Chapter 10-8
USE OF PUBLIC WAYS AND PLACES

Sections:

If the sidewalk is of greater width than five feet, it shall not be necessary for such person to remove snow and ice from the same for a space wider than five feet.

In case the snow and ice on the sidewalk shall be frozen so hard that it cannot be removed without injury to the pavement, the person having charge of any building or lot of ground as aforesaid shall, within the specified, cause the sidewalk abutting on the said premises to be strewn with ashes, sand, sawdust or some similar suitable material, and shall, as soon as thereafter as the weather shall permit, thoroughly clean said sidewalk.

The snow which falls or accumulates during the day (excepting Sundays) before four p.m. shall be removed within three hours after the same has fallen or accumulated. The snow which falls or accumulates on Sunday or after 4 p.m. and during the night on other days shall be removed before 10 a.m. (Prior code 36-19)

10-8-320 Posting bills

1. No person shall post, stick, stamp, tack, paint or otherwise fix, or cause the same to be done by any person, any sign, notice, placard, bill, card, poster, advertisement or other device calculated to attract the attention of the public, to or upon any sidewalk, crosswalk, curb or curbstone, flagstone or any other portion or part of any public way, lamppost, electric light, traffic light, telegraph, telephone or trolley line pole, hydrant, shade tree or tree-box, or upon the piers, columns, trusses, girders, railings, gates or parts of any public bridge or viaduct, or upon any pole box or fixture of the police and fire communications system, except that the city may allow the posting of decorative banners in accordance with Section 10-8-340 below.
2. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that any person, business or entity whose goods, services, activities or events are promoted by a sign is a person who posted it or caused it to be posted
3. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than $10.00 nor more than $50.00 per pole for a first offense, and not less than $50.00 nor more than $200.00 per pole for any subsequent offenses.
4. In addition, any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be liable to the city for the cost of repair of any damage caused by the hanging, presence or removal of any such sign and for any and all claims arising out of the hanging, presence or removal of any such sign, including any claims relating to signs or the structures upon which they are hung falling on people or property. (Prior code 36-30; Amend. 7-31-96, p. 26980)

1. The commissioner of streets and sanitation may accept donations of decorative banners designed to be placed on non-ornamental lightpoles. Such donations may be permanent or for a limited amount of time. The city may use its lightpoles to display donated banners, or any other city-owned or controlled banners, that the commissioner determines will promote or celebrate the city, its civic institutions, or public activities or events in the city of Chicago and that he or she finds otherwise will promote the corporate interests and welfare of the city of Chicago.
2. The commissioner of streets and sanitation may delegate the authority to hang and remove decorative banners. Such authority may be delegated by issuance of a permit to an approved entity qualified to hang and remove banners and shall be limited to a period of 60 days, except that for the central business district, approval shall be limited to a period of 30 days. Upon application, permits may be renewed for additional such periods in the discretion of the commissioner. No permit shall be renewed where another entity has requested that its donated banner be hung at such location or during such time period or where and event referred to in the donated banner is over; except that the commissioner shall have the discretion to determine that in certain neighborhood commercial areas, the corporate interests and welfare of the city of Chicago are best served by neighborhood identifier banners, and renewal permits for such banners may be given precedence over other requests.
   

   The commissioner shall give notice of all permit applications to the alderman in the ward in which permission to have the banner displayed has been requested.

   For purposes of this section, "central business district" shall mean that portion of the city bounded on the west by the east and west side of Halsted Street, on the north by the north and south sides of Division Street, on the east by Lake Michigan, and on the south by the north and south sides of Roosevelt Road.

   Any person or entity who hangs a banner on a city lightpole without first obtaining approval from the commissioner, or who violates any condition of the commissioner's approval, shall be fined $100.00 per pole, per day.

   No donated banner may be hung unless the donor hires a professional company to hang and remove the banners. Banners, brackets and hardware must be taken down within 48 hours after expiration of the permit approving hanging of the donated banner, or within less time upon notice from the commissioner. Any permittee which fails to remove a donated banner within such time period shall be fined $100.00 per pole, per day, and shall be liable to the city for the cost of removing such banner. In addition, any permittee shall be liable to the city of the cost of repair of any damage to city lightpoles caused by the hanging, presence or removal of any banner placed by such company.

3. No permit to hang a donated banner shall be issued to a professional banner company until it has furnished the commissioner with an original certificate of insurance, which must evidence that the company has procured commercial liability insurance or the equivalent thereof with limits of not less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence, combined single limit for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage, which shall cover any damage caused by the hanging, maintenance or removal of the banners on city lightpoles. The city of Chicago shall be named as an additional insured, without recourse or right of contribution. Upon receipt of the certificate of insurance, the commissioner will transmit copies to the department of transportation, bureau of inspections and to the department of finance risk manager.
4. The donor shall indemnify and hold the city, its officers, agents and employees, harmless from any and all claims arising out of the placement of, maintenance of, use of or removal of banners, including any claims relating to banners or structures upon which they are hung falling on people or property.
5. The commissioner of streets and sanitation shall promulgate rules and regulations governing the display of banners to protect public safety and welfare, including ensuring against fire hazards, traffic problems, and visual blight. Such rules shall include, but are not limited to, specifications as to number, size, materials, printing processes, supporting structures, and hanging and removal. The commissioner shall have the authority, however, to waive specific rules when 1 the banner substantially complies with the rules; 2 prior to the enactment of this ordinance, the donor previously had displayed such banner on city lightpoles, pursuant to the commissioner's permission; and 3 the commissioner determines that the waiver will not have any adverse effect on public safety and welfare. The commissioner also shall have the authority to determine that the display of decorative banners is unsuitable in certain residential areas. (Added. Coun. J. 7-31-96, p. 26980)