a. The council in addition to all enumerated powers shall have power to adopt local laws which it deems appropriate, which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this charter or with the constitution or laws of the United States or this state, for the good rule and government of the city; for the order, protection and government of persons and property; for the preservation of the public health, comfort, peace and prosperity of the city and its inhabitants; and to effectuate the purposes and provisions of this charter or of the other law relating to the city. The power of the council to act with respect to matters set forth in sections one hundred ninety-seven-c and two hundred shall be limited by the provisions of section one hundred ninety seven-d.
b. The council shall have power to provide for the enforcement of local laws by legal or equitable proceedings, to prescribe that violations thereof shall constitute misdemeanors, offenses or infractions and to provide for the punishment of violations thereof by civil penalty, fine, forfeiture or imprisonment, or by two or more of such punishments.
c. In the event that there exists no other provision of law for the filling of a vacancy in any elective office, resulting from removal or suspension from such office, or the death, resignation or inability of the incumbent to exercise the powers or to discharge the duties of the office, the council by a majority vote of all the council members shall elect a successor to fill the vacancy in such office.
d. All local laws shall be general, applying either throughout the whole city or throughout specified portions thereof.
e. The council shall not pass any local law authorizing the placing or continuing of any encroachment or obstruction upon any street or sidewalk excepting temporary occupation thereof by commercial refuse containers or during and for the purpose of the erection, repairing or demolition of a building on a lot abutting thereon under revocable licenses therefor, and excepting the erection of booths, stands or displays or the maintenance of sidewalk cafes under licenses to be granted only with the consent of the owner of the premises if the same shall be located in whole or in part within stoop lines; any such commercial refuse containers thus placed or continued upon any street or sidewalk pursuant to such a revocable license shall be painted with a phosphorescent substance so that the dimensions thereof shall be clearly discernible at night.
f. All local laws in relation to licenses shall fix the license fees to be paid, if any, and shall provide that all licenses shall be according to an established form and shall be regularly numbered and duly registered.
g. The council shall hold a public hearing prior to the consideration of any resolution requesting the state legislature, in accordance with the provisions of section two of article nine of the Constitution of the state of New York, to pass any bill, the substance of which, if adopted by the council as a local law, would require its approval by the electorate voting thereon at a referendum. Notice of such public hearing shall be published in the City Record for at least five days immediately preceding the commencement of such a hearing.