Story Published:
Feb 4, 2010 at 1:54 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Feb 4, 2010 at 1:54 PM PDT
SOUTH GATE — The City Council has amended its sign ordinance by replacing the Design Review Committee with the Planning Commission to rule on non-conforming signs.
The ordinance, approved Jan. 26, in effect abolishes the committee by removing from the ordinance regulations for its makeup and operations. There is currently no committee, said Steve Lefever, director of community development.
Because of that, the ordinance names the Planning Commission as the body responsible for reviewing signs and removes any mention of the committee.
Under the new ordinance, the Planning Commission is responsible for determining if a sign conforms to city code. If not, the commission has the authority to require modifications to the sign and set a time limit for the changes to be made.
It may also establish the value of a sign and order its removal based on the amortization schedule of the ordinance.
Initially, the Design Review Committee was supposed to be a board of residents to advise the city on the design of buildings and signs. It was to be composed of representatives from various community organizations, Lefever said.
“Over the past few years it has not been possible to form a [committee] due to a combination of factors including the dissolution of some of the groups, reductions in the volunteers willing to serve and conflicting schedules of the various committee members.
“Therefore, to implement various sections of the sign code it is necessary to assign certain duties of the [committee] to the Planning Commission and to the director of Community Development,” he said.
In other action Jan. 26, the City Council was given a check for $135,035 from the Independent Cities Risk Management Authority, a joint powers insurance, litigation and employee safety group of which South Gate is a member.
Mayor Henry Gonzales received the check, which went back into the city’s insurance premium fund; along with the Rising Star Award. That award is for its employee safety record, said Finance Director Lolita Fletcher in a written report to the council.
The city has won the award for three years in a row, she added.
The check is a dividend that the joint powers group on occasion presents to its member cities, Fletcher said.
Bickmore Risk Services manages the organization. Vice Mayor Gregory Martinez is the city’s delegate to the joint power board and Fletcher is the alternate. The city’s risk manager is Janna Payne, Fletcher added.
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