Ordinance - 10450
ORDINANCE NO. 1045
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WEST COVINA ADDING CHAPTER 5 TO ARTICLE VIII
OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE TO PROVIDE
FOR THE REGULATION OF THE ERECTION AND REMOVAL
OF POLITICAL SIGNS.
The City Council of the City of West Covina does ordain as
follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 5 is added to Article VIII of the West
Covina Municipal Code to read:
"CHAPTER 5 - POLITICAL SIGNS
8500. POLITICAL SIGNS DEFINED.
As used in this Chapter, a 'political sign' is any sign,
banner, pennant, valance or display constructed of cloth, canvas,
light fabric, cardboard, wallboard, plywood or other light materials
with or without frames, which advertises or promotes any candidate
for election or any political issue which will be submitted to
the voters at an election.
8501. ZONING.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, political
signs may be erected in any zoned area or district by complying
with the provisions of this Chapter.
8502. TIME LIMITATIONS.
No political sign shall be erected or maintained prior to
seventy-five days immediately preceding the election which it
advertises or promotes and it shall be removed within ten days
after such election.
When a political sign is erected or maintained on any parcel
of property with the consent of the property owner, either express
or implied, it shall be the duty of the owner of the property upon
which the political sign is located at times other than authorized
herein, to remove such sign if the person or persons who erected
such sign fail to do so.
When a political sign is erected or maintained on any parcel
of property without the consent of the property owner, either
express or implied, at times other than authorized herein, and
is not removed by the person or persons who erected the sign
within the time specified herein, it shall be the duty of the
property owner to remove such sign within ten days after written
notice to so remove has been given to the property owner by the
City.
The City or its authorized agents or employees shall have
the right to remove from private property all political signs
not authorized or permitted by this Code.
8503. SIZE LIMITATIONS.
No political sign erected pursuant to this Chapter shall
exceed eight feet in any of its dimensions or thirty-two square
feet in area.
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8504. LOCATION RESTRICTIONS.
(a) Public Property. No political sign shall be located
upon a public street, alley, sidewalk, right of way, easement or
other governmental property or property dedicated to a public
use except that signs attached. to a wall, fence or building may
project over such areas a distance no greater than six inches.
(b) Obstructions. No political sign shall prevent or
interfere with free ingress to or egress from any door, window
or fire escape.
(c) Traffic Safety. No political sign shall be located
or maintained in such a place or in such a manner as to constitute
a hazard to the safety of pedestrians or vehicular traffic. The
decision of the City Traffic Engineer as to whether a sign con-
stitutes such a hazard shall be conclusive.
8505. CASH BOND REQUIRED.
1. Prior to posting or erecting any political sign the
candidate, his representative or the person or organization
intending to post signs for or against a ballot measure shall
post a $100.00 cash bond with the City Clerk. Only one such bond
is required for any candidate for election or for the respective
proponents or opponents to a ballot measure. The amount of the
bond may be returned to the person who posted it when the City
building official certifies to the City Clerk that the respective
signs erected by or on behalf of the person posting the bond have
been removed. No bond is required where an individual person
erects a political sign on property owned or occupied by such
person if the other provisions of this Chapter are complied with.
2. If it becomes necessary for the City to remove any
political sign from private property, as authorized by Section
F3502, and the owner of such sign desires to retrieve it from the
City, a service charge of $25.00 will be made. The City may deduct
the service charge or any other charges equal to the cost of removal
of the sign from the cash bond and remit the balance of such bond
to the person who posted it.
85o6. ILLEGALITY.
It is unlawful for any person to erect or maintain a political
sign as defined in this Chapter other than as authorized by this
Code and for any owner.of real property to permit, allow, acquiesce
in, sanction or condone the erection or maintenance of a political
sign on his property other than as authorized by this Code.
8507. OTHER SIGNS.
Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to prohibit the
erection or maintenance of signs other than as regulated by this
Chapter provided such other signs are authorized by other provisions
of this Code.
8508. ENFORCEMENT.
The Building Safety Department and the Chief of Police shall
enforce the provisions of this Chapter."
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SECTION 2. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage of
this ordinance and cause the same to be published as required by law.
1968. Adopted, signed and approved this 29th day of
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES SS.
CITY OF WEST COVINA
July
I, LELA W. PRESTON,' City Clerk of the City of West Covina,
do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No.1045 was regularly
introduced and placed upon its first reading at a regular meeting of
the City Council on the 22nd day of . July , 1968. That, there-
after, said ordinance was duly adopted and passed at a regular meeting
of the City Council on the 29th day of July , 198, by the
following vote, to wit:.
AYES: Councilmen: Chappell, Nichols, Gillum, Lloyd, Gleckman
NOES: Councilmen: None
ABSENT: Councilmen: None
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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