Sec.13a-124a-5. Financial responsibility

Businesses participating in the Connecticut Specific Information Signing Program will assume financial responsibility as outlined in the following:

(a) Installation and maintenance of the specific information signs on the main line and ramp, by an approved contractor, shall be the financial responsibility of the initial business approved for a particular service at the given interchange. The initial business shall submit to the Department, paid receipts for labor and materials costs incurred as a result of the installation of the specific information sign. Subsequent businesses will be required to reimburse the initial business a percentage of the installation cost incurred by the initial business. The dollar amount will be determined by the Department assuming a full complement of businesses (six for gas, four for others) and a depreciation scale based on a twelve year life of sign. Fractions of a year will not be considered. Cost of removal and/or replacement of the specific information sign for reasons other than those stated elsewhere in these regulations will be shared in accordance with the previously established percentages when the work is performed. If the first business does not require a ramp sign, the subsequent business requiring ramp signing will be responsible for the cost of erection and maintenance of ramp signing. Reimbursement for the cost of the ramp sign will be computed in the same manner as the main line sign. If a business is one turn off a crossroad and a sign for the turn is required by the Department that business will be responsible for the cost of the installation and maintenance of that sign. Any adjustment necessary to existing highway signing shall also be the financial responsibility of the business causing the specific information sign to be installed without reimbursement. No work shall be performed within the highway right-of-way without an encroachment permit issued from the Commissioner.

(b) All reimbursements must be completed prior to the issuing of a permit.

(c) All specific information signs shall become the property of the State upon acceptance of the installation.

(d) A business approved for participation in the specific information signing program that shall replace an existing participant must assume the responsibilities of the business it is replacing and reimburse that business in the amount equal to that portion of the value of the sign at the time the business is removed.

(e) If the initial business is to be removed, the applicant must also agree to assume the initial business' responsibility of maintenance and bond.

(f) Each business displaying a business sign will retain ownership of the business sign and be responsible for maintenance, removal and replacement of its business sign.

(g) If the initial business responsible for the maintenance and bond of the specific information sign withdraws or is removed from the program for reasons other than a new applicant, the remaining businesses on the sign will be notified. If one of the businesses accepts the responsibilities of the sign, a new permit bond and information sign maintenance concurrence will be required.

(h) If no business accepts responsibility within 60 days of notification the Department will remove the specific information sign and will return the business signs to the appropriate businesses.

(i) For all specific information signs erected after October 1, 1998 and all business signs installed on said sign, reimbursement will be as follows: the initial business and subsequent businesses approved in accordance with sections 13a-124a-1 to 13a-124a-7, inclusive, of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, shall be reimbursed, by subsequent businesses on the same sign, the cost associated with said sign divided by the number of businesses on said sign. Reimbursement made by subsequent businesses shall be divided equally between the number of businesses on said sign prior to the approval of the subsequent business. For specific information signs erected prior to October 1, 1998 and business signs erected on said signs reimbursement shall be in accordance with subsection (a) of this section.

(j) In circumstances where a fifth applicant applies and is approved to participate in the program, and requires a revision to an existing specific information sign to accommodate six businesses, an engineering evaluation will be conducted by the department to determine the extent of the signing revision. The fifth applicant will be financially responsible for the revision of the specific informtaion sign by an approved contractor and assume initial business responsibility for maintenance and bond for said sign. If the existing specific information sign is less than ten years of age, the fifth applicant will be responsible for all costs of the sign revision. If the specific information sign is greater than ten years of age, the costs of the sign revision will be divided equally among the businesses to be displayed on the said sign. In instances where the fifth applicant is responsible for all costs of the sign revision, an approved sixth applicant will reimburse the fifth applicant one half the cost of the sign revision prior to such sixth applicants's installing its business logo. All businesses on said sign will be responsible for costs associated with providing appropriately sized business logos for display on the revised specific information sign at the time of revision.

(Effective December 5, 1989; Amended November 5, 1999; Amended March 8, 2004)