Borough of Wilkinsburg, PA General Provisions

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Wilkinsburg: Art. I, 11-30-1994 as Ord. No. 2472. Amendments noted where applicable.]

Article I Adoption of Code

[Adopted 11-30-1994 as Ord. No. 2472]

Be it enacted and ordained by the Borough Council of the Borough of Wilkinsburg, County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and it is enacted and ordained as follows:

§ 1-1 Approval, adoption and enactment of Code.

Pursuant to Section 1008(b) of the Borough Code [53 P.S. § 46008(b)], the codification of a complete body of ordinances and resolutions for the Borough of Wilkinsburg, County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as revised, codified and consolidated into chapters, Articles and sections by General Code Publishers Corp., and consisting of Chapters 1 through 260, together with an Appendix, are hereby approved, adopted, ordained and enacted as a single ordinance of the Borough of Wilkinsburg, which shall be known and is hereby designated as the "Code of the Borough of Wilkinsburg," hereinafter referred to as the "Code."

§ 1-2 Effect of Code on previous provisions.

The provisions of this Code, insofar as they are substantively the same as those of ordinances and resolutions in force immediately prior to the enactment of this ordinance, are intended as a continuation of such ordinances and resolutions and not as new enactments, and the effectiveness of such provisions shall date from the date of adoption of the prior ordinance or resolution. All such provisions are hereby continued in full force and effect and are hereby reaffirmed as to their adoption by the Borough Council of the Borough of Wilkinsburg, and it is the intention of said Borough Council that each such provision contained within the Code is hereby reenacted and reaffirmed as it appears in said Code. Only such provisions of former ordinances as are omitted from this Code shall be deemed repealed or abrogated by the provisions of § 1-3 below, and only changed provisions, as described in § 1-6 below, shall be deemed to be enacted from the effective date of this Code, as provided in § 1-16 below.

§ 1-3 Repeal of ordinances not contained in Code.

All ordinances or parts of ordinances of a general and permanent nature adopted by the Borough of Wilkinsburg and in force on the date of the adoption of this Code and not contained in the Code are hereby repealed as of the effective date given in § 1-16 below, except as hereinafter provided.

§ 1-4 Ordinances saved from repeal; matters not affected by repeal.

The adoption of this Code and the repeal of ordinances provided for in § 1-3 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 § 1-3 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:

Any ordinance adopted subsequent to July 27, 1994.

Any right or liability established, accrued or incurred under any legislative provision of the borough 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.

Any offense or act committed or done before the effective date of this ordinance in violation of any legislative provision of the borough or any penalty, punishment or forfeiture which may result therefrom.

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 borough.

Any franchise, license, right, easement or privilege heretofore granted or conferred by the borough or any lawful contract, obligation or agreement.

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 borough or other instruments or evidence of the borough's indebtedness.

Any ordinance adopting an annual budget or establishing an annual tax rate.

Any ordinance providing for the levy, imposition or collection of special taxes, assessments or charges.

Any ordinance authorizing the purchase, sale, lease or transfer of property or acquiring property by acceptance of deed, condemnation or exercise of eminent domain.

Any ordinance annexing land to the borough.

Any ordinance providing for requiring the construction or reconstruction or opening of sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

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.

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.

Any ordinance providing for the making of public improvements.

Any ordinance providing for the salaries and compensation of officers and employees of the borough or setting the bond of any officer or employee.

Any ordinance concerning changes and amendments to the Zoning Map.

Any ordinance relating to retirement, pensions and/or social security.

§ 1-5 Inclusion of new legislation prior to adoption of Code.

All ordinances and resolutions of a general and permanent nature adopted subsequent to the date given in § 1-4A and/or prior to the date of adoption of this ordinance are hereby deemed to be a part of the Code and shall, upon being printed, be included therein. Attested copies of all such ordinances and resolutions shall be temporarily placed in the Code until printed supplements are included.

§ 1-6 Changes and revisions in previously adopted ordinances.

Nonsubstantive grammatical changes. In compiling and preparing the ordinances and resolutions of the borough for adoption and revision as part of the Code, certain nonsubstantive grammatical and style changes were made in one (1) or more of said ordinances. It is the intention of the Borough Council that all such changes be adopted as part of the Code as if the ordinances and resolutions so changed had been previously formally amended to read as such.

Substantive changes and revisions. In addition to the changes and revisions described above, the following changes and revisions of a substantive nature are hereby made to various ordinances and resolutions included in the Code. These changes are made to bring provisions into conformity with the desired policies of the Borough Council, and it is the intent of the Borough Council that all such changes be adopted as part of the Code as if the ordinances and resolutions so changed have been previously formally amended to read as such. All such changes and revisions shall be deemed to be in effect as of the effective date of the Code specified in § 1-16.[1]

[1]

