a. Form
An emergency ordinance or resolution shall be introduced in the form and manner prescribed for ordinances generally, except that it shall be plainly designated in the beginning of its title either as “an emergency ordinance...” or “an emergency resolution...” every emergency ordinance or resolution shall contain, after the enacting clause, a declaration stating that an emergency exists and describing the emergency in clear and specific terms.
b. Procedure
All emergency ordinances and resolutions shall be placed upon the Council agenda either for three readings or for proposed passage after suspension of the rule requiring three separate readings. An emergency measure may be adopted at the time of the first or second reading only if six (6) of the members of Council vote to suspend the rule requiring three separate readings, otherwise the provisions of Section 3.15 herein requiring three separate readings shall prevail. The affirmative vote of at least five (5) members of Council shall be required for the adoption of all emergency legislation, but a failure to secure five (5) votes shall not prevent the passage of such legislation as non-emergency legislation pursuant to this Charter.
c. Effective Date
An emergency ordinance or resolution shall become effective immediately upon adoption. After its adoption the emergency ordinance or resolution shall be published and printed as prescribed for other adopted ordinances.
d. Amendments
An emergency ordinance may be adopted with or without amendment or rejected at the meeting at which it is presented to Council.
e. Description of Emergency Legislation
An emergency measure is an ordinance or resolution necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, property, health, safety, or welfare, or providing for the usual daily operation of a municipal department. A statement of this purpose in an emergency ordinance or resolution shall not alone satisfy the requirement under Section 3.16a. of this Charter of a clear and specific description of the emergency.
f. Exemptions
Ordinances appropriating money may be passed as emergency measures, but no measure (a) which changes the amount of salary or compensation for any elected or appointed officers of the City, (b) which pertains to the Zoning Code or the Building Code (c) which makes a grant, renewal or extension of a franchise or other special privilege, or (d) which regulates the rate to be charged for its service by any public utility, whether privately or publicly owned or operated, shall ever be so passed by emergency measures.
(Amended 11-8-05)