Mona City ordinance would revise sign rules; public hearing set Oct. 1

Mona City Planning and Zoning Commission posted a public hearing for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1, 2025, to take public comment on Ordinance 2025-20, a draft amendment to Chapter 9-3 (Sign Regulations) of the Mona City Code. Lori Henrie, Planning and Zoning Secretary, is listed as the contact for the hearing notice.

The draft ordinance replaces the term "district" with "zone" across multiple subsections and reorganizes several sign rules to align with the current zoning map and the Mona City General Plan. The draft text shows "before" and "after" language for sections including 9-3-5-1 (Residential R-1), 9-3-5-2 (CU), 9-3-5-3 (CU-2), 9-3-5-4 (Temporary Signs), 9-3-5-5 (Other Signs), 9-3-5-6 (Short Term and Seasonal Signs), 9-3-7 (Prohibited Signs), 9-3-10 (Enforcement), and 9-3-1 (Purpose).

Key provisions in the draft include:

- Terminology and structure: The ordinance consistently replaces the word "district" with "zone" and relocates or restates sign rules to match zoning designations.

- Permits and freestanding signs: The CU (commercial) amendments add an explicit requirement that freestanding signs must have an approved sign permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission prior to construction; height and area limits for identification and directory signs are restated for clarity.

- Temporary and election signs: The draft preserves prior temporary-sign rules and adds an explicit election-sign subsection: maximum 4 feet in height by 8 feet in width; no permit required; signs must be placed only on private property with the property owner's permission; they must be removed no later than five days after the election; improperly placed signs may be removed by city personnel; and several placement restrictions (for example, not on trees, utility poles, certain city fences, public property, or freeway on/off ramp fencing) are listed.

- Prohibited signs and "homemade" structures: The draft retains earlier prohibitions (for example, roof signs, signs that emit sound, and sexually oriented business signage) and clarifies outdoor advertising/billboard language. It adds a new prohibition on "homemade structures" defined as signs constructed from non-durable or improvised materials (examples include plywood sheets, tarps, spray paint, or hand-painted lettering) and states that all signage must be structurally aesthetic.

- Owner maintenance responsibility: The Purpose section is amended to state that the owner or person in control of any sign is responsible for maintaining the sign (including borders, trims, faces, weight-bearing and bracing structures, and surrounding grounds). Signs "must be kept in good repair or removed at the owner's expense."

- Enforcement language: The enforcement section is edited to reference the zoning administrator and the Planning and Zoning Commission in roles that include issuing permits, confirming conformance with building codes and land-use ordinance requirements, issuing notices of violation, and abating or removing unsafe or illegal signs if not corrected within specified time frames.

Document status and next steps

The ordinance draft includes a sign-off block that reads "PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE MONA CITY COUNCIL" and lists Councilmembers Jay Christensen, Kris Kay, TJ Pace, Kevin Squire and Amy Stanley, with Mayor Randy Christensen and Recorder Alicia Hills attesting. The draft does not list a vote tally or identify a motion maker or seconder.

The public hearing notice states the agenda was posted Sept. 18, 2025, at Mona City offices, the local U.S. Post Office, the city's website, and the Utah Public Notice Website. The Planning and Zoning Commission hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in the city council room at 20 W. Center St. Mona residents and other interested parties are invited to provide comments at that hearing or contact the Planning and Zoning Office as listed in the notice.