The Mayor and Council shall have power to enact all just and reasonable ordinances consistent with the laws of this state; to make effective all of the provisions of this Charter; to provide the City with good government and to safeguard the health, safety, welfare, comfort, and convenience of its residents; and to license, in a manner and in such incidents consistent with the public general and public local laws of Maryland, for the purpose of regulation and revenue and to protect the health, safety, comfort, and convenience of the residents of the City, all and every kind of business transacted or carried on within the City and to provide for the collection of license fees and the enforcement of such licenses by suit or otherwise.
A. 
A proposed ordinance may be introduced by any member of the Council at any regular or special meeting of the Council. Prior to formal introduction of the proposed ordinance, the Council may, at the request of any two Council members, schedule an informational meeting to present information to the public as to the proposed measure and to receive responses back from the public, at which meeting a presentation will ordinarily be made by the Mayor and Council or City staff. Such informational meeting shall be advertised in advance in such manner as the Mayor and Council deem advisable under the circumstances. Following the informational meeting, the Council may, in its discretion, recommit the proposed ordinance for discussion to a work session. Upon formal introduction of the proposed ordinance, which shall be by way of a motion duly seconded and without any further vote, the City Clerk shall distribute a copy to each Council member and shall maintain a reasonable number of copies in the office of the City Clerk and shall provide public notice of the proposed ordinance or a fair summary thereof together with the time and place for a public hearing thereon and for its consideration by the Council. The public hearing shall follow the notice by at least seven days, may be held separately or in connection with a regular or special Council meeting and may be adjourned from time to time. All persons interested shall have an opportunity to be heard. After the hearing, the Mayor and Council may adopt the proposed ordinance with or without amendments or reject it. As soon as practicable after adoption, the City Clerk shall provide notice of its adoption and a fair summary of the ordinance. Except as otherwise provided, every ordinance adopted shall become effective at the expiration of 20 days after its adoption or at any later date specified therein. However, with respect to the limited zoning-type ordinances that may be passed by the Mayor and Council pursuant to the authority of §§ 22-119, 25-301 and 25-303 of the Land Use Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, the provisions of the Annotated Code of Maryland shall control as to the effective date of the proposed ordinance.
[Amended 4-24-2018 by Res. No. 18-CR-02]
B. 
To meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property, the public peace or the sound operation of the municipal government, the Council may adopt one or more emergency ordinances, but such ordinances may not levy taxes, grant, renew or extend a franchise or authorize the borrowing of money. An emergency ordinance shall be introduced in the form and manner prescribed for ordinances generally, except that it shall be plainly designated as an emergency ordinance and shall contain, after the enacting clause, a declaration stating that an emergency exists. An emergency ordinance may be adopted with or without amendment or rejected at the meeting at which it is introduced, but the affirmative vote of at least six members of the Council shall be required for adoption. After its adoption, public notice of the ordinance shall be given as prescribed for other adopted ordinances. It shall become effective upon adoption or at such later time as it may specify.
A. 
Violation(s) of any municipal ordinance shall be a municipal infraction unless the violation is declared to be a felony or a misdemeanor by law or ordinance. The provisions of § 6-102 et seq., of the Local Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, as amended, are incorporated herein and made applicable to such municipal infractions.
B. 
Violation(s) of any municipal ordinance declared to be a misdemeanor shall be punishable by a fine of $1,000 and/or imprisonment not to exceed six months to the maximum extent allowed by state law. Imprisonment in default of fines and costs shall be regulated by the provisions of §§ 7-504 and 7-505 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, as amended.