[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Amesbury as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted as Art. 10 of the 1990 Bylaws; amended in its entirety 7-13-2010 by Bill No. 2010-057]
A. 
Criminal complaint. Whoever violates any provision of these ordinances may be penalized by a complaint brought in the District Court or by indictment. Except as otherwise provided by law, or as the District Court may see fit to impose, the maximum penalty for each violation or offense shall be $300.
B. 
Noncriminal disposition. Whoever violates any provision of these ordinances, the violation of which is subject to a specific penalty, may be penalized by a noncriminal disposition as provided by MGL c. 40, § 21D. This method may also be used for violations of any rule or regulation of any municipal officer, board or department which is subject to a specific penalty. For purposes of noncriminal disposition, the penalty for a violation of an ordinance or regulation for which a specific penalty has not otherwise been provided shall be $100.
It is the intention of this provision that the following ordinances and regulations and sections of those ordinances are to be included within the scope of this section, that the specific penalty as listed here shall apply in such cases and that, in addition to police officers, who shall in all cases be considered persons entitled to enforce for the purposes of this provision, the municipal personnel listed for each section, if any, shall also be enforcing persons for such sections, and each day on which any violation exists shall be deemed a separate offense.
A. 
Chapter 204, Animals.
(1) 
Article I, Licensing and Control (Animal Control Officer).
(a) 
Section 204-8, Leash violation: $10 first offense; $25 each subsequent.
(b) 
Section 204-15, Unspayed female dogs: $50.
(2) 
Article II, Vicious Dogs.
(a) 
Section 204-25A: $10.
(b) 
Section 204-25B: $25 first offense; $50 second offense.
(c) 
Section 204-25C: $25 first offense; $50 second offense.
B. 
Chapter 303, Hunting: $50.
C. 
Chapter 326, Lakes, Rivers and Ponds: $300.
D. 
Chapter 360, Peace and Good Order.
(1) 
Section 360-14, Failure to stop for red traffic signal: $100.
(2) 
Section 360-17, Public consumption of alcoholic beverages: $200.
E. 
Chapter 421, Trailers and Mobile Structures: $20.
F. 
Chapter 439, Vehicles and Traffic.
(1) 
Article I, Unregistered Vehicles (Building Commissioner): $200.
(2) 
Article II, Motorized Vehicles: $200.
G. 
Chapter 453, Water and Sewers.
(1) 
Article I, Water Supply Use and Sale: $50 first; $100 each subsequent.
H. 
Other ordinances: as stated or $100.
In the construction of this Code, the following rules shall be observed, unless the context or subject matter requires otherwise:
A. 
Number and gender. Words imparting the singular number may extend and be applied to several persons or things, and words imparting the plural number may include the singular. Words imparting the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender.
B. 
Person. The word "person" extends and applies to natural persons, firms, corporations, associations, partnerships or bodies corporate or politic and all entities of any kind capable of being sued unless plainly inapplicable.
C. 
Acts by agents. When a provision requires an act to be done which may by law as well be done by any agent as by the principal, such provision shall be construed to include all such acts when done by an authorized agent.
D. 
Tense. Words used in the present tense include the future.
E. 
Shall and may. The word "shall" is mandatory and not directive. The word "may" is permissive.
[Adopted 7-13-2010 by Bill No. 2010-057]
The ordinances of the city known as the Town of Amesbury of a general and permanent nature adopted by the Municipal Council and the bylaws adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Amesbury, all as revised, codified and consolidated into chapters and sections by General Code, and consisting of Chapters 1 through 460, together with an Appendix, are hereby approved, adopted, ordained and enacted as the Amesbury Municipal Code, hereinafter known and referred to as the "Code."
This ordinance and the Code shall supersede all other general and permanent bylaws and ordinances enacted prior to the enactment of this Code, except such bylaws and ordinances as are hereinafter expressly saved from repeal or continued in force.
This ordinance shall take effect fifteen days after adoption in accordance with the provisions of the Town Charter.
This ordinance shall, upon adoption, be included in the Code as Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, Adoption of Code.
A copy of the Code shall be maintained in the office of the City Clerk and shall remain there for use and examination by the public.
Any and all additions, amendments or supplements to the Code, when passed and adopted in accordance with the Town Charter, shall be deemed to be incorporated into such Code so that reference to the Amesbury Municipal Code shall be understood and intended to include such additions and amendments.