Editor's Note: In accordance with § 1-6B, the following sections, Articles and chapters were amended or added: §§ 3-1, 9-3, 11-1C(4), 11-7, 14-2, 14-10C and D, 14-50A, 24-3, 24-29, 24-30, 27-13F and G, 29-3, 52-5A, 52-8E, 52-9B, 58-3, 58-7, 58-10, 65-1, 65-2, 65-12, Arts. IV and V of Ch. 65, §§ 65-20, 65-22, 65-25, 65-28, 70-13, 70-14A, 70-34D, 74-1E, 74-4C, 74-13, Ch. 87, §§ 103-10, 105-3, 105-4, 108-2, 110-4, 110-8, 110-11, 110-14, 110-17, 110-18C, 112-1, 112-4, 112-6, 112-8, 112-10, 118-5, 121-1, 121-7, 121-12, 121-13, 121-14, 121-15, 121-16, 121-17, 121-18, 121-19, 121-20, 121-21, 121-22, 123-5, 138-4, 146-1, 146-5, 146-8, 146-12, 150-6, 154-6, 154-7, 154-8A and E, 154-9A, B and D, 154-10B, 154-11A, 154-12B, 154-14, 154-16, 154-17C and G, 154-18, 154-19A, B and C, 154-20D, 154-21, 169-3, 169-10, 178-1, 178-6, 183-3, Subsection O of § 191-1, §§ 191-2, 196-7, 200-4A(3), 202-1, 202-2, 205-3, 205-5, 217-3, 217-5, 217-6F, 217-8, 217-9, 217-12, 217-13, 217-21, 222-6, 222-10C, 226-11, 226-14, 226-15, 226-17B, 226-23, 226-27, 226-29, 229-2, 229-5B, 229-6D, 229-8A, 229-18D and F, 229-19, 229-23, 232-10, 237-1, 237-2, 237-3, 237-12A, 237-19, 237-34, 237-37A, 237-44, 237-64A and B, 237-66, 237-72, 245-5, 245-7A(1), 245-12, 245-13, 245-16B, Ch. 248, §§ 252-3, 260-1, 260-2, 260-3, 260-9, 260-22P(5), 260-28A, 260-31B, 260-58B, 260-59B, 260-62B and 260-63. In addition, the following former sections of the 1972 Code were deleted: Sections 262 and 267 of Ch. I, Part 9; Sections 102 and 103 of Ch. I, Part 4; Section 24 of Ch. I, Part 2A; Sections 41, 42, 43 and 44 of Ch. I, Part 2B; Sections 113, 116 and 118 of Ch. I, Part 5; Section 62 of Ch. XV, Part 2C; Section 17(h) of Ch. XXIV; and Section 4 of Ch. XXV. The following original sections of ordinances were deleted: Sections 9 and 10 of Ord. No. 2309; Sections 1 and 2.3 of Ord. No. 2312; Sections 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of Ord. No. 2373; and the definition of "unit property act" in Section 202 of Ord. No. 2103. A complete description of these changes is included in Ord. No. 2472, on file in the borough offices.

§ 1-7 Interpretation of provisions.

In interpreting and applying the provisions of the Code, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of the public health, safety, comfort, convenience and general welfare. Where the provisions of the Code impose greater restrictions or requirements than those of any statute, other ordinance, resolution or regulation, the provisions of the Code shall control. Where the provisions of any statute, other ordinance, resolution or regulation impose greater restrictions or requirements, the provisions of such statute, other ordinance, resolution or regulation shall control.

§ 1-8 Titles and headings; editor's notes.

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.

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.

§ 1-9 Filing of copies of Code.

Three (3) copies of the Code in a post-bound volume shall be filed with the Ordinance Book in the office of the Borough Secretary and shall remain there for use and examination by the public. Upon adoption, such copies shall be certified to by the Borough Secretary, as provided by law, and such certified copies shall remain on file in the office of the Borough Secretary, available to persons desiring to examine the same during all times while said Code is in effect.

§ 1-10 Amendments to Code.

Any and all additions, deletions, amendments or supplements to the Code, when passed and adopted in such form as to indicate the intention of the Borough Council to be a part thereof, shall be deemed to be incorporated into such Code so that reference to the Code shall be understood and intended to include such changes. Whenever such additions, deletions, amendments or supplements to the Code shall be adopted, they shall thereafter be printed and, as provided hereunder, inserted in the post-bound book containing said Code as amendments and supplements thereto.

§ 1-11 Code books to be kept up-to-date.

It shall be the duty of the Borough Secretary or someone authorized and directed by him or her to keep up-to-date the certified copies of the book containing the Code required to be filed in the office of the Borough Secretary for the use of the public. All changes in said Code and all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the Borough Council subsequent to the effective date of this codification which the Borough Council shall adopt specifically as part of the Code shall, when finally adopted, be included therein by reference until such changes or new ordinances or resolutions are printed as supplements to said Code books, at which time such supplements shall be inserted therein.

§ 1-12 Publication of notices.

The Borough Secretary, pursuant to law, shall cause to be published in the manner required a notice of the introduction and of the adoption of the Code in a newspaper of general circulation in the borough. The enactment and application of this ordinance, coupled with the publication of the notices of introduction and adoption, as required by law, and the availability of copies of the Code for inspection by the public, shall be deemed, held and considered to be due and legal publication of all provisions of the Code for all purposes.

§ 1-13 Ratification and confirmation.

The action of the proper officers and the advertising of this ordinance and the legislation in the Code of the Borough of Wilkinsburg, as required by applicable law, is hereby ratified and confirmed.

§ 1-14 Altering or tampering with Code; penalties for violation.

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 borough to be misrepresented thereby. Anyone violating this section of this ordinance shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding six hundred dollars ($600.), plus costs of prosecution, and, in default of payment thereof, by imprisonment for a term not exceeding thirty (30) days.

§ 1-15 Severability.

The provisions of this ordinance and of the Code adopted hereby are severable, and if any clause, sentence, subsection, section, Article, chapter or part thereof shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid or unconstitutional, such judgment or decision shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof but shall be confined in its operation and application to the clause, sentence, subsection, section, Article, chapter or part thereof rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the Borough Council that this ordinance and the Code would have been adopted if such illegal, invalid or unconstitutional clause, sentence, subsection, section, Article, chapter or part thereof had not been included therein.

§ 1-16 Effective date.

All provisions of this ordinance and of the Code shall be in force and effect on and after November 30, 1994.

Article II Legislation Enacted During Codification

[During the course of codification, certain new fees legislation was approved for adoption by resolution of the Borough Council. Said Fees Resolution was adopted 11-30-1994; it has been included in the Code as Chapter A266, Fees.]