[HISTORY: Adopted by the Council of the City
of Easton as Art. 125 of the 1965 Codified Ordinances. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Approval of contracts and agreements — See Ch. 34.
[Amended 11-10-1960 by Ord. No. 1662]
Pursuant to the provisions of Article XXIV, Section 2403 of the Act of June 28, 1951, as amended (the Third Class City Code), and more particularly Subsection 1.1, adopted May 20, 1957,[1] there is hereby created a separate Capital Reserve Fund
for anticipated capital expenditures for the construction, purchase,
replacement of or addition to municipal buildings, equipment, machinery,
motor vehicles or other capital assets of the City and for no other
purpose.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 37403.
[Amended 11-10-1960 by Ord. No. 1662]
Such fund shall be kept in a separate bank account
entitled "Capital Reserve Fund, City of Easton, Pennsylvania." Payments
from the fund shall be made upon written request to Council by any
member thereof and approval of the request by appropriate resolution
of Council adopted by an affirmative vote of at least four of its
members. Checks drawn on the fund shall be signed and countersigned
as is now prescribed for the signing of checks drawn on other funds
of the City.
[Amended 11-10-1960 by Ord. No. 1662]
Council may from time to time appropriate monies
from the general City funds, or place in the Capital Reserve Fund
any monies received from any other source, unless such monies are
received or acquired for a particular purpose.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Original Section 125.04, Maximum
amount of fund, which previously followed this section, was repealed
1-9-1967 by Ord. No. 2027.
A.
On or after August 1, 1957, the City shall become
and be subject to the provisions of "The Fourth to Eighth Class and
Selective County Assessment Law," approved May 21, 1943 (P.L. 571)
(see 72 P.S. § 5453.101 et seq.).
[Amended 2-11-2009 by Ord. No. 5153]
B.
On or after January 1, 1981, the City, in accepting the provisions of the Act cited in Subsection A hereof, hereby elects to adopt a predetermined ratio different from that used by Northampton County, to wit, the City hereby elects to adopt a predetermined ratio of 80%, such ratio to be applied to the market valuation supplied by Northampton County to determine assessed value for tax purposes.
[Amended 12-23-1980 by Ord. No. 2588]
[Amended 2-21-1939 by Ord. No. 1031; 7-22-2015 by Ord. No. 5501]
The Director of Finance or their designee is
directed to make a daily deposit in the name of the City, in a hereinafter
defined official depository, of all monies received by him in his
official capacity during the immediately preceding business day.
[Amended 2-21-1939 by Ord. No. 1031]
Council shall designate by resolution certain
banks, depositories or other financial institutions for the receiving
of monies.
[Amended 2-21-1939 by Ord. No. 1031]
No such resolution designating any such bank,
depository or financial institution as an official depository shall
be effective until such depository shall have filed with the City
Clerk, or the Sinking Fund Commission, its bond in an amount not less
than the largest estimated prospective balance in favor of the City
upon its books. Such bond shall be secured by deposit with the City
Clerk, or Sinking Fund Commission, or with the Federal Reserve Depository
of this District, of United States government bonds or other securities
satisfactory to Council in an amount equal to the face value of the
bond, or the bond shall be secured by the obligation of sufficient
individual or corporate sureties as shall be acceptable to Council.
[Amended 12-7-1920 by Ord. No. 450]
Monies or funds appropriated to any of the several
bureaus of the City government may be transferred from one fund or
account of any bureau within any one department to any other fund
or account of the same bureau by resolution of Council. Such resolution
authorizing such transfer shall be a sufficient warrant for the City
Controller to make such transfer and shall set forth the amount and
the account, fund or bureau from and to which such transfer is to
be made.
[Amended 5-21-1988 by Ord. No. 2951]
In all cases of contracts or purchases, other
than the kind mentioned in Section 1901(d)(1) to (5) inclusive of
the Third Class City Code (Act of June 28, 1951, P.L. 662, as amended),[1] from $1,000 to $10,000 inclusive, whether made by Council
or by an officer or appointee of the City, written bids shall be solicited
therefor, and no such contract or purchase shall be made for the City
except upon at least two such written bids. The specifications upon
which such bids are solicited shall be uniform insofar as possible
to afford equal opportunity for bidding. Catalogues and circulars
of firm prices shall be acceptable as bids upon the contracts or purchases
herein regulated. All such bids shall be retained in the proper department
or office for a period of at least two months. The members of Council
and the City Controller shall have access to the bids in all departments
and offices of the City for the enforcement of this section. Any official
or appointee of the City contracting or purchasing in violation of
the provisions of this article shall be liable upon their bond, if
any, personally, in the full amount of the purchase or contract so
made, and Council may void any such purchase or contract.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 36901.
[Amended 11-10-2004 by Ord. No. 4592; 2-11-2009 by Ord. No.
5153; 7-22-2015 by Ord. No. 5501; 4-22-2020 by Ord. No. 5698]
A.
All checks or drafts, be it electronic or otherwise, drawn on the
general fund of the City and other special accounts, shall be signed,
either physically or electronically, by the Director of Finance or
Deputy Director of Finance, if the Director is unavailable, or in
their absence, the City Administrator as designee; or the Mayor, or
the Vice-Mayor if the Mayor is unavailable, subject to the approval
by signature, electronic or otherwise, evidencing final approval by
the City Controller or the City Controller's Deputy.
B.
An electronic signature is an electronic sound, symbol or process,
attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record
and executed and adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record
(per the Pennsylvania Office of Administration's Information
Technology Policy) and, for purposes of this section, approving a
specific payment.
