[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of Manheim as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-27-1976 by Ord. No. 1976-12; amended in its entirety 2-25-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-06)]
In the construction of this Code and of all ordinances, the following rules shall be observed, unless such construction would be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Board of Commissioners:
A. 
Commonwealth. The words "the commonwealth" shall be construed to mean the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. 
County. The words "the county" or "this county" shall mean Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
C. 
Township. The words "the Township" or "this Township" shall mean the Township of Manheim, Pennsylvania.
D. 
Municipality. The words "the municipality" or "this municipality" shall mean the Township of Manheim, Pennsylvania.
E. 
Commissioners. Whenever the word "Commissioners" is used, it shall mean the Board of Commissioners of Manheim Township.
F. 
Other officials or officers. Whenever reference is made to officers, agencies or departments by title only, i.e., "Manager-Secretary," "Treasurer," "Solicitor," "Engineer," "Tax Collector," "Tax Receiver," etc., it shall mean the officers, agencies, or departments of the Township of Manheim.
G. 
Gender. A word importing the masculine gender only may extend and be applied to females and to firms, partnerships and corporations, as well as to males.
H. 
Number. Words used in the singular include the plural, and the plural includes the singular number.
I. 
Limits. The word "limits" shall mean the corporate limits or legal boundary of the Township of Manheim.
J. 
Name of officer. Whenever the name of an officer is given, it shall be construed as though the words "of the Township of Manheim" were added.
K. 
Nontechnical and technical words. Words and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the language, but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be construed and understood according to such meaning.
L. 
Oath. The word "oath" shall be construed to include an affirmation in all cases in which, by law, an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and, in such cases, the words "swear" and "sworn" shall be equivalent to the words "affirm" and "affirmed."
M. 
Or; and. "Or" may be read "and" and "and" may be read "or" if the sense requires it.
N. 
Person. The word "person" may extend and be applied to associations, organizations, clubs, societies, firms, partnerships, corporations, and bodies politic and corporate, or any combination thereof, as well as to individuals.
O. 
Individual. The word "individual" shall mean any natural person, male or female.
P. 
Street. The word "street" shall be construed to embrace streets, avenues, boulevards, roads, alleys, lanes, viaducts, bridges and all other public streets and ways in the Township and shall embrace all parts thereof constituting the designated right-of-way. The word "street" shall also be construed to embrace highways as used and referred to in the Vehicle Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 101 et seq.
Q. 
Sidewalk. The word "sidewalk" shall mean any portion of a street between the curbline and the adjacent property line intended for the use of pedestrians.
[Amended 3-9-2026 by Ord. No. 2026-04]
Whenever, in this Code or in any ordinance of the Township, any act is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or the doing of any act is required and the failure to do so is declared to be unlawful, such action or failure to act, as the case may be, shall constitute a violation of this Code or of the pertinent ordinance. Except as otherwise provided by statute, any person violating any Township ordinance regulating building, housing, property maintenance, health, fire or public safety or water, air and noise pollution violations shall upon conviction in a summary proceeding under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by the Township in the enforcement proceedings. Upon judgment against any person by summary conviction, or by proceedings by summons on default of the payment of the fine or penalty imposed and the costs, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days. Any person violating any other Township ordinance shall, upon being found liable therefor, pay a fine of not more than $600, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred by the Township in the enforcement proceedings. If the penalty is not paid, the Township shall initiate a civil action for collection in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this Code that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense.
[Adopted 3-9-2026 by Ord. No. 2026-04]
Pursuant to 53 P.S. § 58304-A of the First Class Township Code, the body of ordinances of a general and permanent nature adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of Manheim, as revised, codified and consolidated and consisting of Chapters 1 through 500 is hereby approved, adopted, ordained and enacted as a single ordinance of the Township of Manheim, which shall be known and is hereby designated as the "Code of the Township of Manheim," hereinafter referred to as the "Code." The provisions of the Code, insofar as they are substantively the same as those of the ordinances in force immediately prior to the enactment of the Code by this ordinance, are intended as a continuation of such ordinances and not as new enactments. This ordinance and the Code adopted hereby shall supersede and replace the 2013 Code of Ordinances of the Township of Manheim, as amended and supplemented.
A. 
