City of Holland, MI General Municipal Powers

[Amend. No. 18, 8-2-1983]

The City of Holland and its officers shall possess and be vested with any and all powers, privileges, and immunities, expressed or implied, which cities and their officers are, or hereafter may be, permitted to exercise under the constitution and laws of the State of Michigan, it being the intent of the Charter commission, in framing this Charter, and of the people of the city, in adopting it, to include all such powers, privileges, and immunities within the scope of the powers granted to the City of Holland by the provisions of this Charter. The city and its officers shall have power to exercise all municipal powers in the management and control of municipal property and in the administration of the municipal government, whether such powers be expressly enumerated or not; to do any act to advance the interests of the city, the good government and prosperity of the municipality and its inhabitants, and, through its regularly constituted authority, to pass and enforce all laws, ordinances, and resolutions relating to its municipal concerns, subject to the constitution and general laws of the state and the provisions of this Charter.

In addition to the powers possessed by the City of Holland under the constitution and general laws of the State of Michigan, and those set forth throughout and, under proper headings, within this Charter, the City of Holland shall have power with respect to and may, by ordinance and other lawful acts of its officers, provide:

(1)

Streets, alleys, etc. — use, regulation, etc., generally. For the use, regulation, improvement, and control of the surface of its streets, alleys, and public ways, and of the space above and below them;

(2)

Same—Use by others than owner. For the use, by others than the owner, of property located in streets, alleys, and public places of the city in the operation of a public utility, subject to any limitations imposed by state law;

(3)

Same—Plan. For a plan of streets and alleys within the city and for a distance of not more than three miles beyond its limits;

(4)

Streams, waters and watercourses. For the use, control, and regulation of streams, waters, and watercourses within its boundaries, subject to any limitations imposed by law;

(5)

Sabbath observance. For preventing and punishing violations of the Sabbath day, commonly known as Sunday, and for regulating or forbidding the conduct of business on that day; provided, that any ordinance passed by the council to enforce the provisions hereof shall specifically exempt from its provisions any person who conscientiously believes that the seventh day of the week ought to be observed as the Sabbath and who actually refrains from secular business and labor on that day, provided he disturbs no other person;

(6)

Maintaining the peace, etc. For maintaining the peace within the city, and preventing and punishing the disturbance of any religious meeting, congregation, or society, or other meeting which is assembled for any lawful purpose;

(7)

Storage and parking of vehicles. For the acquiring, establishment, operation, extension, and maintenance of facilities for the storage and parking of vehicles within its corporate limits, including the fixing and collection of charges for services and use thereof on a public utility basis, and for such purpose to acquire by gift, purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, the land necessary therefor;

(8)

Docks for pleasure boats, etc. For the acquiring, construction, establishment, operation, extension, and maintenance of facilities for the docking of pleasure water crafts or hydroplanes, or both, within its corporate limits, including the fixing and collection of charges for use thereof, and, for such purpose or purposes, to acquire by gift, purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, the land necessary therefor;

(9)

Service stations. For regulating, restricting, and limiting the number and locations of oil and gasoline stations;

(10)

Buildings and zoning regulations; setback lines. For establishing standards to govern the construction, alteration, equipment, or removal of buildings and structures within the city; the zoning of the city in the manner and for the purpose permitted by law; and, in any zoning ordinance passed or effective in the city, or independently thereof, to regulate and establish the line upon which buildings may be erected on any street, lane or alley in said city, and to prevent such buildings being erected nearer the street than such line;

(11)

Trades, occupations and amusements. For the regulation of trades, occupations, and amusements within the city, not inconsistent with state and federal laws, and to prohibit such trades, occupations, and amusements as are detrimental to the health, morals, or welfare of its inhabitants;

(12)

Dangerous, offensive, etc., acts, conditions, etc.; nuisances. For preventing injury or annoyance to the inhabitants of the city from anything which is dangerous, offensive, or unhealthful, and to prevent and abate nuisances and punish those occasioning them or neglecting or refusing to abate, discontinue, or remove the same;

(13)

Signs and billboards. For licensing, regulating, restricting, and limiting the number and locations of advertising signs or displays and billboards within the city;

(14)

Airports and aircraft. For establishing, acquiring, and operating airports, either within or without its corporate limits, and for regulating all airports located within its boundaries, and, for the purpose of promoting and preserving the public peace, safety, and welfare, for the control and regulation of the use of the air above the city by aircraft of all types, subject to the limitations imposed by law and the limitations expressly hereinafter set forth:

No city revenues or funds shall be expended for the acquisition, improvement; maintenance, or operation of an airport, owned by the city, without voter approval except revenues or funds received from any of the following sources or any combination thereof;

(i)

Revenues derived by the city from airport operations;

(ii)

State and/or federal funds, grants, or reimbursements designated specifically for airport use;

(iii)

Monies donated or contributed by business, industry, or the public in general (other than contributions or donations from the city itself or affiliated city agencies);

No airport shall be operated or maintained by the city except pursuant to a lease or other contractual agreement with a fixed base operator approved by the city;

No acquisition, improvement, or construction of an airport shall commence, or federal or state grants or monies applied for until legally enforceable pledges from business, industry, or the public in general (other than contributions or donations from the city itself or affiliated city agencies) are received by the city representing the aggregate city contribution for such acquisition, improvement, or construction;

(15)

House trailers. For the prohibition or regulation of the use, occupancy, sanitation, and parking of house trailers within the city, and the right of the city to so regulate any house trailer shall not be abrogated because of any detachment thereof from its wheels or because of placing it on, or attaching it to the ground by means of any temporary or permanent foundation, or in any manner whatsoever.