[Amended 12-13-1972 by Ord. No. 2178]
A.
All central purchasing procedures of the City, which
have been placed in effect on November 1, 1972, and remain on file
in the office of the Director of Finance, are hereby approved.
[Amended 2-11-2009 by Ord. No. 5153]
B.
The Department of Administration is hereby authorized
to promulgate supplementary and amendatory rules and regulations governing
central purchasing procedures, as the Department may deem advisable
from time to time. Notice of the content of such amendatory and supplementary
rules and regulations shall be served on the Mayor and all department
heads at least 14 days prior to consideration thereof by Council,
which may thereupon approve the same by resolution.
C.
A copy of the central purchasing procedures and all
supplements and amendments thereto certified by the Director of Finance
shall remain on file in the office of the Director of Finance subject
to public inspection.
[Amended 2-11-2009 by Ord. No. 5153]
[Amended 7-11-1973 by Ord. No. 2213]
A.
The Mayor, Director of Finance and City Controller,
acting as a body for the temporary investment of City funds, shall
have power to provide for such investment in United States Treasury
bills and for the disposal of such securities when the moneys may
be needed or in savings accounts or share accounts of institutions
insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the Federal
Saving and Loan Insurance Corporation to the extent that such accounts
are so insured or to the extent that such deposits with savings institutions
are protected by pledges of the United States Government securities
having a current market value equal to the uninsured portion of the
account.
[Amended 2-11-2009 by Ord. No. 5153]
B.
Where United States government securities are pledged
for deposits and which are held in escrow, the release of such securities
from the escrow agent may be accomplished by any two signatories of
the four officers who are authorized to act as a body for the temporary
investment of City funds.
[Amended 7-25-1973 by Ord. No. 2216]
A.
The budget shall be presented to Council in accordance
with all provisions set forth in the Optional 3rd Class City Charter
Law and Third Class City Code.
B.
In addition to Subsection A hereof, the budget shall be presented to Council in the following form: The revenue and expenditure items shall be divided into as many budget categories as the Mayor deems necessary. Each expenditure category shall be divided into line items, which shall be specific items within a category, with number, nomenclature, and appropriate budgeted amount, which can be identified and allocable to a specific purpose.
C.
Work sheets.
(1)
The budget, when presented, shall be accompanied by
work sheets, which shall have the following form:
(a)
There shall be a work sheet for each expenditure
category. Each work sheet shall list all line items which appear in
the budget ordinance being presented to Council. Each line item shall
be numbered and named. Each line item listed on the work sheet shall
provide the following information: total expenses for each of the
two years preceding the budget currently in effect; adjusted appropriations
for the budget then in effect; the sum of the expenditures from January
1 to October 31 from the budget then in effect; the sum of the estimated
expenditures for the balance of the year from the budget then in effect;
the sum of the total expenditures estimated for the year of the budget
then in effect; budget request for the forthcoming year and a full
description of items or services to be purchased therefrom.
(b)
There shall be a general work sheet for all
revenue items. Each item shall provide the following information:
amount received for each of the two years preceding the budget then
in effect; amount received from January 1 to October 31 of the year
of the budget then in effect; amount anticipated to be received for
the balance of the year of the budget then in effect; total amount
anticipated for the year of the budget then in effect; amount anticipated
to be received during the forthcoming year; a full explanation of
the source of revenue anticipated with details relating to unusual
or substantial changes from prior years' experience.
[Amended 8-8-1973 by Ord. No. 2217]
All real estate owned by the City which may
become the subject of private users and uses from time to time may
be committed for such use through leaseholds for valuable consideration,
not to exceed the period of one year from the date of such commitment,
without further approval of Council. Copies of all leasehold agreements
shall be provided to Council within 30 days from the date of execution.
[Amended 3-25-1987 by Ord. No. 2883]
A.
This City shall join with other local governmental
units in accordance with the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act[1] by becoming a settlor of the Pennsylvania Local Government
Investment Trust (the "trust") and entering into the Declaration of
Trust, which is adopted by reference with the same effect as if it
had been set out verbatim in this section and a copy of which shall
be filed with the minutes of the meeting at which this section was
adopted.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 2301
et seq.
B.
This City is authorized to purchase shares in the
trust from time to time with available funds and to redeem some or
all of those shares from time to time as funds are needed for other
purposes. These actions are to be taken by the officers designated
for this purpose, pursuant to general or specific instructions by
the governing body of this City.
C.
The trustees of the trust are designated as having
official custody of this City's funds which are invested by the purchase
of shares in the trust.
D.
As required by the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act,
the following matters are specifically found and determined:
(1)
The conditions of the agreement are set forth in the Declaration of Trust referred to in Subsection A hereof;
(2)
This City's participation in the trust shall be terminable
at any time by ordinance;
(3)
The Declaration of Trust and the purchase of its shares
are for the purpose of investing this City's funds in obligations
which are otherwise legal investments, as part of a pooled arrangement
with other local governmental units, thereby achieving economic and
other advantages of pooled investments;
(4)
It is not necessary to finance the agreement authorized
herein from funds of this City except through the purchase of shares
in the trust;
(5)
The trust shall be managed by a Board of Trustees
as set forth in the Declaration of Trust and the bylaws provided for
therein; and
(6)
Shares may be repurchased and redeemed from time to
time as this City may determine to be necessary or appropriate to
meet its cash investment requirements.
