18.120.030 Administration.
A. General. No person shall hereafter install a sign unless the city has issued a valid permit for the sign, and no person shall allow or maintain on premises under his or her control any sign hereafter installed without such permit. No person shall install a sign in violation of the lawful conditions of a permit, or install or maintain a sign, or allow a sign on premises under his control, in violation of any other requirement imposed by this chapter.
B. Permit. An application for permit shall be submitted in writing on forms provided by the city, and must be approved by the city planner or such other department designated by the city council to administer this chapter; and, if any portion located on the exterior of a building is electrical or structural, the application must also be approved by the building official. The application shall contain the following information:
1. Contact information: name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the applicant; of the owner of the sign premises; and of the installer.
2. Location by street number of the building, structure, or lot to or upon which the sign is to be installed or affixed, and, where no address exists, cross streets.
3. A drawing approximately to scale showing design of the sign including dimensions, size, color scheme, method of attachment, materials, source of illumination (if any), and an illustration of the relationship to any building, structure, or public right-of-way to which it is proposed to be installed or affixed. Three-dimensional drawings are preferred.
4. A plot plan approximately to scale indicating the location of the sign relative to property lines, streets, and sidewalks.
5. The square footage of each of the following:
a. Each wall area fronting along each street and alley;
b. Each existing sign by sign type.
C. If the proposed sign conforms to this chapter, a permit shall be issued. City staff or the planning commission may attach conditions of approval as may be necessary and lawful, upon payment of the prescribed fee. A sign permit shall expire unless exercised within 100 days from the date of issuance.
D. Fees. Applicants for signs will be charged a fee in an amount established, and which may be changed, by ordinance adopted by the city council. Signs requiring review and inspection by the city building official will be charged an additional fee prescribed by the official building permit fee schedule.
E. Appeal. An applicant or any other person can appeal an administrative decision made by the city planner or building official to the planning commission. A planning commission decision may be appealed to a hearings officer. Appeals shall be based on the same issues and conducted according to Chapter 18.190 TMC, which provides standards and procedures for the appeal process. The fee for an appeal shall be in an amount established, and which may be changed, by ordinance adopted by the city council. If the appeal is upheld, the filing fee shall be refunded except for the costs for publishing, posting, and mailing public notices. [Ord. 817 § 8-3J.730, 2006.]