Ordinances and resolutions shall be adopted
only at public meetings of Council and shall require the affirmative
vote of not less than four Councilmembers.
Every ordinance shall be published one time
at least 10 days in advance of action by Council. The full text of
the ordinance need not be published; instead the title and general
summary of the substance of the ordinance will be sufficient to meet
publication requirements. The full text of the ordinance shall be
available at the Municipal Office.
A.
Every ordinance shall contain the date of its adoption
and its effective date; its adoption shall be verified by the signature
of the officer presiding whose signature shall be attested to by the
Municipal Secretary who shall affix the official seal, provided that
absence of the aforesaid signature, attestation and seal shall not
invalidate an otherwise valid ordinance.
B.
No ordinance shall contain more than one subject which
shall be clearly expressed in its title.
C.
Any ordinance which repeals or amends an existing
ordinance shall set out in full the language to be repealed or amended
and shall indicate matter to be omitted by enclosing it in brackets
or by strikeout type and shall indicate new matter by underscoring
or by italics.
In addition to any other actions required by
this Charter or by applicable law to be taken by ordinance, those
actions of Council shall be by ordinance which:
A.
Establish, alter, or abolish any municipal department,
office, commission or agency.
B.
Adopt or amend a code establishing a personnel system.
C.
Provide for a fine or other penalty or establish a
rule or regulation for violation of which a fine or other penalty
is imposed.
D.
Levy taxes.
E.
Grant, renew or extend a franchise.
F.
Establish, alter or abolish rates charged for any
utility or other service supplied by the Municipality.
G.
Authorize the borrowing of money except loans in anticipation
of taxes.
H.
Purchase, convey, lease or authorize the purchase,
conveyance or lease of any lands of the Municipality.
I.
Amend or repeal any ordinance previously adopted.
J.
Establish wages, hours or fringe benefits of employees
of the Municipality.
Every ordinance and resolution adopted by Council
shall be presented to the Mayor for approval within five days after
adoption. If approval is given, the Mayor shall sign it. If approval
is not given, the Mayor shall return it with written objection to
Council at its next regular meeting, occurring not less than 10 days
after the presentation of the proposed ordinance or resolution to
the Mayor; and the ordinance or resolution shall be considered vetoed.
Should the Mayor not return the proposed ordinance or resolution with
written objections within the required time, the ordinance or resolution
shall be considered effective.
Should the Mayor veto any ordinance or resolution,
Council may reconsider the ordinance or resolution at its next regular
or special meeting occurring not less than 10 days after the Mayor
has returned it to Council. If at such meeting five Councilmembers
vote to override the veto, the ordinance or resolution shall become
effective without the Mayor's approval.
A.
Ordinances or resolutions adopted by Council and approved
by the Mayor shall become effective immediately after the Mayor has
signed such ordinance or resolution or at any later date specified
therein.
B.
Ordinances or resolutions adopted by Council but neither
approved nor vetoed by the Mayor shall become effective on the day
after the last day on which the Mayor can veto or approve such ordinance
or resolution or at any later date specified therein.
C.
Ordinances or resolutions adopted by Council notwithstanding
the Mayor's veto shall become effective on the day after the day Council
overrides the Mayor's veto or at any later date specified therein.
All ordinances and resolutions of the Municipality
shall be entered in full in permanent separate record books for ordinances
and resolutions. The books shall show the ordinance or resolution,
the date it was adopted, date of publication and newspaper in which
it was published, and the vote of each Councilmember on each ordinance
and resolution. The ordinance book and resolution book shall be public
record. These books shall be in the custody and control of the Chief
Administrator, and all entries made therein shall be at the direction
of the Chief Administrator. At the time any such ordinance is entered
into the ordinance book, the same shall be codified; and a topical
index shall be maintained by the Chief Administrator for such purposes.
The penalties for the violation of any ordinance
shall be contained in that ordinance in accordance with the laws of
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Constitution of the United
States and any other provisions of this Charter. Ordinances may provide
that, in the case of continuing violations, each day a violation exists
may constitute a separate offense and be punishable as such. The amount
ordained as penalties may be set by Council to the extent of the maximum
penalty that may be levied by any non-charter municipality in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Council may adopt any standard or national code
concerned with building, plumbing, fire prevention or other subjects
by reference thereto in the adopting ordinance. It shall not be necessary
to publish, read or record such code in full but instead a brief summary
of the substance of the code shall be published, read and recorded
together with a statement of the place where such code is on file
and may be examined. Copies of such a code shall be made available
for purchase at a reasonable cost.
To meet a public emergency affecting life, health,
property or the public peace, Council may adopt emergency ordinances,
but such ordinances may not levy taxes, grant, renew or extend a franchise
or authorize the borrowing of money. A proposed emergency ordinance
shall be introduced in the form prescribed for ordinances generally,
except that it shall be plainly designated as an emergency ordinance
and shall contain, after the adopting clause, a declaration stating
that an emergency exists and describing it in clear and specific terms.
An emergency ordinance need not be published prior to adoption but
shall be published as soon as possible thereafter. An emergency ordinance
may be adopted with or without amendment or rejected at the meeting
at which it is introduced and shall become effective with or without
the approval of the Mayor, but the affirmative vote of four Councilmembers
shall be required for adoption. It shall become effective upon adoption
or at such later time as it may specify. Every emergency ordinance
shall automatically stand repealed as of the 61st day following the
date on which it was adopted, but this shall not prevent the readoption
of the ordinance in the manner specified in this section if the emergency
still exists. An emergency ordinance may also be repealed by adoption
of a repealing ordinance in the same manner specified in this section
for adoption of emergency ordinances.
