With the sole exception of ordinances which take effect upon adoption, hereinafter referred to, no ordinance shall be adopted by the City Council on the day of its introduction, nor within five days thereafter nor at any time other than at a regular or adjourned regular meeting. At the time of introduction or adoption of an ordinance the title shall be read. In the event that any ordinance is altered after its introduction, the same shall not be finally adopted except at a regular or adjourned regular meeting, held not less than five days after the date upon which such ordinance was so altered. The corrections of typographical or clerical errors shall not constitute the making of an alteration within the meaning of the foregoing sentence.
No order for the payment of money shall be adopted or made at any other than a regular or adjourned regular meeting.
Unless a higher vote is required by the other provisions of this Charter, the affirmative votes of at least four members of the City Council shall be required for the enactment of any ordinance or resolution, or for the making or approving of any order for the payment of money.
(Amended effective May 20, 1957, December 31, 1975, December 21, 1976 and November 30, 1995: previously Section 808)
Any ordinance declared by the City Council to be necessary as an emergency measure for preserving the public peace, health or safety, and containing a statement of the reasons for its urgency, may be introduced and adopted at one and the same meeting if passed by at least five affirmative votes.
(Amended effective May 20, 1957 and December 21, 1976: previously Section 809)
In addition to such acts of the City Council as are required by this Charter to be by ordinance, every act of the City Council establishing a fine or other penalty, or granting a franchise, shall be by ordinance.
The enacting clause of all ordinances shall be substantially as follows: "The City Council of the City of Sunnyvale does ordain as follows:".
(Amended effective December 21, 1976: previously Section 810)
The City Clerk shall cause each ordinance to be published at least once within fifteen days after its adoption in accordance with procedures established by ordinance of the City Council for the publication of legal notices, or, as an alternative method of publication, the Council, in its discretion, may order copies of any ordinance to be posted in three prominent places in the City and posted to the City Website using Internet or other appropriate technology, together with a single publication of a notice setting forth the date of adoption, the title of the ordinance and a list of the places where copies of such ordinance are posted.
(Amended effective December 21, 1976, December 23, 1982 and November 28, 2007: previously Section 811)
Any or all ordinances of the City which have been enacted and published in the manner required at the time of their adoption, and which have not been repealed, may be compiled, consolidated, revised, indexed and arranged as a comprehensive ordinance code, and such code may be adopted by reference by the passage of an ordinance for such purpose. Such code need not be published in the manner required for other ordinances, but not less than three copies thereof shall be filed for use and examination by the public in the office of the City Clerk prior to the adoption thereof. Ordinances codified shall be repealed as of the effective date of the code. Subsequent amendments to sections of the code shall be enacted in the same manner as herein required for the amendment of ordinances generally.
Detailed regulations pertaining to any subject such as the construction of building, plumbing, wiring or other subjects which require extensive regulations, after having been arranged as a comprehensive code, may likewise be adopted by reference in the manner hereinabove provided.
(Amended effective December 21, 1976: previously Section 812)
No ordinance shall become effective until thirty days from and after the date of its adoption, except the following, which shall take effect upon adoption:
(a) 
An ordinance calling or otherwise relating to an election;
(b) 
An improvement proceeding ordinance adopted under some law or procedural ordinance;
(c) 
An ordinance declaring the amount of money necessary, to be raised by taxation, or fixing the rate of taxation, or levying the annual tax upon property;
(d) 
An emergency ordinance adopted in the manner herein provided; or
(e) 
An ordinance annexing areas to the City.
(Amended effective May 20, 1957 and December 21, 1976: previously Section 813)
Violation of an ordinance of the City is a misdemeanor unless by ordinance it is made an infraction, and the penalty therefor shall be the same as established under general law for a misdemeanor or infraction, as the case may be. Violation of an ordinance of the City may be prosecuted in the name of the People of the State of California or may be redressed by civil action or both.
(Amended effective December 21, 1976: previously Section 814)
The amendment of any section or sections of an ordinance, or of any section or sections of the Municipal Code, may be accomplished by adoption of an ordinance setting forth the proposed amendments, and referencing or setting forth those relevant portions of the section or sections of the ordinance or Municipal Code necessary to express the intent of the amendment. Such amending ordinance shall not be required to set forth at length the amended section or sections.
(Amended effective December 21, 1976 and December 23, 1982: previously Section 815)
The City Council shall adopt, by ordinance, procedures for the publication of notices or other matter required by law to be published: Such procedures shall comply with such requirements of law as are binding upon chartered cities and, consistent with such laws, shall be designed to provide reasonable public notice, taking into consideration factors including, but not limited to, the desire to provide widespread dissemination of public notice, schedule of publication to ensure currency of notice, cost, and convenience. Such procedures may include alternative means of giving legal notice, such as posting, including posting to the City Website using Internet or other appropriate technology, where publication is not feasible and where such alternative methods are permitted by law. Such procedures may provide that failure to comply with the procedures shall not invalidate any action taken. Any reference in this Charter or any other provision of law to publication in the official newspaper shall be deemed satisfied by publication in accordance with the procedures established by ordinance pursuant to this section.
(Amended effective December 21, 1976, December 23, 1982 and November 28, 2007: previously Section 816)