The mayor and the city council of the city of Westminster intend to secure compliance with the provisions of this code. To the extent that such compliance may be achieved by less drastic methods of enforcement, the following alternate, separate and distinct methods may be utilized. Each method set forth herein is not intended to be mutually exclusive and does not prevent concurrent or consecutive methods being used to achieve compliance against continuing violations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, each violation of the provisions of this code may be enforced alternatively as follows:
A. 
Criminal Complaint/Citation. Any person violating any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of the ordinances of the city shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, unless the violation is made an infraction by ordinance.
1. 
Except in cases where a different punishment is prescribed by an ordinance of the city, any person convicted of a misdemeanor for violation of an ordinance of the city is punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment not to exceed six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
2. 
Any person convicted of an infraction for violation of an ordinance of the city is punishable by:
a. 
A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for a first violation;
b. 
A fine not exceeding two hundred dollars for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year; and
c. 
A fine not exceeding five hundred dollars for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year.
3. 
Each such person shall be guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which any violation of any provision of the ordinances of the city is committed, continued or permitted by any such persons, and he or she shall be punished accordingly.
4. 
Except as to those violations of the provisions of Title 6 (Animals),Title 10 (Vehicles and Traffic), and Title 15 (Buildings and Construction) or any other provision, of this code that are specifically deemed infractions, any violation of or any failure to comply with this code shall be deemed to be a misdemeanor and shall be punished as such, except that notwithstanding any other provision of this code, any such violation constituting a misdemeanor under this code may, at the discretion of the city attorney be prosecuted as an infraction. The complaint charging such violation shall specify whether the violation is a misdemeanor or an infraction.
B. 
Civil Action. The city attorney may institute an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to restrain, enjoin or abate the condition(s) found to be in violation of the provisions of this code, as provided by law.
C. 
Administrative Citation. Upon finding that a violation of this code exists, the enforcement officer vested with the authority to enforce the various provisions of this code may issue an administrative citation under the provisions of Chapter 1.14.
(Ord. 2452 § 1, 2009; Ord. 2487 § 1, 2012; Ord. 2564 § 1, 2020)