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Item No. 7A Staff Report No. Meeting Date: April 27, 1998 Type of Business: PH& CB WK: Work Session;PH:Public Hearing; CA:Consent Agenda;CB:Council Business City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Honorable Mayor and City Council From: James Ericson, Planning Associate Item Title/Subject: Public Hearing and Introduction (First reading) of Ordinance 607, an Ordinance Amending Chapter 1008 of the Municipal Code pertaining to "Signs and Billboards." Date of Report: April 22, 1998 Background: This ordinance amends Section 1008.02 of the Sign Code so that the installation of wall signs, such as those individual tenant signs displayed on the Moundsview Square or Silver View Plaza buildings, would require a building permit and payment of a fee whereas up to this point they were exempted. Analysis: In doing research for this Code amendment, Staff learned that the exemption of this provision was a mistake from the original Sign Code that perpetuated over time. As early as 1990, plans were underway to revise and update the Sign Code, but for one reason or another, this was not accomplished. The impact of requiring a building permit and fee for wall signs is not overly burdensome to business owners, yet would be significant to the City's revenues. Over the previous five years, it was estimated that an average of 15 permits annually would have been issued for wall signs. The fee for such a permit, according to the 1998 Fee Schedule, would be$50 for the first 24 square feet and $5 for each additional 25 square feet, not to exceed 100 square feet. Thus the maximum fee that could be collected per each permit would be $70. Assuming a midrange square footage, the estimated revenue loss the past five years alone would amount to $4,500 or $900 annually. Requiring a permit for wall signs is typical for most communities. Recommendation: Staff recommends that the City Council move to introduce the first reading of Ordinance 607, an ordinance amending Section 1008.02 of the Sign Code.