An ordinance may be introduced by any Town Councilor at any
regular or special meeting of the Town Council. Upon introduction
of any ordinance, the Town Manager shall distribute a copy to each
Town Councilor and the Town Clerk, shall file a reasonable number
of copies in the office of the Town Manager, and shall post a copy
in at least two other public venues as the Town Council may designate.
[Amended 4-10-2007]
Every proposed ordinance of the Town Council shall be introduced
in writing and in the form required for final adoption. No ordinance
shall contain more than one subject. Each ordinance shall be identified
by a number and a title. The enacting clause shall be "The Town of
Merrimack ordains..."
Any ordinance which repeals or amends an existing ordinance
shall set out in full the ordinance, sections, or subsections to be
repealed or amended, and shall indicate matter to be omitted by strikethrough
type, and shall indicate new matter by enclosing it in brackets and
using bold type.
After passage of the ordinance's first reading, it shall be
published at least once together with a notice of the time and place
when and where it will be given a public hearing and be considered
for final passage. The first such publication shall precede the date
of said hearing by at least seven calendar days.
Publication for purposes of this section shall mean the publication
of a notice in any paper distributed in the Town of Merrimack as well
as the posting of the notice in at least two other public venues as
the Town Council may designate, stating the number and title of the
ordinance and either the text of the ordinance in full or, if the
full text is not published, then a brief explanation of the purpose
of the ordinance and information as to where and when any interested
person may obtain a copy of the complete ordinance.
Final action on said ordinance shall not be taken by the Town
Council until at least seven calendar days after the public hearing
on it.
No ordinance shall be passed finally on the date on which it
is introduced, except in cases of emergency involving the health or
safety of the people or their property. Every adopted ordinance, except
as otherwise provided by this Charter, shall become effective upon
passage or at any later date specified therein.
No ordinance shall be amended or repealed except by another
ordinance adopted in accordance with this Charter, or as provided
in the initiative and referendum procedures of this Charter.