[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Chester as Art. 111 of the 1978 Codified Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 1-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010]
Council shall meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month in the Council Chamber of the Municipal Building, 1 Fourth Street, Chester, Pennsylvania; or at such other place as Council may determine. The time for the meetings shall be as follows: beginning in January the meetings shall be held at 10:00 a.m. with the exception that every third month (March, June, September, and December), one meeting shall be held at 7:00 p.m. However, if the Wednesday on which any meeting is scheduled is a legal holiday, such meeting shall be held on the following day at the same hour.
[Amended 2-13-1973 by Ord. No. 5-1973]
The Mayor may, and upon the request of two Councilmen shall, call a special meeting of Council upon 24 hours' notice to each member, which notice shall state whether such meeting is to be convened for special or general business. Such notice may be waived by unanimous consent of Council.
[Amended 1-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010]
A. 
Powers and duties. The several departments of the City government, for the performance of executive and administrative functions, shall have power and authority to do and are charged with the duty of performing the duties which Council assigns to them.
B. 
Directors subject to council supervision. The directors of departments are only the agents of Council and all their acts shall be subject to review and to approval or revocation by Council, except where otherwise provided by law or ordinance.
C. 
Directors' reports. Every department director and any other officer shall, as required by law or ordinance or on request by resolution of Council, or whenever said director deems it necessary for the good of the public service, report to Council in writing respecting the business of the particular department or office of matters connected therewith.
D. 
Rules and regulations. The director of each department shall make and enforce such rules and regulations not inconsistent with this Administrative Code or other laws, ordinances or rules and regulations adopted by Council, as may be necessary to provide efficient conduct of the service of his department or the business in charge thereof.
E. 
Assistants and employees. Except as otherwise provided by law or ordinance, the director of each department shall appoint or employ such assistants or employees as may be authorized by Council as necessary to the efficient conduct of the service in the department and the director may dismiss the same for the good of the department, subject to approval by Council.
[Amended 1-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010]
The Mayor, as Director of the Department of Public Affairs, shall perform and discharge the duties and powers assigned by law and ordinance. The Mayor shall have supervision over the Police Department and all policemen, officers and employees therein and the Sealer of Weights and Measures. The Mayor shall have supervision of the City Planning Commission. The Mayor shall have supervision over all traffic control devices and shall compel the compliance with all laws and ordinances, except where such duty is vested elsewhere by law or ordinance.
[Amended 1-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010]
A. 
The Director of the Department of Accounts and Finance shall perform and discharge the duties and powers assigned by law and ordinance. The Director shall supervise the Department of Human Resources, and City Printing unless otherwise provided for, investigate and report to Council, all bills, accounts, payrolls and claims before such are acted upon or allowed, unless otherwise provided by law or ordinance, and report to Council any failure to make reports or to pay monies due the City; together with specific recommendation in relation thereto, as the Director deems proper.
B. 
The City Accountant in the Department of Accounts and Finance shall be the official bookkeeper of the financial accounts and affairs of the City. The City Accountant shall keep books of accounts in accordance with generally accepted municipal bookkeeping practices of the receipts and expenditures of the City, funded and floating debt, assets and property of the City and such other matters requiring account. Upon request, the City Accountant shall prepare and furnish statements and reports to department heads and Council of the City's financial affairs or of the appropriation and expenditures and outstanding obligations of any department, and prepare as the law provides a report for the preceding fiscal year of the receipts and expenditures of the City, and other information which department heads or Council may require.
A. 
The Director of the Department of Public Safety shall perform and discharge the duties and powers assigned by law and ordinance; have supervision of the Fire Department and all officers, employees and property and apparatus therein belonging to the City, including fire plugs and the fire alarm system; and have supervision of the health officer, Building Inspector, Plumbing Inspector, Electrical Inspector, mechanical inspector and housing inspectors.
B. 
All matters pertaining to health and all City officers and employees connected with public health, and all property used in connection with health matters, are assigned to the Department of Public Safety.
[Amended 1-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010]
A. 