A copy of the Code has been filed in the office of the Township Manager/Secretary and shall remain there for use and examination by the public until final action is taken on this ordinance. Following adoption of this ordinance such copy shall be certified to by the Township Manager/Secretary, as provided by law, and such certified copy shall remain on file in the office of the Township Manager/Secretary, to be made available to persons desiring to examine the same during all times while said Code is in effect.
B. 
Additions or amendments to the Code, when adopted in such form as to indicate the intent of the Board of Commissioners to make them a part thereof, shall be deemed to be incorporated into such Code so that reference to the "Code of the Township of Manheim" shall be understood and intended to include such additions and amendments.
The Township Manager/Secretary shall cause to be published in the manner required by law a notice of the introduction and of the adoption of the Code in a newspaper of general circulation in the Township. The enactment of this ordinance, coupled with the publication of the notice of introduction, the availability of a copy of the Code for inspection by the public and the filing of an attested copy of this ordinance with the county, as required by law, shall be deemed, held arid considered to be due and legal publication of all provisions of the Code for all purposes.
Each section of this ordinance and of the Code and every part of each section is an independent section or part of a section, and the holding of any section or a part thereof to be unconstitutional, void or ineffective for any cause shall not be deemed to affect the validity or constitutionality of any other sections or parts thereof.
A. 
Ordinances of a general and permanent nature, or parts thereof, that are inconsistent with the provisions contained in the Code adopted by this ordinance are hereby repealed; provided, however, that such repeal shall only be to the extent of such inconsistency, and any valid legislation of the Township of Manheim that is not in conflict with the provisions of the Code shall be deemed to remain in full force and effect.
B. 
The following ordinances have been excluded from the Code and are specifically repealed:
(1) 
Former Chapter 61, Fire Rescue Volunteer Firefighters Association, of the 2013 Code.
(2) 
Article III, Police Services Agreement, of Chapter 87, Intergovernmental Agreements.
(3) 
Article IV, Central Lancaster County Council of Governments (Ordinance No. 2014-18).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Said Article IV was included in Ch. 87, Intergovernmental Agreements.
(4) 
Section 167-5, Dangerous dogs.
The adoption of this Code and the repeal of ordinances provided for in § 1-7 of this ordinance shall not affect the following ordinances, rights and obligations, which are hereby expressly saved from repeal; provided, however, that the repeal of ordinances pursuant to § 1-7 or the saving from repeal of ordinances pursuant to this section shall not be construed so as to revive any ordinance previously repealed, superseded or no longer of any effect:
A. 
Any ordinance adopted subsequent to August 11, 2025.
B. 
Any right or liability established, accrued or incurred under any legislative provision of the Township prior to the effective date of this ordinance or any action or proceeding brought for the enforcement of such right or liability or any cause of action acquired or existing.
C. 
Any offense or act committed or done before the effective date of this ordinance in violation of any legislative provision of the Township or any penalty, punishment or forfeiture which may result therefrom.
D. 
Any prosecution, indictment, action, suit or other proceeding pending or any judgment rendered prior to the effective date of this ordinance, brought pursuant to any legislative provision of the Township.
E. 
Any franchise, license, right, easement or privilege heretofore granted or conferred by the Township or any lawful contract, obligation or agreement.
F. 
Any ordinance appropriating money or transferring funds, promising or guaranteeing the payment of money or authorizing the issuance and delivery of any bond of the Township or other instruments or evidence of the Township's indebtedness.
G. 
Any ordinance adopting an annual budget or establishing an annual tax rate.
H. 
Any ordinance providing for the levy, imposition or collection of special taxes, assessments or charges.
I. 
Any ordinance authorizing the purchase, sale, lease or transfer of property or acquiring property by acceptance of deed, condemnation or exercise of eminent domain.
J. 
Any ordinance annexing land to the Township.
K. 
Any ordinance providing for or requiring the construction or reconstruction or opening of sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
L. 
Any ordinance or part of an ordinance providing for laying out, opening, altering, widening, relocating, straightening, establishing grade, changing name, improvement, acceptance or vacation of any right-of-way, easement, street, road, highway, sidewalk, park or other public place or property or designating various streets as public highways.
M. 
Any ordinance establishing water, sewer or other special purpose districts and designating the boundaries thereof; providing for a system of sewers or water supply lines; or providing for the construction, extension, dedication, acceptance or abandonment of any part of a system of sewers or water supply lines.
