§ 32-1. Signs along rights-of-way, etc.
(a)
Prohibition. Except as otherwise provided by law or under an exception of this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to paste, post, paint, print, nail or otherwise erect or maintain upon any curb, gutter, flagstone, tree, lamppost, awning post, telephone pole, public utility pole, public garbage bin, bus shelter, bridge abutment, parish highway, highway fence, parking meter, mail box, vehicle, traffic signal stanchion, bench, traffic barrier, hydrant, public pay phone, public building, wooden or iron railings of public buildings, or other such item or structure in any right-of-way, servitude, street, roadway, emergency lane, median, neutral ground, shoulder of a road, and/or sidewalk any sign, marker, placard, poster, handbill, notice, light, signal light, warning or direction sign, or any sign bearing any commercial advertising; nor shall any person direct or permit any agent, employee or other person under his or her control to engage in such an activity.
(1)
Exception for realtors. Registered real estate agents may place temporary, non-illuminated signs advertising real estate for sale on a right-of-way, servitude, median, neutral ground, or shoulder of a road only between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. This section shall not apply to realtors' signs that are posted on private property, and conform to the requirements of section 40-686.
(b)
Authority for removal.
(1)
Any sign, marker, light, signal light, poster, placard, handbill, warning or direction sign or any sign bearing any commercial advertising that is erected or maintained on any curb, gutter, flagstone, tree, lamppost, awning post, telephone pole, public utility pole, public garbage bin, bus shelter, bridge abutment, parish highway, highway fence, parking meter, mail box, vehicle, traffic signal stanchion, bench, traffic barrier, hydrant, public pay phone, public building, wooden or iron railing of a public building, or other such item or structure in any right-of-way, servitude, street, roadway, emergency lane, median, neutral ground, shoulder of a road in violation of the foregoing section shall be considered abandoned and therefore subject to immediate removal and disposal by the department of inspections and code enforcement or by the department of parkways or by the department of public works, including drainage, water, sewerage, pump stations, capital projects, streets and engineering, as soon as possible after any of these departments is made aware of the location of such signs on public property.
(2)
The parish, through the department of inspection and code enforcement, shall give due process notice by certified letter to all political candidates who qualify for an election that will take place within the unincorporated areas of Jefferson Parish that signs illegally placed on any public right-of-way, shall be considered abandoned property subject to immediate removal and disposal by the parish without further notice.
(3)
The parish shall give due notice to all garage sale permittees and to all operators of businesses in the parish by placing a notice on the applications for the zoning clearance required for an occupational license in the parish and on the annual renewal applications for occupational licenses in the parish that signs illegally placed on any public property, including but not limited to, public rights-of-way, shall be considered abandoned property subject to immediate removal and disposal by the parish without further notice.
(4)
The parish shall give due process notice to the general public by the publication of this section in the official newspaper/journal of the parish that the posting of signs on public property, including but not limited to, public rights-of-way, shall be considered abandoned property subject to immediate removal and disposal by the parish without further notice.
(5)
Any sign, marker, poster, placard, handbill, warning or direction sign or any sign bearing any commercial advertising that is erected or maintained on any public property or structure in violation of section 32-1 is deemed abandoned property, and may be taken down, removed or destroyed by any person, provided that such removal will not cause damage to the property or structure upon which the sign or other posting is posted; any person wishing to remove a sign or other posting that is in violation of section 32-1(a) may not trespass in order to do so; nor may any person remove a sign or other posting that falls under an exception of this chapter, or that they have reason to believe was posted with the consent of parish government.
(6)
If signs of registered realtors remain on a right-of-way, servitude, street, roadway, median, neutral ground, or shoulder of a road except for the hours allowed by this section, such signs may be removed by anyone, so long as such removal complies with the requirements of section 32-1(b)(5).
(c)
Exception for signs placed by governmental authority. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting the department of public works from erecting and maintaining signs designating street names, traffic signals, markers and control signs or highway markers, or any department, agency or political subdivision of the parish from posting signs designating public works, buildings, historic sites, school signs or other signs of a public and civic nature or any signs, placards, posters or notices normally posted or placed by said department, agency or political subdivision in the discharge and exercise of its duties and functions or as required by rule, resolution, ordinance or statute.
(d)
Council permission. The prohibitions of this section shall not apply when express approval is obtained from the council by resolution and a permit is obtained from the departments of the parish government designated by the council to grant such permits, as provided for in this chapter.
(Code 1961, §§ 12-30—12-32; Ord. No. 16026, § 1, 5-9-84; Ord. No. 18046, § 2, 7-25-90; Ord. No. 19673, §§ 1, 2, 4-10-96; Ord. No. 20186, §§ 1—4, 11-5-97; Ord. No. 22268, § 1, 7-14-04; Ord. No. 23233, § 8, 1-23-08; Ord. No. 23302, § 1, 5-7-08; Ord. No. 24364, § I, 11-7-12; Ord. No. 24630, § 1, 12-11-13)