§ 2-1-20. Procedure for passage of ordinances.

(a)

Any ordinance may be introduced by any member of the city council or by the city manager at any regular meeting of the city council or at any special meeting when the subject thereof has been included in the notice for such special meeting or has been approved by the unanimous consent of all members of the city council. Upon introduction, the ordinance shall receive its first reading and, provided it shall receive an affirmative vote of the majority of members present at this meeting, and provided further it is not a matter that by this code or some other provision of law requires more than a majority vote, a time, not less than three (3) days after such introduction, and place shall be set at which the city council will hold a public hearing concerning it. If all members of the city council present at such introduction have received a copy of the proposed ordinance not less than 24 hours before the introduction, then only the item as it appears on the docket of matters to be considered by city council need be read for the first reading, otherwise the ordinance shall be read verbatim. The hearing may be held at a regular or special meeting of the city council and may be adjourned from time to time.

(b)

It shall be the duty of the city clerk to cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation published in the city, not later than the fifth day following the introduction of the ordinance, a notice containing the time and place of the hearing and the title of the proposed ordinance. It shall also be his duty to have the title or the full text of the proposed ordinance printed in sufficient numbers to supply copies to meet requests or to cause it to be published as a paid advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation published in the city; except, that in the event there is no newspaper of general circulation published in the city, then the ordinance may be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the city. It shall also be the duty of the city clerk to place a copy of the ordinance in a file provided for each member of the city council for this purpose.

(c)

A proposed ordinance, unless it be an emergency ordinance may be finally passed upon its second reading at either a regular or special meeting of the city council following the introduction, publication and conclusion of the public hearing thereon.

(d)

Amendments or addition to an ordinance may be made at any time after introduction and further publication of an amendment is not necessary, except that if such amendments or additions introduce an entirely new subject matter and radically change the overall purpose of the ordinance, then they shall be handled separately and introduced as a new ordinance. At the second reading only, the item as it appears on the docket of matters to be considered by city council need be read, unless amendments or additions have been made subsequent to the introduction, in which case such amendments or additions shall be read in full prior to passage. (Code 1963, Sec. 2-21)