(a) Form. Every proposed ordinance and resolution shall be introduced in writing and in the form required for final adoption. No ordinance or resolution shall contain more than one subject which shall be clearly expressed in its title. The enacting clause shall be “The Municipality of Germantown hereby ordains or resolves...”. Any ordinance or resolution which repeals or amends an existing ordinance or resolution or part of the Municipal Code shall set out in full the ordinance or resolution, sections or subsections to be repealed or amended, and shall indicate the matter to be repealed or amended, and shall indicate the matter to be omitted by enclosing it in brackets or by strikeout type and shall indicate new matter by underscoring or by italics.
(b) Procedure. An ordinance or resolution may be introduced by the Mayor or any member at any regular or special meeting of the Council. Upon introduction of any ordinance or resolution, the Clerk of Council shall distribute a copy to each Council member and to the Mayor, shall file a reasonable number of copies in the office of the Clerk of Council and such other public places as the Council may designate, and shall publish the ordinance or resolution together with a notice setting out the time and place for a public hearing thereon and for its consideration by the Council. The public hearing shall follow the publication by at least seven (7) days, may be held separately or in connection with a regular or special Council meeting and may be adjourned from time to time; all persons interested shall have an opportunity to be heard. After the hearing the Council may adopt the ordinance or resolution, with or without amendment or reject it by a majority vote of the Council. After adoption, the ordinances or resolutions shall be published by Council.
The following procedure shall apply to the passage of ordinances and resolutions:
(1) Each ordinance or resolution shall be read by title only, provided the Council may require any reading to be in full by a majority vote of its members.
(2) Each ordinance shall be read on two (2) different days, provided the Council may dispense with this rule by a vote of at least five of its members.
(c) Effective Date. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, every adopted ordinance shall be effective at the expiration of thirty (30) days after adoption or at any later date specified therein; every adopted resolution shall become effective immediately after adoption or at any later date specified therein.
(d) “Published” Defined. As used in this section, the term “publish” means to print the ordinance or resolution at least once by title only in one (1) or more newspapers of general circulation in the Municipality. The Clerk of Council shall post a copy of the ordinance or resolution in one or more public places in the Municipality as determined by Council by ordinance, for a period of ten days after such ordinance or resolution has been introduced.
(Amended 11-2-99; 11-6-01; 11-2-21.)