PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 708, 1291, 1495          PRINTER'S NO. 2214

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


SENATE BILL

No. 674 Session of 1995


        INTRODUCED BY CORMAN, BAKER, ROBBINS, STOUT AND STEWART,
           MARCH 6, 1995

        SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS, JUNE 28, 1996

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of February 1, 1966 (1965 P.L.1656, No.581),
     2     entitled "An act concerning boroughs, and revising, amending
     3     and consolidating the law relating to boroughs," providing
     4     for budget and tax ordinances and for adoption of property     <--
     5     maintenance regulations and standard codes; eliminating
     6     provisions for milk inspection; and further providing for
     7     commissions of waterworks.

     8     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     9  hereby enacts as follows:
    10     Section 1.  Section 1007 of the act of February 1, 1966 (1965
    11  P.L.1656, No.581), known as The Borough Code, is amended to
    12  read:
    13     Section 1007.  Passage, Approval and Veto of Ordinances.--(a)
    14  Every ordinance and every resolution of legislative character
    15  except as herein otherwise provided, passed by the council,
    16  shall be presented to the mayor for his approval. If the mayor
    17  approves, he shall sign it; but, if he shall not so approve, he
    18  shall return it with his objections to the council at its next
    19  regular meeting occurring at least ten days after the meeting at
    20  which such ordinance was passed by the council, when the

     1  objections shall be entered upon the minutes and the council
     2  shall proceed to a reconsideration thereof either at the meeting
     3  at which the vetoed ordinance was returned or at any other
     4  regular, special or adjourned meeting held not later than ten
     5  days thereafter. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of
     6  all the members elected to said council, or a majority of
     7  council plus one, when the number composing such council is less
     8  than nine, shall vote to pass such ordinance or resolution, it
     9  shall become of as full force and effect as if it had received
    10  the approval of the mayor; but in such case the vote shall be
    11  determined by yeas and nays, and the names and votes of the
    12  members shall be entered on the minutes. If any such ordinance
    13  or resolution shall not be returned by the mayor at the regular
    14  meeting of the council occurring at least ten days next
    15  succeeding its presentation to him, it shall likewise have as
    16  full force as if it had been approved. [A veto of the annual tax
    17  ordinance of the borough, referred to in section 1301 of this
    18  act, may be overridden by a vote of two-thirds of all the
    19  members of council, and thereafter such ordinance shall become
    20  of as full force and effect as if it had received the approval
    21  of the mayor.]
    22     (b)  The enactment of an ordinance except as herein otherwise
    23  provided shall be the date when the mayor shall approve it or
    24  the date of passage by the council over the veto of the mayor,
    25  or in the case of any ordinance not returned by the mayor at the
    26  regular meeting of council, occurring at least ten days after
    27  the meeting at which such ordinance was passed by the council,
    28  the date of enactment shall be the date of such succeeding
    29  regular meeting of council.
    30     (c)  When council shall present the mayor with the annual tax
    19950S0674B2214                  - 2 -

     1  ordinance referred to in section 1310 of this act, the mayor
     2  shall, within ten days of receiving the tax ordinance, approve
     3  the tax ordinance by affixing his signature thereto, or return
     4  the tax ordinance to the borough secretary with a statement
     5  setting forth his objections thereto. Council shall proceed to a
     6  reconsideration thereof at any regular, special or adjourned
     7  meeting held not later than ten days after the mayor has
     8  returned the tax ordinance to the secretary with his objections.
     9  The mayor's objections shall be entered upon the minutes of the
    10  meeting. A veto of the tax ordinance of the borough may be
    11  overridden by a vote of two-thirds of all the members of
    12  council, and thereafter such ordinance shall have full force and
    13  effect as if it had received the approval of the mayor.
    14     Section 2.  Sections 1202(24) and (31) and 1310 of the act,    <--
    15  amended October 9, 1967 (P.L.399, No.181), are amended to read:
    16     Section 1202.  Specific Powers.--The powers of the borough
    17  shall be vested in the corporate authorities. Among the specific
    18  powers of the borough shall be the following, and in the
    19  exercise of any of such powers involving the enactment of any
    20  ordinance or the making of any regulation, restriction or
    21  prohibition, the borough may provide for the enforcement thereof
    22  and may prescribe penalties for the violation thereof or for the
    23  failure to conform thereto:
    24     * * *
    25     (24)  Building, housing [and plumbing], property maintenance,
    26  plumbing and other regulations. To enact and enforce ordinances
    27  relating to buildings and housing, their construction,
    28  alteration, extension, repair and maintenance and all facilities
    29  and services in or about such buildings or housing, to require
    30  that, before any work of construction, alteration, extension, or
    19950S0674B2214                  - 3 -

