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Reading Overview
Reading, PA Code of Ordinances
READING, PA CODE OF ORDINANCES
PREFACE
Chapter C HOME RULE CHARTER
Chapter 1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
Chapter 5 ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Chapter 14 AUTHORITIES
Chapter 23 BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS
Chapter 36 FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
Chapter 51 INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Chapter 62 PENSIONS
Chapter 70 PERSONNEL
Chapter 77 POLICE DEPARTMENT
Chapter 91 SALARIES AND COMPENSATION
Chapter 120 ALARM SYSTEMS
Chapter 127 ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Chapter 141 ANIMALS
Chapter 166 CABLE TELEVISION
Chapter 173 COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY CODE
Chapter 180 CONSTRUCTION CODES
Chapter 185 CONVERSION THERAPY
Chapter 188 CURFEW
Chapter 201 ELECTRIC SERVICE
Chapter 212 FEES
Chapter 219 FIREARMS
Chapter 225 FIREWORKS
Chapter 231 FIRE INSURANCE PROCEEDS
Chapter 237 FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
Chapter 251 FOOD CODE
Chapter 272 GRAFFITI
Chapter 288 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Chapter 295 HISTORICAL AND CONSERVATION DISTRICTS
Chapter 302 HOUSE NUMBERING
Chapter 308 HOUSING
Chapter 317 INVASIVE PLANTS AND NOXIOUS WEEDS
Chapter 325 LAW ENFORCEMENT
Chapter 328 LEAD POISONING PREVENTION
Chapter 332 LIBRARY
Chapter 339 LICENSES AND PERMITS
Chapter 346 LITTER AND ADVERTISING MATERIAL
Chapter 353 LOITERING AND PANHANDLING
Chapter 364 MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Chapter 378 MUNICIPAL CLAIMS AND LIENS
Chapter 387 NOISE
Chapter 396 PARKS AND RECREATION
Chapter 403 PAWNBROKERS
Chapter 410 PEDDLING AND SOLICITING
Chapter 424 POLES
Chapter 431 PROPERTY SALES
Chapter 433 PUBLIC ART
Chapter 438 RAIN BARRELS
Chapter 442 RECORDS, PUBLIC ACCESS
Chapter 453 SALES
Chapter 460 SCRAP METAL DEALERS
Chapter 467 SEWERS AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL
Chapter 473 SEXUALLY ORIENTED BUSINESSES
Chapter 479 SIDEWALK CAFES
Chapter 485 SIGNS
Chapter 496 SOLID WASTE
Chapter 502 STORAGE FACILITIES
Chapter 505 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Chapter 508 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter 515 SUBDIVISION AND LAND DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 521 SUSTAINABILITY
Chapter 536 TAMPERING WITH PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter 540 TATTOO AND PIERCING ESTABLISHMENTS
Chapter 543 TAX ABATEMENTS
Chapter 546 TAX AMNESTY PROGRAM
Chapter 549 TAXATION
Chapter 555 TREES
Chapter 564 VEHICLE NUISANCES, STORAGE OF
Chapter 570 VEHICLE REPAIR SHOPS
Chapter 576 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
Chapter 583 VENDING MACHINES
Chapter 600 ZONING
Chapter A610 ANNEXATION OF TERRITORY
Chapter A611 BOND ISSUES AND LOANS
Chapter A612 FRANCHISE AND SERVICES
Chapter A613 GOVERNMENTAL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Chapter A614 PLAN APPROVAL
Chapter A615 PUBLIC PROPERTY
Chapter A616 SEWERS
Chapter A617 STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Chapter A618 WATER
Chapter A619 ZONING; PRIOR ORDINANCES
Chapter DT DERIVATION TABLE
Chapter DL DISPOSITION LIST
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§ 23-1302. Membership.
The City of Reading Audit Committee shall be composed of five members comprised of City Clerk, City Auditor, Chair of the Council Finance Committee, or his representative, the Finance Director, and a qualified citizen who is a resident of the City for at least three years, has at least five years of experience in public accounting, finance or budgeting, and is willing to serve a three-year term. The citizen can be selected by Council but will operate as an independent voice on the Committee.
§ 23-1303. Functions.
