[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Mendota
as Ch. 32, §§ 32.04, 32.09 and 32.12, of the 1998 Code.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
On street. It shall be unlawful to distribute indiscriminately to
the public any cards, circulars, handbills, samples of merchandise,
or any other advertising matter on any public street or sidewalk or
other public place in the City or on any vehicle. This does not prohibit
the peddling or sale of any article or publication that may carry
or be accompanied by advertising matter where a charge is made or
a price paid for such article or publication.
B.
House-to-house distribution. It shall be unlawful to distribute indiscriminately
to the public, by leaving at stores, offices or houses or residences
in the City, any cards, circulars, handbills, samples of merchandise,
or any other advertising matter without a license therefor. This does
not apply to the sale of articles by licensed peddlers.
(1)
License application. Application for such license shall be made to
the City Clerk by the advertiser of the article or cards or advertisement
to be distributed, such application to contain a statement of the
nature of the article, cards or advertisement to be distributed and
the name of such advertiser of such article or service advertised.
(3)
Qualifications. No such license shall be issued to anyone but a person
of good character. The Chief of Police shall make or cause to be made
an investigation into the character of each applicant and shall report
the results thereof to the City Clerk before any such license shall
be issued.
A.
BILLBOARD
Definition. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have
the meanings indicated:
Any signboard or similar structure, the primary purpose of
which is to be used for the display of advertisements or notices.
B.
Permit required. It shall be unlawful to construct or maintain a
billboard within the City without a permit therefor from the City.
No permit issued under the provisions of this section shall authorize
the construction or maintenance of a billboard which extends over
or any part of which extends over, on or above any public street,
alley, sidewalk or public place. The fee for a permit to construct
or maintain any such billboard shall be set from time to time by the
City Council.[1]
C.
Applications. Application for such permit shall be made in writing
to the City Clerk. Each application shall state thereon the name of
the owner of the premises; the name of the person or corporation constructing
or maintaining the billboard; and specifications showing the size,
materials and manner of construction of the billboard.
D.
Wind pressure. Every billboard shall be firmly and solidly constructed
so as to be able to bear a wind pressure of at least 30 pounds per
square foot of area; provided that billboards which are placed upon
roofs must be so constructed as to be able to withstand a lateral
wind pressure of 40 pounds per square foot.
E.
Fire escapes. It shall be unlawful to erect or maintain any billboard
in such position as to obstruct any fire escape or any window or door
leading thereto, and no billboard shall be fastened to any fire escape.
F.
Height above ground. Every billboard must be so constructed as to
leave an open space of at least 2 1/2 feet between the bottom
of the display area and the ground. This open area may be filled with
latticework or other ornamental work or design which does not close
off more than 2/3 of any square foot of such open area. Billboards
constructed on property on which there is a properly established building
line must be built entirely in back of this building line, and no
permit shall be issued for the construction of any billboard on any
lot which is subject to a proper building line restriction, if the
billboard is to be constructed in violation of the building line restriction.
G.
Fireproof construction. It shall be unlawful to construct any billboard
of over 15 square feet in area anywhere in the fire limits unless
the face of such billboard is constructed of noncombustible material.
H.
Location; frontage consents.
(1)
No person shall locate, build, construct, operate or maintain any
billboard in any block in the City where a majority of the houses
abutting on both sides of the street in the block are used exclusively
for residence purposes without having first secured the written consent
of the owners of a majority of the frontage abutting on such street
on both sides within such block.
(2)
Frontage consents, once secured and filed, shall not be withdrawn
and need not be renewed except on the construction of a new billboard
to replace the one for which the consents were granted; but where
consents are required and have been obtained for the construction
of one or more billboards on any particular lot, additional consents
for any additional billboard on the same lot must be secured and filed
in accordance with the provisions of this section.
I.
Roof signs.
(1)
It shall be unlawful to construct any billboard on the roof of any
building or structure of any but noncombustible materials.
(2)
The metal supports and parts of every roof sign shall be thoroughly
and properly painted at least once each two years, unless they are
galvanized or otherwise adequately protected against rust and corrosion.
J.
Billboards against buildings. It shall be unlawful to construct any
billboard, a majority of the display area of which is within four
feet of any building unless such billboard is constructed of noncombustible
materials.
K.
Illuminated billboards. The wiring of illuminated billboards and
signboards must comply with the provisions of this Code relating to
electrical wiring.
L.
Nuisances. Any billboard or signboard which is dangerous because
of insecure construction or fastening with resultant danger of falling,
or because it is an extreme fire hazard and in fact a nuisance, is
hereby declared to be a nuisance and must be abated as such.
M.
Enforcement. It shall be the duty of the Chief of Police and every
member of the Police Department to enforce the provisions of this
section.