N. 
Any ordinance providing for the making of public improvements.
O. 
Any ordinance providing for the salaries and compensation of officers and employees of the Township or setting the bond of any officer or employee.
P. 
Any ordinance concerning changes and amendments to the Zoning Map.
Q. 
Any ordinance relating to or establishing a pension plan or pension fund for municipal employees.
R. 
Any ordinance or portion of an ordinance establishing a specific fee amount for any license, permit or service obtained from the Township.
S. 
Any currently effective ordinance providing for intergovernmental cooperation or establishing an intermunicipal agreement.
T. 
Ordinance No. 2023-20, regarding intergovernmental agreements, adopted December 11, 2023.
U. 
Ordinance No. 2025-13, regarding pension plans and retirement, adopted August 11, 2025.
A. 
Nonsubstantive changes. In compiling and preparing the ordinances of the Township for adoption and revision as part of the Code, certain nonsubstantive grammatical and style changes were made in one or more of said ordinances and resolutions. It is the intention of the Board of Commissioners that all such changes be adopted as part of the Code as if the ordinances so changed had been previously formally amended to read as such.
B. 
In addition to the changes and revisions described above, changes and revisions of a substantive nature, as set forth in Schedule A attached hereto and made a part hereof, are hereby made to various ordinances included in the Code, to become effective upon the effective date of this ordinance. (Chapter and section number references are to the ordinances as they have been renumbered and appear in the Code.).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: In accordance with § 1-9B, the chapters, articles and sections which were added, amended, adopted or repealed by this ordinance are indicated throughout the Code by a history referring to Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II. During routine supplementation, histories indicating amendments, additions or deletions will be replaced with the following history: "Amended (added, repealed) 3-9-2026 by Ord. No. 2026-04." Schedule A, which contains a complete description of all changes, is on file in the Township offices.
C. 
Throughout the Code:
(1) 
"Assistant Manager-Secretary" is revised to read "Assistant Manager."
(2) 
"Department of Community Affairs" is revised to read "Department of Community and Economic Development."
(3) 
"Department of Environmental Resources" is revised to read "Department of Environmental Protection" or "Department of Conservation and Natural Resources."
(4) 
"Department of Highways" is revised to read "Department of Transportation."
(5) 
"Department of Public Welfare" is revised to read "Department of Human Services."
(6) 
"District Justice" is revised to read "District Magistrate."
(7) 
"Federal Insurance Administration" is revised to read "Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration."
(8) 
"Handicapped" is revised to read "disabled."
(9) 
"Justice of the Peace" is revised to read "Magisterial District Judge."
(10) 
"Magistrate" is revised to read "Magisterial District Judge."
(11) 
"Parks and Leisure Board" is revised to read "Recreation and Park Planning Department."
(12) 
"Soil Conservation Service (SCS)" is revised to read "Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)."
D. 
In indicated chapters:
(1) 
"Department of Community and Economic Development" is revised to read "Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency" (Ch. 268 only).
(2) 
"Manager-Secretary" is revised to read "Department of Public Works" (Ch. 435 only).
E. 
Statutory reference updates.
A. 
Chapter and article titles, headings and titles of sections and other divisions in the Code or in supplements made to the Code are inserted in the Code and may be inserted in supplements to the Code for the convenience of persons using the Code and are not part of the legislation.
B. 
Editor's notes indicating sources of sections, giving other information or referring to the statutes or to other parts of the Code are inserted in the Code and may be inserted in supplements to the Code for the convenience of persons using the Code and are not part of the legislation.
It shall be unlawful for anyone to improperly change or amend, by additions or deletions, or to alter or tamper with the Code or any part or portion thereof in any manner whatsoever which will cause the law of the Township to be misrepresented thereby. Any person who violates or permits a violation of this section of this ordinance shall, upon being found liable therefor, pay a fine of not more than $600, plus court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Township in the enforcement proceedings. If the penalty is not paid, the Township shall initiate a civil action for collection in accordance with the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure. Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense. In addition to or in lieu of enforcement under this section, the Township may enforce this ordinance in equity in the Court of Common Pleas of the county.
All provisions of this ordinance and of the Code shall be in force and effect upon adoption of this ordinance.