[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 5; Ord. No. 3649, § 1; Ord. No. 5211, § 3]
The council shall consist of seven members, each of whom shall
be elected for a term of four years. Two councilmembers shall be elected
by the qualified voters of each of the three wards of the city, and
one who shall be the mayor shall be elected by the qualified voters
of the city at large.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 6; Ord. No. 4389, § 3; Ord. No. 4962, § 5; Ord. No. 5211, § 3]
A councilmember shall be a qualified voter of the city and shall
have been a resident thereof for at least three consecutive years
immediately prior to his election. Councilmembers elected by wards
shall be residents of the wards from which elected. Councilmembers
shall hold no other popularly elected public office nor shall they
hold any other compensatory position in the city government during
their terms. If a councilmember shall cease to be a resident of University
City or the ward from which elected, or shall cease to possess any
of the above qualifications, or shall be convicted of a felony, malfeasance
in office, bribery, or other corrupt practice, or of a crime involving
moral turpitude, the councilmember's office shall immediately
become vacant.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 7; Ord. No. 3649,
§ 4; Ord. No. 4389, § 3; Ord. No. 5211, § 3;
Ord. No. 6048, § 1, approved 4-2-1996]
Compensation of the councilmembers shall be the sum of two thousand
four hundred dollars ($2,400) in any twelve consecutive months during
his or her term of office, and compensation of the mayor shall be
the sum of four thousand eight hundred dollars ($4,800) in any twelve
consecutive months during his or her term of office.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 8; Ord. No. 3649, § 1; Ord. No. 5211, § 3]
The councilmember elected at large shall preside at all meetings
of the council, and shall have the title of mayor. He shall be recognized
as the head of the city government for all ceremonial purposes, and
by the governor for purposes of military law, but shall have no administrative
duties. During the absence of the mayor or his inability to act for
any reason, the council shall choose one of its members as chairman
pro tempore, who shall perform the duties of the mayor.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 9]
The council shall determine its own rules and order of business.
It shall keep a journal of its own proceedings, which shall be open
to public inspection. It shall be the judge of the election returns
and qualifications of its members, and may punish its members for
disorderly behavior. A majority thereof shall constitute a quorum
to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and
may compel the attendance of absent members in such manner and under
such penalties as the council may provide. The affirmative vote of
a majority of the members of the council shall be necessary to adopt
any ordinance. The "ayes" and "nays" on any question shall, at the
request of any member, be entered in the journal, and the "ayes" and
"nays" shall be recorded on the final passage of every ordinance.
Every member when present must vote.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 10; Ord. No. 3649, § 1; Ord. No. 4389, § 3; Ord. No. 5211, § 3]
Vacancies in the council including that of mayor shall be filled
within sixty days by the council. Said appointment shall run to the
next April election at which time a successor shall be elected for
the unexpired term. In the event the council is unable to agree within
sixty days, then a special election shall be held to fill the vacancy
until the next regular municipal election.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 11; Ord. No. 5211, § 3;
Corrected during 1998 codification]
The council shall appoint an officer who shall have the title
of "city manager" and who shall have the powers and perform the duties
provided in this Charter. No councilmember shall receive such appointment
during the term for which he shall have been elected nor within one
year after the expiration of his term. The appointment of the city
manager shall be for an indefinite term, and he may be removed by
vote of a majority of the entire council; provided, however, that
the council shall deliver to the city manager a written statement
setting forth the reasons for his removal; and the city manager shall
have fifteen days to reply thereto in writing, and upon his request
shall be afforded a public hearing. After such public hearing, the
council shall take final action.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 12; Ord. No. 4389, § 3; Ord. No. 4962, § 5; Ord. No. 5211, § 3; Ord. No. 5736, Prop. No. 9, 4-3-1990]
(1)
Except for the purpose of inquiry, the council and its members shall
deal with the administrative officers and the city employees solely
through the city manager. Neither the council nor any of its members
shall give orders to any subordinate of the city manager, either publicly
or privately. Neither the council nor any of its members shall direct
or request the appointment of any person to, or removal from, office
by the city manager or any of the city manager's subordinates,
or in any manner take part in the appointment or removal of officers
and employees, in the administrative service of the city.