     1  repair of any building is begun, approval of the plans and
     2  specifications therefor be secured; to provide for the
     3  inspection of such work of construction, alteration, extension
     4  and repair, including the appointment of one or more building
     5  inspectors and/or housing inspectors; to prescribe limits
     6  wherein none but buildings of noncombustible material and
     7  fireproof roofs shall be erected, or substantially
     8  reconstructed, or moved thereinto; to provide for enforcement of
     9  such regulations by a reasonable fine, and by instituting
    10  appropriate actions or proceedings at law, or in equity, to
    11  effect the purposes of this provision and ordinances enacted
    12  thereunder. Any building [or], housing, or property, or part
    13  thereof erected, altered, extended, reconstructed [or], removed,
    14  or maintained, contrary to any of the provisions of any
    15  ordinance passed for any of the purposes specified in this
    16  clause is declared to be a public nuisance and abatable as such.
    17     Any such ordinance may be adopted by reference to a standard
    18  building code [or], housing code or other standard codes, or to
    19  parts thereof, determined by council, or the provisions of the
    20  ordinance may be supplied by reference to a typed or printed
    21  building code, [or] housing code or other standard codes,
    22  prepared under the direction of or accepted by council, or the
    23  provisions may consist of a standard building code [or], housing
    24  code or other standard codes, or parts thereof, and also further
    25  provisions typed or printed as aforesaid. Such building code
    26  [or], housing code or other standard codes shall not be
    27  advertised either in advance of or following enactment, by
    28  publication of the full text thereof, and, in place of such
    29  complete advertisement, an informative notice of intention to
    30  consider such proposed building code [or], housing code or other
    19950S0674B2214                  - 4 -

     1  standard codes, and a brief summary, setting forth the principal
     2  provisions of such proposed building code [or], housing code or
     3  other standard codes in such reasonable detail as will give
     4  adequate notice of its contents and a reference to the place or
     5  places within the borough where copies of such proposed building
     6  code [or], housing code or other standard codes may be examined
     7  or obtained shall be published once in one newspaper of general
     8  circulation in the borough at least one week and not more than
     9  three weeks prior to the presentation of the proposed building
    10  code [or], housing code or other standard codes to council. No
    11  further advertisement or notice need be published following
    12  enactment of the building code [or], housing code or other
    13  standard codes. Copies of the building code [or], housing code
    14  or other standard codes thus adopted by reference shall be made
    15  available to any interested party at the cost thereof, or may be
    16  furnished or loaned without charge. Such building code [or],
    17  housing code or other standard codes need not be recorded in or
    18  attached to the ordinance book, but it shall be deemed to have
    19  been legally recorded if the ordinance by which such building
    20  code [or], housing code [was] or other standard codes were
    21  adopted by reference shall have been recorded, with an
    22  accompanying notation stating where the full text of such
    23  building code [or], housing code or other standard codes shall
    24  have been filed. The procedure set forth relating to the
    25  adoption of the building code [or], housing code or other
    26  standard codes, by reference, may likewise be adopted in
    27  amending, supplementing or repealing any of the provisions of
    28  the building code [or], housing code or other standard codes.
    29     To enact suitable ordinances relating to property maintenance
    30  and plumbing, in the same manner and to the same effect as
    19950S0674B2214                  - 5 -

     1  herein provided for building [and] codes, housing codes or other
     2  standard codes. The building code, the property maintenance
     3  code, the housing code and the plumbing code may be combined or
     4  separately enacted or combined with other standard codes.
     5     Any [housing] ordinance previously enacted by a borough which
     6  provides for the purposes authorized by this clause is hereby
     7  validated.
     8     * * *
     9     (31)  Markets, market houses[,] and peddling [and milk
    10  inspection]. To regulate markets and peddling, whether for
    11  individual use or for resale[, and to provide for the inspection
    12  of milk]; and to purchase and own ground for and to erect,
    13  establish and maintain market houses and market places, for
    14  which latter purposes, parts of any streets or sidewalks may be
    15  temporarily used; to contract with any person or persons, or
    16  association of persons, companies, or corporations, for the
    17  erection, maintenance and regulation of market houses and market
    18  places, on such terms and conditions, and in such manner, as the
    19  council may prescribe; to provide and enforce suitable
    20  regulations respecting said market houses and market places and
    21  to provide for the payment of the cost or expense thereof,
    22  either in whole or in part, out of the funds of the borough; and
    23  to levy and collect a suitable license fee from every person who
    24  may be authorized by council to occupy any portion of said
    25  market houses or market places, or any portion of the streets or
    26  sidewalks for temporary market purposes.
    27     * * *
    28     Section 1310.  Adoption of Budget; Tax Ordinance.--Upon
    29  completion of the budget, containing the estimated receipts and
    30  expenditures, and its adoption by motion in council, which shall
    19950S0674B2214                  - 6 -

