All legislative power of the Municipality shall be vested in the Council, except as otherwise provided by this Charter and the Constitution of the State of Ohio.
Without limitation of the foregoing the Council shall have and possess the following powers:
a) The power to levy taxes and incur debt subject to the limitations imposed thereon by this Charter.
b) The power to adopt and to provide for the enforcement of local police, sanitary and other similar regulations as are not in conflict with general laws.
c) The power to provide for the exercise of all powers of local self-government granted to the Municipality by the Constitution of the State of Ohio in a manner not inconsistent with this Charter or the Constitution of the State of Ohio.
d) The power to fix the number of officers and employees in the various departments, divisions, boards, and commissions of the Municipality and to fix the rate of their compensation, hours of work, and to provide such other fringe benefits as deemed proper by the Council.
e) The power to require such bonds as in the opinion of the Council are necessary for the faithful discharge of the duties of the officers and employees of the Municipality. The premium for said bonds shall be paid by the Municipality.
f) The power by ordinance to create other offices, departments, divisions, boards and commissions, and to combine, change and abolish any office, department, division, board or commission other than the office of Mayor, Auditor, Treasurer, Clerk of Council, Council Members, Civil Service Commissioner, and Law Director. The same person may serve as both Clerk of Council and Auditor. The Departments of Law and Finance, and the Civil Service Commission shall not be abolished or combined with any other department, division, board or commission.
g) The power to provide for a central purchasing system to contract for all materials, supplies, services, work, and any other purchases by the Municipality, which shall be under the supervision of and direction of the Mayor, who shall be the contracting officer of the Municipality and who shall award and execute all contracts on behalf of the Municipality, except as otherwise provided by this Charter. When the expenditure of funds for the purchase of supplies or materials, or to provide labor for any work to be performed under a contract exceeds the amount specified by the laws of the State of Ohio for which such purchases or work may be accomplished without advertisement and competitive bidding, such expenditure shall first be authorized and directed by ordinance passed by the Council and the Mayor shall make a written contract with the lowest and best bidder after advertisement on the same day of each week for not less than two and not more than four consecutive weeks in a newspaper determined by the Council to be of circulation within the Municipality. Compensation of persons and employees; contracts with employees; contracts with persons, firms or corporations for services requiring specialized skill, knowledge, or training; and expenditures required because of a real and present emergency arising in connection with the maintenance, operation or repair of municipal buildings, property, equipment and facilities or arising out of the immediate need to carry out other municipal purposes or functions when authorized by ordinance adopted by a two-thirds vote of all members elected to the Council, need not be advertised and notices need not be published as provided hereinabove. Modifications and changes to contracts awarded under competitive bidding and in excess of one thousand dollars, shall first be authorized by ordinance.
h) The Council shall have the power: to adopt and provide for the enforcement of zoning classifications, districts, uses and regulations by ordinance; to adopt and provide for the enforcement of ordinances regulating the subdivision and platting of land within the Municipality, and, as provided by general law, may regulate the subdivision and platting of land outside of the Municipality; to adopt and provide for the enforcement of ordinances requiring actual construction, or assurance of construction of streets, utility lines and facilities, sidewalks, curbs and gutters and their improvements or facilities as a condition precedent to the approval of a plat of a subdivision; to adopt and provide for the enforcement of ordinances regulating the construction, reconstruction, alteration, enlargement, repair or demolition of buildings and other structures as defined by ordinance, within the Municipality; to adopt and to provide for the enforcement of housing codes or ordinances, regulating the use and occupancy of any building or structure, as defined by said codes or ordinances within the Municipality.
i) The Council shall have the power to establish, by ordinance, the rates of charges made of consumers of all municipal utilities and services.
j) The Council may enact ordinances to control, prevent, and abate air and water pollution within the Municipality.
k) The exercise of all other powers granted to the Council by this Charter, and by the Constitution and laws of the State of Ohio.
l) The Council not later than 1970, shall employ a recognized zoning authority to recommend a zoning plan for the Municipality.