All persons accused of violating or failing to comply with any provisions of this Code or any other ordinances of the Village not codified, including, but not limited to, ordinances relating to traffic control, shall be notified of such violation or failure to comply in one of the following two ways:
(A) 
By arrest, or by the issuance of a formal complaint in the Circuit Court of Cook County or in the Village's Administrative Hearing System, which complaint shall require the appearance of the defendant at the Circuit Court or before the Village's Administrative Hearing Officer upon a noted day. A violation or a failure to comply commenced in this manner shall not be settled or compromised but shall proceed to a hearing at which the defendant may plead guilty or not guilty.
(B) 
By the issuance to the defendant of a citation. A violation or failure to comply commenced in this manner may be settled or compromised as provided in Section 18-2-2 of this Code.
An individual receiving a citation may settle or compromise said citation by the payment of the amount shown on the citation at the municipal building within the time specified on the citation. Any such settlement or compromise shall constitute a plea of guilty to the applicable violation. If such citation is not settled or compromised within such period, it may be settled or compromised by the payment of the amount shown on the citation before the final notice date there indicated. All citations not settled or compromised before the final notice date shall be referred to the Village's Administrative Hearing System or the Circuit Court of Cook County for the setting of a date for a hearing upon the matter. After such a date is established, the individual charged shall be served a copy of the complaint containing a notice of the trial date in one of the following ways:
(A) 
By leaving a copy thereof with the defendant, personally; or
(B) 
By leaving a copy at the defendant's usual place of abode, with some person of the family (of the age of 10 years or upwards) and informing that person of the contents thereof; or
(C) 
By sending a copy thereof to the defendant at his or her last known address, by certified mail, return receipt requested.
Payment of a settlement and compromise amount shall be made to the Village in person, online, or by mail, and a receipt shall be issued for all money so received.
Members of the Police Department of the Village are hereby authorized to refrain from initiating a prosecution until the final notice date has passed.