(2)
If any councilmember or the mayor has a personal or private interest
in any measure or bill pending before the council, that person shall
reveal the existence of an intent and absent themselves from the discussion
and vote on the measure or bill or file a written report of the nature
of the interest with the city clerk prior to passing on the measure
or bill.
(3)
Any person who willfully violates the requirements of this section
shall forfeit his office and in addition thereto shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof in any court of competent
jurisdiction shall be subject to a fine not exceeding one thousand
dollars.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 13]
Upon recommendation of the city manager, the council, by ordinance,
may create, change and abolish offices, departments or agencies, or
any functions thereof other than those prescribed by this Charter;
and may assign additional functions or duties to offices, departments
or agencies established by this Charter, but may not discontinue or
assign to any other office, department or agency any function or duty
assigned by this Charter to a particular office, department or agency.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 14]
The council shall elect an officer who shall have the title
of "city clerk," and who shall keep the journal of its proceedings,
and authenticate by his signature and record, in a book kept for that
purpose, all ordinances and resolutions; and he shall perform such
other duties as may be required by the Charter or by the council.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 15; Ord. No. 4962, § 5]
The council shall meet regularly at such times as may be prescribed
by its rules, but not less frequently than once each month.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 16; Corrected during
1998 codification]
In the transaction of legislative business the council shall
act only by ordinance. Every ordinance shall be by bill, which shall
be in written or printed form, and the enacting clause thereof shall
be "Be it ordained by the Council of the city of University City."
No bill, except those making appropriations and those codifying or
rearranging existing ordinances, shall relate to more than one subject,
which shall be clearly expressed in the title. Ordinances making appropriations
shall be confined to the subject matter of the appropriation. All
bills shall be read three times before final passage, not more than
two of which readings shall be at the same legislative session; and
at least one week shall elapse between the introduction and final
passage of any bill, except in the case of an emergency bill. An emergency
ordinance may be enacted upon the day of the introduction of the bill,
provided that it contain the statement that an emergency exists and
specify distinctly the facts and reasons constituting the emergency.
The unanimous vote of all members of the council present shall be
required to pass an emergency ordinance.
Every bill introduced shall be filed with the city clerk on
the day of its first reading and shall remain on file in his office
for public inspection until it is finally adopted or fails of passage.
Prior to the final passage of any bill, other than an emergency bill,
all persons interested therein shall be given an opportunity to be
heard before the council, in accordance with such rules and regulations
as the council may adopt. After the third reading of any bill and
compliance with the other provisions herein, the council may finally
pass the bill with or without amendment, except that if it shall make
an amendment which constitutes a change in substance, the bill as
amended shall be filed in the office of the city clerk for one additional
week, and an opportunity afforded for a public hearing as hereinabove
provided, after which final action may be taken thereon.
An ordinance, when passed by the council, shall be signed by the presiding officer and attested by the city clerk, shall be immediately filed and thereafter preserved in the office of the city clerk, and, except as otherwise provided herein, shall be subject to the permissive referendum as provided in Article X of this Charter. Unless otherwise specified, every ordinance shall become effective upon final passage; and, if the ordinance be submitted at a referendum election, then upon the favorable vote of a majority of those voting thereon.
