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 Los Alamos County
 Code of Ordinances
 Part I. CHARTER
 Article II. THE COUNTY COUNCIL

  Appendix 203. Ordinances.

Latest version.

  • 203.1. Actions Requiring Ordinances. In addition to those acts required by state law or by this Charter to be done by ordinance, those acts of the Council shall be by ordinance which:

    (a)

    establish a rule or regulation for the violation of which a penalty is or may be imposed;

    (b)

    levy taxes;

    (c)

    grant or renew a franchise;

    (d)

    set the rates charged by the County for utilities or waste removal;

    (e)

    authorize the borrowing of money;

    (f)

    convey or lease, or authorize the conveyance or lease, of any County-owned land.

    All other acts of the Council may be done either by ordinance or by other formal action.

    203.2. Procedure.

    203.2.1. Introduction. An ordinance may be introduced by any member of the Council at any meeting of the Council. Every proposed ordinance shall be introduced in writing and shall be limited to one subject. The subject shall be clearly expressed in the title of the ordinance. The enacting clause of all ordinances shall be "Be it ordained by the governing body of the Incorporated County of Los Alamos …".

    203.2.2. Publication and Hearing. A notice of the proposed adoption of an ordinance shall be published once at least seven days before the Council meeting at which it is to be considered. The notice shall include the entire ordinance or a summary of it and shall state the time and place for a public hearing on the ordinance. If a summary is published, the notice shall state the times and places at which the entire ordinance is available for examination and/or purchase.

    203.2.3. Adoption. After the public hearing, the Council may adopt the ordinance with or without amendment or reject it. If the ordinance is amended in any matter of substance, however, the Council may not adopt it until it has been considered by continuance of the meeting or at a future meeting not less than seven (7) days after the initial meeting. A notice of the adoption of the ordinance, including codifications or revisions to codifications, together with the ordinance either in its entirety or by a general summary of the subject matter contained in the ordinance, as directed by the governing body, shall be published and each adopted ordinance shall be promptly printed and made available to the public for examination and/or purchase. The Council may adopt all or part of any standard code of technical regulations by reference to the code in adopting an ordinance. It shall not be necessary to publish the entire code, but copies of it shall be made available for examination and purchase by the public in the manner required for proposed and adopted ordinances.

    203.2.4. Effective Date. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, every adopted ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days after the publication of the notice of its adoption or at any later date specified in the ordinance.

    203.3. Emergency Ordinances. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 202.2 of this charter, in order to meet a public emergency that is an immediate danger to the public health or safety, the Council may adopt emergency ordinances by the affirmative vote of a majority of a quorum of councilors. No such ordinances shall levy taxes, grant or renew a franchise, convey or lease County lands, or set utility or waste removal rates. An emergency ordinance may be introduced and adopted at the same Council meeting and shall become effective upon adoption and shall stand repealed ninety days after adoption. An emergency ordinance shall be published within seven days after its adoption and shall be promptly printed and made available to the public for examination and/or purchase.

    203.4. Resolutions. Every proposed resolution shall be published in full or in summary at least seven days before the Council meeting at which it is to be considered. If a summary is published, copies of the entire proposed resolution shall be made available to the public for examination and/or purchase at the Clerk's office.

    203.5. Compilation and Codification. The Council shall provide for the compilation and codification of all County ordinances and resolutions having the effect of law. Such compilation shall be available to the public for examination and/or purchase.

(Ord. No. 387, §§ 8, 9, 1994; Ord. No. 559, §§ 1, 2, 6-23-2010/Ref. 11-2-2010)