Actions of Council shall be by Ordinance, Resolution, or Motion. Motions shall be used to conduct the business of Council, in procedural matters, for elections conducted among Council members and as otherwise provided in this Charter. All other action shall be taken by Ordinance or Resolution. No action of Council shall be invalidated merely because the form thereof fails to comply with the provisions of this section.
Any member of Council, or the Mayor, may propose any Ordinance or Resolution, at a regular or special meeting, which shall be in written form and which shall contain a concise title.
The form and style of Ordinances and Resolutions shall be determined by Council.
A. An Ordinance is a law intended to permanently direct and control matters applying to persons or issues in general, pertaining to public safety, health, morals and general welfare. Issues involving public streets and sidewalks, pet restrictions, etc. are examples of what should be addressed by ordinance.
Each Ordinance shall be read on two separate meeting dates, unless this requirement is dispensed with by a vote of the majority of the members of Council. The first reading may be by title only. The second readings shall be in full unless this requirement is dispensed with by majority vote of Council.
Ordinances shall require a majority four (4) votes of Council for enactment. Ordinances are enforceable and become effective thirty (30) days after adoption unless an emergency clause is included, in which case the ordinance becomes effective immediately.
B. A Resolution is an expression of opinion on matters of public policy or for internal administrative purposes, limited to a specific issue and not intended to be permanent nor to be enforceable. Actions that grant a waiver from building codes or authorize the expenditure of public funds are examples of what should be addressed by resolution.
Resolutions may be introduced and acted upon after a single reading and go into effect immediately with majority four (4) acceptance by vote of Council.
The vote on the question of passage of each Resolution, Ordinance, or Motion shall be taken by "yea" or "nay" and the vote entered into the minutes. No measure shall be passed without a concurrence of a majority of the members of Council.
Emergency Ordinances or Resolutions shall require a supermajority five of six (5 of 6) affirmative votes of Council for enactment. If any Emergency Ordinance shall fail to receive the required supermajority five of six (5 of 6) affirmative votes but receives the necessary majority for passage as non-emergency legislation, it shall become effective as non-emergency legislation. The Council before enacting shall determine that the Ordinance is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or welfare of the citizens of Greenhills, Ohio, and the Ordinance shall contain a statement of the necessity of declaring the emergency.
Each Ordinance or Resolution shall be authenticated by the Clerk. The failure to sign shall not invalidate an otherwise properly enacted Resolution or Ordinance.
The Clerk shall cause each Ordinance and Resolution adopted to be published at the Municipal Building and the Village Website plus other sites as determined by Council:
A. The posting shall be maintained, for a minimum period of fifteen (15) days;
B. Publishing a concise summary of the provisions of the Ordinance/Resolution in a newspaper or other publication determined by Council to be of circulation within the Municipality once is satisfactory as an optional site.
Failure to post or publish, or to maintain such posting shall not delay nor invalidate the effective date of an ordinance or resolution, and in such events the Clerk shall post/publish at a later date.
By a majority vote of its members, Council shall cause the codification of the laws and ordinances of the Municipality. This codification will be updated at least every five (5) years to include all new legislation. Copies of this code shall be placed in the Public Library, the Mayor's office, the Village Website and the municipal offices for public use.
(Amended 11-5-13.)