     1  not be later than December thirty-first, it shall be the duty of
     2  the council to adopt an ordinance levying the taxes referred to
     3  in this act for the fiscal year for approval of the mayor or
     4  passage over his veto. Adoption of the budget by motion in
     5  council shall not be deemed an ordinance or resolution of
     6  legislative character which need be presented to the mayor for
     7  his approval.
     8     [Copy] A copy of the budget, together with the tax ordinance,
     9  shall be filed with the Department of Community Affairs by the
    10  secretary of the borough, within fifteen days after the adoption
    11  of the tax ordinance.
    12     Section 3 2.  Sections 2451 and 2452 of the act are amended    <--
    13  to read:
    14     Section 2451.  Commission May Be Established.--Whenever any
    15  borough owns and maintains waterworks, there may be established
    16  in such borough, by ordinance, a commission of waterworks, which
    17  shall have the power of a nonprofit corporation, to be composed
    18  of either three or five citizens of the borough, appointed by
    19  the borough council who shall be known as commissioners of
    20  waterworks. At any time after three years from the first
    21  appointment of the commissioners of waterworks, the borough may
    22  abolish such commission by repealing the ordinance establishing
    23  the same, and therefore the terms of the commissioners then in
    24  office shall terminate.
    25     Section 2452.  Terms of Commissioners; Compensation.--(A)  It  <--
    26  shall be the duty of the borough council to appoint such
    27  commissioners of waterworks. If there are three commissioners,
    28  one [of whom] shall be appointed to serve for one year, one for
    29  two years, and one for three years; and annually thereafter the
    30  council shall appoint one commissioner of waterworks to serve a
    19950S0674B2214                  - 7 -

     1  term of three years. If there are five commissioners, one shall
     2  be appointed to serve for one year, one for two years, one for
     3  three years, one for four years, and one for five years; and
     4  annually thereafter the council shall appoint one commissioner
     5  of waterworks to serve a term of five years. The terms of
     6  commissioners of waterworks in office on the effective date of
     7  this act shall terminate on the effective date of this act. In
     8  case of a vacancy the council shall fill the same for the
     9  unexpired term. Such commissioners of waterworks [shall not
    10  receive any salary] may receive a salary set by the council for   <--
    11  their services [as such, but] and shall be reimbursed by the
    12  borough for all expenses necessarily incurred in the performance
    13  of their duty.
    14     (B)  THE SALARY OF THE COMMISSIONERS SHALL NOT EXCEED, IN      <--
    15  SERVICE AREAS WITH FEWER THAN FIVE THOUSAND METERED ACCOUNTS, A
    16  MAXIMUM OF ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS
    17  ($1875) PER YEAR OR ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-SIX DOLLARS AND TWENTY-
    18  FIVE CENTS ($156.25) PER MONTH; IN SERVICE AREAS WITH FIVE
    19  THOUSAND BUT FEWER THAN TEN THOUSAND METERED ACCOUNTS, A MAXIMUM
    20  OF TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($2500) PER YEAR OR TWO
    21  HUNDRED AND EIGHT DOLLARS AND THIRTY-THREE CENTS ($208.33) PER
    22  MONTH; IN SERVICE AREAS WITH TEN THOUSAND BUT FEWER THAN FIFTEEN
    23  THOUSAND METERED ACCOUNTS, A MAXIMUM OF THREE THOUSAND TWO
    24  HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS ($3250) PER YEAR OR TWO HUNDRED AND
    25  SEVENTY DOLLARS AND EIGHTY-THREE CENTS ($270.83) PER MONTH; IN
    26  SERVICE AREAS WITH FIFTEEN THOUSAND BUT FEWER THAN TWENTY-FIVE
    27  THOUSAND METERED ACCOUNTS, A MAXIMUM OF FOUR THOUSAND ONE
    28  HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($4125) PER YEAR OR THREE
    29  HUNDRED AND FORTY-THREE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS ($343.75)
    30  PER MONTH; IN SERVICE AREAS WITH TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND BUT FEWER
    19950S0674B2214                  - 8 -

     1  THAN 35,000 METERED ACCOUNTS, A MAXIMUM OF FOUR THOUSAND THREE
     2  HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS ($4375) PER YEAR OR THREE HUNDRED
     3  SIXTY-FOUR DOLLARS AND FIFTY-EIGHT CENTS ($364.58) PER MONTH;
     4  AND IN SERVICE AREAS WITH THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND OR MORE METERED
     5  ACCOUNTS, A MAXIMUM OF FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5000) PER YEAR OR
     6  FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN DOLLARS AND SIXTY-SEVEN CENTS ($416.67)
     7  PER MONTH.
     8     Section 4 3.  This act shall take effect as follows:           <--
     9         (1)  The amendment of sections 2451 and 2452 of the act
    10     shall take effect in 60 days.
    11         (2)  The remainder of this act shall take effect
    12     immediately.












    B9L08JRW/19950S0674B2214         - 9 -