The City of Reading Audit Committee shall be chaired by the City Auditor. Each Committee member will have one equal vote. The Committee shall meet within five business days from the end of each quarter. The City of Reading Audit Committee will:
   A.   Select the external auditor, in accordance with the City's procurement code. The external auditor shall report its findings to the Audit Committee, and work with the Audit Committee to achieve compliance.
   B.   Review the City’s financial statements, including all quarterly financial statements produced by the Finance Department for accuracy and completeness, including any adjustments required by the external auditor.
   C.   Approve the annual work plan of the City Auditor to ensure the audits are timely and constructive.
   D.   Make a report to Council at the start and end of each fiscal year that details its areas of focus and at the close of each year to describe the Committee's success and challenges.
   E.   Review all internal audits prepared by the City Elected Auditor.
   F.   Examine all aspects of the financial reporting process.
   G.   Provide a statement on whether the City's year-end financials are accurately presented.
§ 23-1304. Authority.
The City of Reading City Council hereby empowers the City of Reading Audit Committee to execute its mission by:
   A.   Providing funding for the engagement and the services of an external auditor and other government financial experts as determined by a majority vote of the Committee;
   B.   Providing access to the schedule of audits and reports produced by the internal elected auditor;
   C.   Providing authority to ensure appropriate corrective action is taken by City management in response to the internal and external audits;
   D.   Providing authority to establish procedures for the confidential receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters from City municipal employees;
   E.   Providing authority to review the financial documents and procedures of all related boards and commissions to ensure accurate financial reporting and make recommendations for improvements to the various financial procedures.
Part 14
Code and License Appeals Board
Publisher's Note: This Part has been AMENDED by new legislation (Ord. 35-2022, enacted 4-25-2022). The text of the amendment will be incorporated below when the ordinance is codified.
[Adopted 12-22-2014 by Ord. No. 102-2014]
§ 23-1401. Organization.
[Amended 6-26-2017 by Ord. No. 53-2017; 5-19-2020 by Referendum]
   A.   Membership. The Code and License Appeals Board shall be a body of five members consisting of: the Finance Director or his/her designee who shall serve as Chairperson; a Councilperson from the district the business or property is located in or the designee of the President of Council if the District Councilor is unavailable, a member of the business community; a resident at large; and member of a recognized City of Reading community group.
   B.   Alternates. There shall be three alternate members one each from the following groups: a member of the business community, a resident at large and a member of a community group recognized by the City of Reading.
   C.   Appointment. The member of the business community and the alternate from the business community shall be appointed by the Mayor without confirmation of Council and the remaining members and alternates shall be appointed by Council.
   D.   Term.
      (1)   A member or alternate member shall serve a term of three years from the time of appointment or reappointment or until his/her successor shall take office. Members and alternates of the initial Board shall be appointed to staggered terms of one, two and three years. Members may be appointed to serve successive terms.
      (2)   Removal of members. Any member may be removed for misconduct or neglect of duty or for other just cause by a majority vote of Council taken after the member has received 15 days’ advance notice of the intent to take such vote. Failure of a member to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Board will constitute grounds for immediate removal from the Board by City Council. Failure of a member to attend at least 50% of the regular meetings of the Board in a calendar year will constitute grounds for immediate removal from the Board by City Council. The Chairperson of the Board shall inform the City Clerk in writing when a member has failed to comply with this attendance policy. Following such notification, City Council may vote to remove the member and seek applicants to fill the vacant position.
      (3)   Designees and alternate members may be requested to attend meetings in absence of a regular member and shall have all the powers of a regular member at such meetings.
   E.   Quorum and majority vote. Three members shall constitute a quorum of the Board. A majority vote of the members of the quorum of the Board shall prevail. A tie vote shall be deemed as a denial of the appeal.
§ 23-1402. Powers.
[Amended 9-11-2017 by Ord. No. 86-2017; 6-14-2021 by Ord. 45-2021; 4-25- 2022 by Ord. No. 35-2022]
The Code and License Appeals Board shall have the following powers:
   A.   Promulgate rules and regulations. To adopt and administer the rules of procedure regarding its organization, officers (except the Chairperson), times and places of meetings, conduct of meetings and other legal procedures relating to the hearing and determination of appeals and other matters within the Board's jurisdiction.
   B.   Oaths and subpoenas. The Board shall have power to administer oaths and issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant documents and papers, including witnesses and documents requested by the parties.