The Director of Streets and Public Improvements shall perform and discharge the duties and powers assigned by law and ordinance and supervise municipal refuse collection. The Director shall superintend and have charge of all public work connected with the streets and alleys of the City including the cleaning of streets and public places and the erection, construction, making, repairing and reconstruction of all streets and street improvements, pavements, sidewalks, sewers, bridges, viaducts and conduits. The Director shall supervise street excavations and issue permits therefor, supervise and control the giving of notice to property owners to curb and recurb and to reset curb, and to pave, repave and repair sidewalks. The Director shall keep accurate records of all such notices, and effectuate a system whereby defective sidewalks, curbs and streets are reported, proper notice given and repairs made; in this connection the Director may call on other departments for assistance.
B. 
The Director of Streets and Public Improvements shall have supervision over street signs and encroachments permitted in streets by law or ordinance. The Director shall supervise signs erected or to be erected in, on or above any street, avenue or alley of the City and billboards. The Director shall have control and supervise landfills and public comfort stations. The Director shall supervise all public service utilities and companies rendering service in the City under any franchise, contract or grant from the City and report to Council any failure of such persons to render service or to observe the requirements or conditions of the franchise, contract, grant or law, under which such public service utility is operated.
C. 
The City Engineer and any engineering employees are assigned to the Department of Streets and Public Improvements and shall be under the supervision and direction of the Director thereof.
[Amended 1-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010]
A. 
The office of City Engineer is hereby created to serve a term of four years and until a successor is qualified.
B. 
The engineers in the Department of Streets and Public Improvements shall be appointed in accordance with the rules pertaining to civil service of cities of the third class.
C. 
The City Engineer shall supervise and control all surveys and regulations authorized by State law and City ordinances, and shall officially sign all plans and profiles of surveys, bridges and culverts. The City Engineer shall furnish Council with all plans and specifications for laying out, grading and regulating streets and public ways, and for bridges, culverts, common sewers, location of inlets and other improvements to be done under the supervision of Council. The City Engineer shall perform all other duties imposed by law or ordinance.
D. 
The City Engineer shall lay out and survey such parts of the City as may be required and shall designate the proper lines, levels and grades, as established upon the confirmed plans of the City. When the improvements mentioned in § 34-7C are built or constructed by contract, no estimate shall be paid without the certificate of the City Engineer as to its correctness.
E. 
The City Engineer shall keep an accurate record in a book provided for that purpose of all surveys and adjustments of building lines, and all surveys, plans and records, minutes, notes, memoranda and regulations shall be delivered to his successor in office at the termination of his official service.
F. 
The City Engineer shall keep in his office and under his custody, certified copies of all records and plans relating to the surveys, regulations, sewerage and bridging of the City.
[Amended 1-27-2010 by Ord. No. 3-2010]
The Director of the Department of Parks and Public Property shall perform and discharge the duties and powers assigned by law and ordinance. The Director shall have supervision over all public parks and public property, including buildings and contents, not otherwise assigned, wharves and docks. The janitor of City Hall and other City buildings, and the tenders of the wharves and docks of the City shall be under the Director's supervision. The Director shall have control, management and direction of lighting the streets and alleys, and of public parks, grounds and buildings, not otherwise assigned, and of all lights, material and persons charged with the care thereof. The Director shall have supervision over the banks and waterfront on the Delaware River and on the Chester and Ridley Rivers, insofar as the same belong to the City, or are under its control, or in which it has an interest. The Director shall have jurisdiction and control over all public parks, playgrounds and recreation centers of the City, and all officers and employees, including park policemen and watchmen employed therein and of all property used in connection therewith. The Director shall have charge and supervision over the improvements, maintenance, lighting and care of parks, playgrounds and recreation centers including buildings and property therein or thereon. The Director shall have charge of enforcing the provisions of law and City ordinances relating to trees in public streets, alleys, parks and other public places. The Director shall have such assistance from the City Engineer as may be necessary in surveying and laying out parks, playgrounds and recreation grounds and improvements thereto. The Director shall have charge of enforcing rules and regulations relating to parks, playgrounds and recreation centers.
The position of Director of Civil Defense is hereby created with appointment to be made by Council. The Director shall serve for no fixed term and is subject to removal at any time by Council.