8.111 as amended by Ords. 344, 1192 and 1196.
A "temporary sign" is any sign, handbill, or poster which is placed to advertise or announce a specific event, or which pertains to a particular event or occurrence, or which is not designed or intended to be placed permanently. Examples of temporary signs include, but are not limited to, signs, handbills or posters relating to garage sales, concerts, swap meets and the like.
(Ord. 1370 § 2; Ord. 2308 § 1, 2008; Ord. 2634 § 3, 2022)
The city council finds as follows:
(a) 
Aside from this article, temporary signs are not regulated by this chapter, and are therefore not subject to design review or approval as to their size, shape, color, design or placement. The lack of regulation of temporary signs has in the past led to visual clutter within the community and aesthetic blight. In addition, temporary signs located within an automobile driver's line of sight pose traffic safety hazards.
(b) 
Property and facilities located within the public right-of-way, such as utility poles, benches, hydrants, bridges, sidewalks and similar structures are not by tradition or designation a forum for communication by the general public, and the council wishes to preserve these structures for their intended purposes, which is the safe, efficient and pleasant movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic and operation of utility systems.
(c) 
The regulations and prohibitions specified in this article are necessary to preserve items located within the public right-of-way for their intended purposes, and to prevent the visual clutter, blight, and traffic safety hazards caused by temporary signs therein.
(Ord. 1370 § 2)
No person shall paint, mark, or write on, or post or otherwise affix, or erect, construct, maintain, paste, nail, tack or otherwise fasten or affix, any temporary sign on any sidewalk, crosswalk, curb, street lamp post, pole, bench, hydrant, tree, shrub, bridge, electric light or power or telephone wire pole, or wire appurtenance thereof, or upon any street sign or traffic sign, or upon any other object located within the public-right-of-way which is not maintained for the purpose of communications by temporary signs by the general public or which is not permitted by this article.
(Ord. 1370 § 2)
Any person or persons for whom or whose benefit any temporary sign is fastened, placed or otherwise affixed or located shall be deemed responsible for noncompliance with Section 3.01.030 of this article and any temporary sign fastened, placed or otherwise affixed or issued in violation of the provisions of Section 3.01.030 is declared to be unlawful and a public nuisance, and the city officers and employees are authorized to abate the same as provided in this article.
(Ord. 1370 § 2)
This article shall not apply to the following:
(a) 
Public notices. Notices as may be required by law to be posted by a public officer or employee in the performance of a public duty, including, but not limited to, notices of pending land use or zoning applications, street abandonment or notices of proposed assessment district proceedings, as required by this Code, the California Government Code, Streets and Highways Code, or other city, state or federal statutory authority;
(b) 
Bulletin boards. Notices and temporary signs posted on structures located within the public right-of-way which by tradition or designation are used for the purpose of communication by the general public. Such structures shall include kiosks, bulletin boards, benches upon which advertisement is authorized, newspaper racks, and billboards as authorized by this Code; and
(c) 
Temporary signs posted for twenty-four hours or less. Temporary signs not exceeding nine square feet in total area relating to one day events or occurrences such as open houses and garage sales may be posted in the public right-of-way on the day of the event or occurrence provided that such temporary signs shall be removed no later than twenty-four hours after the event.
(Ord. 1370 § 2)
Except as provided in Section 3.01.050(c), temporary signs not prohibited by this article shall be removed within five calendar days after the event to which they relate occurs. Signs remaining after the time limit established by this section are hereby declared to be unlawful and a nuisance, and city officers and employees are authorized to abate the same as provided in this article.
(Ord. 1370 § 2)
Any temporary sign posted or otherwise affixed in violation of this article may be removed by officers of the police, building inspection or public works departments, or by the code enforcement officer. Signs removed by city officers or employees shall be taken to the municipal corporation yard. The officer or employee removing the sign shall immediately attempt to notify the owner of the sign, if such can be ascertained. In cases where a sign contains the name of a printing firm, the officer or employee shall also immediately attempt to notify such firm of the fact of removal, the location of the sign and the procedure for retrieving the sign.