Copies of the Code may be purchased from the Clerk upon the payment of a fee to be set by the Municipal Council, which may also arrange for procedures for the periodic supplementation thereof.
It shall be unlawful for anyone to improperly change or amend, by additions or deletions, any part or portion of the Code, or to alter or tamper with such Code in any manner whatsoever which will cause the law of the Town of Amesbury to be misrepresented thereby. Anyone violating this section of this ordinance shall be subject, upon conviction, to a penalty as set forth in Chapter 1, Article I, of the Code.
A. 
Severability of Code provisions. Each section of the Code and every part of each section is an independent section or part of a section, and the holding of any section or a part thereof to be unconstitutional, void or ineffective for any cause shall not be deemed to affect the validity or constitutionality of any other sections or parts thereof. If any provision of this Code or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of this Code and the application of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
B. 
Severability of ordinance provisions. Each section of this ordinance is an independent section, and the holding of any section or part thereof to be unconstitutional, void or ineffective for any cause shall not be deemed to affect the validity or constitutionality of any other sections or parts thereof.
All bylaws and ordinances of a general and permanent nature adopted and in force on the date of the adoption of this ordinance and not contained in the Code are hereby repealed as of the effective date of this adopting ordinance, except as hereinafter provided.
The adoption of this Code and the repeal of bylaws and ordinances provided for in § 1-15 of this ordinance shall not affect the following bylaws, ordinances, rights and obligations, which are hereby expressly saved from repeal:
A. 
Any bylaw or ordinance adopted on or subsequent to November 18, 2008.
B. 
Any right or liability established, accrued or incurred under any legislative provision prior to the effective date of this ordinance, or any action or proceeding brought for the enforcement of such right or liability.
C. 
Any offense or act committed or done before the effective date of this ordinance in violation of any legislative provision, or any penalty, punishment or forfeiture which may result therefrom.
D. 
Any prosecution, indictment, action, suit or other proceeding pending, or any judgment rendered, prior to the effective date of this ordinance, brought pursuant to any legislative provision.
E. 
Any franchise, license, right, easement or privilege heretofore granted or conferred.
F. 
Any bylaw or ordinance providing for the laying out, opening, altering, widening, relocating, straightening, establishing grade, changing name, improvement, acceptance or vacation of any right-of-way, easement, street, road, highway, park or other public place, or any portion thereof.
G. 
Any bylaw, ordinance or resolution appropriating money or transferring funds, promising or guaranteeing the payment of money or authorizing the issuance and delivery of any bond or other instruments or evidence of the City's indebtedness.
H. 
Bylaws or ordinances authorizing the purchase, sale, lease or transfer of property, or any lawful contract or obligation.
I. 
The levy or imposition of taxes, assessments or charges.
J. 
The dedication of property or approval of preliminary or final subdivision plans.
K. 
Any bylaw or ordinance providing for salaries or compensation for municipal officers and employees.
L. 
The Zoning Bylaw and Zoning Map and any amendments thereto.
M. 
Any ordinance or bylaw or portion thereof establishing a specific fee amount for any license, permit or service obtained from the City.
A. 
In compiling and preparing the bylaws and ordinances for adoption and revision as part of the Code, certain grammatical changes and other minor changes were made in one or more of said bylaws and ordinances. It is the intention of the Municipal Council that all said changes be adopted as part of the Code as if the bylaws and ordinances so changed had been previously formally amended to read as such.
B. 
The following changes are made throughout the Code:
(1) 
All references to the "Town" are amended to "City" except where the full title "Town of Amesbury" is used.
(2) 
All references to "Council" are amended to "Municipal Council."
(3) 
All references to "Building Inspector" are amended to "Building Commissioner."
C. 
In addition, the amendments and/or additions as set forth in Schedule A[1] attached hereto and made a part hereof are made herewith, to become effective upon the effective date of this ordinance. (Chapter and section number references are to the bylaws and ordinances as they have been renumbered and appear in the Code.)
[1]
Editor's Note: In accordance with § 1-15C, the chapters, parts and sections which were added, amended, adopted or deleted by this ordinance are indicated throughout the Code by a footnote referring to Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II. During routine supplementation, footnotes indicating amendments, additions or deletions will be replaced with the following history: "Amended (added, deleted) 7-13-2010 by Bill No. 2010-057." Schedule A, which contains a complete description of all changes, is on file in the City offices.