   C.   Hear and decide matters.
      (1)   To hear and decide matters regarding the revocation of a business privilege license where it is alleged that one of the criteria set forth herein has been violated. The Board is also authorized to hear appeals of refusals of business privilege license or cease operations order.
      (2)   To hear and decide matters regarding appeals to the Property Maintenance Code.
      (3)   To hear and decide matters relating to appeals of the Solid Waste Code, which includes solid waste, dumpsters and recycling.
      (4)   To hear and decide matters relating to appeals of the Housing Ordinance, including appeals to issued disruptive conduct reports.
      (5)   To hear and decide matters relating to appeals of the Vending Machine Ordinance.
      (6)   To hear and decide matters relating to appeals of the Mobile Vendors Ordinance.
      (7)   To modify any notice of violation or order and to authorize a variance from the terms of this code when, because of special circumstances, undue hardship would result from literal enforcement, and where such variance substantially complies with the spirit and intent of the Code.
      (8)   To grant a reasonable extension of time for the compliance, as described in the City’s Property Maintenance Code (Chapter 180, Part 13) and other applicable sections of the Code of the City of Reading of any order where there is a demonstrated case of hardship and evidence of bona fide intent to comply within a reasonable time period.
      (9)   To hear and decide appeals relating to Chapter 576, Part 13 Motorized Devices and All-Terrain Vehicles.
   D.   Timeliness.
      (1)   In exercising the above-mentioned powers, the Board shall act with reasonable promptness and seek to prevent unwarranted delays prejudicial to the party involved and to the public interest; provided, however, that the Board shall hold a hearing on any founded appeal at stated periodic meeting but in no event later than 30 days after receipt of the application and shall file its decision within 10 days after the appeal hearing.
      (2)   The decision of the Board shall be filed with the Managing Director, the Solicitor and the City Clerk. Copies of the decision shall be sent by first class mail to the appellant within 10 days of the Board's decision.
   E.   Authority.
      (1)   The Board is empowered to find no cause for the revocation of a business privilege license or cause to revoke a business privilege license by a majority vote of the appointed members. The Board shall be bound by this Part and shall not ignore the clear provisions and intent of this Part.
   (2)   The Board shall modify or reverse the decision of the Solid Waste, Housing, Vending Machine, or the Property Maintenance Code official or City of Reading Police Officer only by a majority vote of the appointed members.
      (3)   The Administration shall take immediate action in accordance with the decision of the Board.
   F.   Court review.
      (1)   Any party to the appeal to the Board shall have to the appeal the decision of the Board to the appropriate court of jurisdiction in the manner and time required by law following the filing of the Board's decision, as per Subsection D(2) herein.
      (2)   Stays of enforcement. Appeals of decisions of the Board shall stay the enforcement and collection of the bill for costs of abatement of violation of this Part.
Part 15
YOUTH COMMISSION
[Adopted 5-22-2017 by Ord. No. 47-2017]
§ 23-1501. Purpose.
[Amended 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 57-2023]
It is the purpose and intent of the City Council to establish a City of Reading Youth Commission [Commission]. The Commission will serve as an advisory body to the Mayor, City Council, and Managing Director on issues of interest to youth and pertaining to youth in the City of Reading. The Commission will also have an active role in City events. Youth and young adults are impacted by the decisions of City officials, but seldom have the opportunity to directly participate in the process. Establishment of a Commission will facilitate the participation of youth and young adults in local government, as well as provide City officials an opportunity to hear and address their ideas and concerns. City Council members are encouraged to provide guidance and mentorship to their District Commission representative.
§ 23-1502. Youth Commission Members.
[Amended 6-26-2023 by Ord. No. 57-2023]
   A.   The Commission shall consist of 15 members between the ages of 16 - 24 who shall serve without compensation. Each Council District shall have two representatives, which may include students from Albright College, Alvernia University and Reading Area Community College, who shall be nominated by the District Councilmember and approved by City Council. The remaining members shall be nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner. If any member of the Commission reaches the age of 25 while serving on the Commission, the appointment of that member shall expire the following July 1.
   B.   Members shall serve three-year staggered terms, and each member shall serve until a successor is duly appointed and confirmed. No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms. The expiration date of all terms shall be July 1.
   C.   The Commission shall elect a Chair, Vice Chair and a Secretary annually from the members of the Commission. The Commission shall provide an agenda and a meeting report from all meetings to the City Clerk.
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