(Ord. 1370 § 2; Ord. 2308 § 2, 2008)
Any person desiring to retrieve a sign removed by the city may do so upon the payment of an administrative fine of two dollars for each sign smaller than nine square feet total, and an administrative fine of ten dollars for each larger sign. If a person wishes to contest the fact that a sign was placed in violation of this article or remained posted in violation of this article prior to paying the fine, he or she may retrieve the sign upon signing a promise to appear upon a citation issued to him or her for violation of this article and shall have the right to an administrative hearing before the public works director. If the director finds that the sign was lawfully posted, the director shall order the sign returned without an administrative penalty. If the director finds that the sign was unlawfully posted, the director shall impose the fine provided in this section.
(Ord. 1370 § 2)
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
Advertising display.
Advertising structures and signs.
Advertising structure.
A structure of any kind or character erected or maintained for outdoor advertising purposes, upon which any poster, bill, printing, painting or other advertisement of any kind whatsoever may be placed, including statuary, for advertising purposes, but does not include:
(1) 
Official notices issued by any court or public body or officer;
(2) 
Notices posted by any public officer in performance of a public duty or by any person in giving legal notice;
(3) 
Directional, warning or information structures required by or authorized by law or by federal, state, county or city authority;
(4) 
A structure which contains the name of the city and the names of, or any other information regarding, civic, fraternal or religious organizations located therein.
Freeway.
A highway in respect to which the owners of abutting lands have no right or easement of access to or from their abutting lands or in respect to which such owners have only limited or restricted right of easement, or access, and which is declared to be such in compliance with the Streets and Highways Code of the state.
Sign.
Any card, cloth, paper, metal, painted or wooden sign of any character placed for outdoor advertising purposes, on or to the ground or any tree, wall, bush, rock, fence, building, structure or thing, either privately or publicly owned, other than an advertising structure, but does not include:
(1) 
Official notices issued by any court or public body or officer;
(2) 
Notices posted by any public officer in performance of a public duty or by any person in giving any legal notice;
(3) 
Directional, warning or information signs or structures required by or authorized by law or by federal, state, county or city authority.
(Code 1964 § 7-6.01; Ord. 1370 § 3; Ord. 1863 § 4)
Except as provided in Section 3.01.040, no advertising display shall be placed or maintained on any property within the city within six hundred feet of the exterior boundary of a freeway, if the advertising display is designed to be viewed primarily by persons traveling on such freeway.
(Code 1964 § 7-6.02; Ord. 1370 § 3; Ord. 1863 § 4)
(a) 
The provisions of Section 3.01.030 shall not apply to any advertising structure or sign for which approval consistent with the provisions of Chapter 40 has been secured, and if the advertising display is used exclusively:
(1) 
To advertise the sale or lease of the property upon which such advertising display is placed;
(2) 
To designate the name of the owner or occupant of the premises upon which such advertising display is placed or to identify such premises;
(3) 
To advertise goods manufactured or produced, or services rendered on the property upon which such advertising display is placed;
(4) 
Noncommercial advertising of the ideas or beliefs of the owner or occupant of the property upon which such advertising display is placed, regarding sociological, religious or economic subjects of public interest or general concern.
(b) 
No use permit shall be granted to any advertising structure, or display or sign:
(1) 
Which simulates or imitates directional, warning, danger or information signs lawfully maintained along a freeway;
(2) 
Which contains illumination of such brilliance as to blind or dazzle travelers on a freeway;
(3) 
Which contains a red or blinking light which is likely to be mistaken for a warning or danger signal by travelers on a freeway;
(4) 
Which exceeds three hundred square feet in area;
(5) 
Which contains any moving parts;
(6) 
Which does not conform to one of the standards set forth in subsections (a)(1)—(4) of this section.
(Code 1964 § 7-6.03; Ord. 1370 § 3; Ord. 1863 § 4; Ord. 2308 § 3, 2008)