In addition to any other power or duty required by law or by
this Charter to be exercised by ordinance, those powers and duties
of the Council shall be exercised by ordinance which:
A.
Provide for a fine or other penalty or establish a rule or regulation
for violation of which a fine or other penalty is imposed.
B.
Establish, levy and collect taxes and decrease or increase the rates
of existing taxes.
C.
Establish, alter or abolish rates or charges for any utility or other
service supplied by the city.
D.
Authorize the borrowing of money, except for revenue anticipation
loans or emergency loans as provided elsewhere in this Charter.
E.
Grant, renew or extend a franchise.
F.
Exercise the power of eminent domain.
G.
Purchase, convey, lease or authorize the purchase, conveyance or
lease of real property.
H.
Establish, alter or amend any Zoning Ordinance, subdivision procedure,
land development, land use or building regulation.
I.
Amend or repeal any ordinance previously adopted.
No ordinance shall contain more than one subject, which shall
be clearly expressed in its title. Any ordinance which repeals or
amends an existing ordinance shall clearly indicate matter to be repealed,
omitted or added.
The Council may adopt any standard code of technical regulation
by adopting an ordinance incorporating said code by reference. The
details of such standard codes need not be advertised, but copies
of such codes shall be available at City Hall for public inspection
and for purchase at a reasonable fee fixed by the Council.
A.
An ordinance may be introduced by any Council member at any regular
or special public meeting. Except where specifically provided otherwise
in this Charter, an ordinance shall be processed in the following
manner:
(1)
Introduction. The proposed ordinance shall be given to the City Manager
and placed on the agenda of the Council for introduction and first
consideration at the next meeting of the Council. A proposed ordinance
not included in the agenda shall be given first consideration only
with the consent of a majority of the total membership of the Council.
(2)
Advance advertisement. If approved at first consideration by the
Council, the City Manager shall cause a concise summary of the proposed
ordinance to be advertised at least once in one or more newspapers
of general circulation in the city, appearing at least seven days
before the meeting at which the ordinance will receive further consideration
by the Council. The summary shall contain sufficient information to
identify the geographical area and/or nature of the ordinance as it
would affect the residents or property owners in the city and shall
specify the date at which the Council proposes to act further on the
ordinance.
(3)
Adoption by the Council. Provided that the preceding procedures have been followed and persons interested have been given an opportunity to express their views at a meeting, the Council may adopt the ordinance as proposed or may postpone action until a later meeting, the date of which shall be stated at the advertised meeting. The Council may amend a proposed ordinance before final adoption, but if an amendment makes any significant substantive change from the ordinance originally advertised, no final action may be taken until the amended ordinance has again been advertised in accordance with § 2-304.
B.
Action on final adoption of an ordinance shall be taken only by an
affirmative vote of a majority of the total membership of the Council.
Except as specifically provided otherwise in this Charter, an
ordinance shall take effect 30 days after publication following final
adoption or such later date as the Council may prescribe. Traffic
ordinances may take effect immediately upon final adoption.
Within 10 days after final approval of an ordinance, the City
Manager shall cause to be advertised in one or more newspapers of
general circulation in the city the full text or summation thereof
of any ordinance.
The City Manager shall cause the full text of any ordinance,
with proof of publication, to be recorded in a permanent record book
within one month after its final adoption. The permanent record book
shall be open and available for public inspection throughout normal
office hours.
The Council shall provide for the maintenance of a general codification
of all city ordinances having the force and effect of law. The general
codification shall be published in loose-leaf form and include this
Charter and the Administrative Code required by this Charter. The
compilation shall be known and cited as the "General Laws of the City
of Coatesville," and copies shall be furnished to city officials,
placed in Coatesville libraries and City Hall for free public reference,
and shall be made available for purchase by the public at a reasonable
price set by the Council. All amendments to the General Laws and all
new ordinances shall be integrated in said compilation and distributed
as aforesaid.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Article, the Council
may, in the event of substantial public emergency affecting the life,
health, property and peace of the citizens of Coatesville, adopt one
or more emergency ordinances. Emergency ordinances shall be introduced
in the form required for ordinances and shall be so designated and
shall clearly state the nature of the emergency in specific terms.
No prior publication of an emergency ordinance shall be required,
and an emergency ordinance may be introduced, adopted and take effect
immediately at any public meeting in which it is introduced. An emergency
ordinance shall require the approval of a majority of the total members
of the council, except for emergencies at which it is impossible for
the total membership to be present, in which case an emergency ordinance
may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided
that there is a quorum. Emergency ordinances shall not levy taxes
or authorize the borrowing of money except as provided elsewhere in
this Charter. An emergency ordinance shall become effective immediately
upon adoption and shall automatically stand repealed as of the 31st
day following the date of its adoption but may be reenacted as provided
herein 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. An
emergency ordinance shall be advertised as soon as possible after
the date at which it is enacted, as shall any ordinance repealing
an emergency ordinance.