[R.O. 2011 Charter Art. II § 17; Ord. No. 3649, § 2; Ord. No. 5736, Prop. No. 10, 4-3-1990]
Without limitation of the powers conferred upon the city in section 3 of Article I, or by any other provision hereof, the council shall have power by ordinance not inconsistent with this Charter to:
(1)
Taxation. Assess, levy and collect taxes for all
general and special purposes on all subjects or objects of taxation;
provide for penalties for delinquency thereof; and adopt such classifications
of the subjects and objects of taxation as may not be contrary to
law;
(2)
Public services, etc. Furnish all public services;
purchase, hire, construct, own, maintain, and operate or lease public
utilities; acquire, by condemnation or otherwise within or without
the corporate limits property necessary for any such purposes; and
grant public utility franchises and regulate the exercise thereof;
(3)
Public improvements. Make public improvements and
acquire, by condemnation or otherwise, property within or without
the corporate limits necessary for such improvements;
(4)
Adoption, etc., of standard codes, etc. Adopt police,
sanitary, safety and other similar regulations not inconsistent with
general laws, and provide for their enforcement, and to this end to
adopt by reference standard codes prepared and promulgated by any
nationally recognized authority, such as a building code, plumbing
code, electrical code, traffic code, zoning code, or other similar
standard codes or ordinances without setting out such codes verbatim
in an ordinance;
(5)
Expenditures generally. Expend the money of the
city for all lawful purposes;
(6)
Issuance of bonds, etc. Issue and give, sell, pledge
or in any manner dispose of, negotiable or non-negotiable, interest
bearing or non-interest bearing bonds or notes of the city, upon the
credit of the city, or solely upon the credit of specific property
owned by the city, or solely upon the credit of the proceeds of special
assessments for local improvements, or upon any two or more of such
credits;
(7)
Condemnation of property. Condemn private property,
real or personal, or any easement or use therein for public use within
or without the city;
(8)
Ownership of property, etc., generally. Take and
hold property within or without the city upon trust and administer
trusts;
(9)
Acquisition, maintenance, etc. of public buildings, etc. Acquire, provide for, construct, operate, regulate and maintain
all kinds of public buildings, structures, markets, places, parking
lots and improvements; and sell, lease, mortgage, pledge or otherwise
dispose thereof;
(10)
Collection and disposal of sewage, garbage, etc. Collect and dispose of sewage, offal, ashes, garbage and refuse,
or license and regulate such collection and disposal;
(11)
Zoning. Prescribe limits within which businesses,
occupations and practices liable to be nuisances or detrimental to
the health, morals, security or general welfare of the people may
lawfully be established, conducted or maintained;
(12)
Weights and measures. License and inspect weights
and measures; and inspect, test, measure and weigh any article of
consumption or use within the city;
(13)
Regulation of buildings, etc., generally. Regulate
the construction and materials of all buildings and structures and
inspect all buildings, lands and places as to their condition for
health, cleanliness and safety, and when necessary prevent the use
thereof and require any alterations or changes necessary to make them
healthful, clean and safe;
(14)
Streets, sidewalks, sewers, etc., generally. Establish,
open, relocate, vacate, alter, widen, extend, grade, improve, repair,
construct, reconstruct, maintain, light, sprinkle and clean public
highways, streets, boulevards, parkways, sidewalks, alleys, parks,
public grounds and squares, bridges, viaducts, subways, tunnels, sewers
and drains and regulate the use thereof;
(15)
Railroad crossings. Abolish or prevent grade crossings
and provide for safe crossings and compel any street, steam, electric
railroad or other transportation company or companies affected thereby
to pay all or a part of the cost thereof;
(16)
Surplus city funds. Invest the surplus funds of
the city, from whatever source derived, in anything that is not prohibited
by the statutes of the State of Missouri;
(17)
City limits. Extend or diminish the limits of the
city by ordinance subject to the approval of a majority of the qualified
voters, voting thereon at any general or special election;
(18)
Suppression of nuisances, etc. Suppress nuisances
and do all things whatsoever expedient for promoting or maintaining
the comfort, education, morals, safety, peace, government, health,
welfare, trade, commerce or industry in or of the city or its inhabitants;
(19)
Enforcement of ordinances, etc. Enforce any ordinance,
rule or regulation by means of fines, forfeitures, penalties and imprisonment,
or by action or proceeding in its own courts or in any other court
of competent jurisdiction or by any one or more of such means, and
impose costs as a part thereof;
(20)
Licensing, taxation and regulation of business, etc. —
Generally. License, tax and regulate all businesses, occupations,
professions, vocations, activities or things whatsoever set forth
and enumerated by the statutes of this state now or hereafter applicable
to cities of the first, second, third or fourth class, or of any population
group, and which any such cities are now or may hereafter be permitted
by law to license, tax and regulate;
(21)
Same—Additional provisions. License, tax,
regulate or suppress all businesses, occupations, professions, vocations,
activities or things whatsoever set forth and enumerated by the statutes
of this state now or hereafter applicable to cities of the first,
second, third or fourth class, or of any population group, and which
any such cities are now or may hereafter be permitted by law to license,
tax, regulate or suppress;
(22)
Compelling attendance of witnesses, etc. Compel,
by the issuance of process, the attendance of witnesses and the production
of papers and records relating to any subjects under investigation
in which the interest of the city is involved, and call upon the proper
officers of the city or county to execute such process.
