A. Penalty: Except in cases where a different punishment is prescribed by ordinance, every public offense and every unlawful act declared by ordinance to be a city code violation is punishable by a civil violation penalty not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00).
B. Procedure For Payment: Payment for a city code violation shall be made directly to the city clerk within ten (10) days or within the time prescribed on the ticket or citation, but in no event shall the time so prescribed be less than ten (10) days.
C. Contesting Citation: In the event that the citation for a city code violation is contested, the person charged shall appear at the city clerk's office within the time prescribed on the citation and sign a document contesting the violation charged. In the event that a contest is made, the city attorney may do one or more of the following: 1) set the matter for an informal conference with the contesting individual; 2) dismiss the citation; 3) amend the citation to another applicable city or state code infraction or misdemeanor charge and file an amended citation or a misdemeanor or infraction complaint with the magistrate division of the district court.
D. Failure To Contest And Failure To Pay Penalty: Failure to timely contest the citation as set forth above shall be deemed an admission to the violation and the city clerk shall enter a default. Subsequent failure to pay the applicable penalty within fourteen (14) days after the entry of default shall constitute a misdemeanor and, in addition to the penalty for the city code violation, will subject the violator to up to a three hundred dollar ($300.00) fine and/or six (6) months in the county jail. Upon entering the default for the violation, the city clerk shall notify the violator that the penalty must be paid within fourteen (14) days or a misdemeanor citation for failure to pay penalty will be filed in the magistrate division of the district court subjecting the violator to penalties of up to a three hundred dollar ($300.00) fine and/or six (6) months in the county jail. (2003 Code § 1-09-06)