PRINTER'S NO. 319
No. 289 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY BUXTON, CAWLEY, ROONEY, ARMSTRONG, SANTONI,
STETLER, DEMPSEY, BELARDI, STABACK, RUBLEY, BROWNE, ARGALL,
STURLA, MELIO, BOSCOLA, MIHALICH, CAPPABIANCA, SAYLOR,
WOJNAROSKI, SHANER AND SCRIMENTI, FEBRUARY 5, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, FEBRUARY 5, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 15, 1957 (P.L.901, No.399), entitled
2 "An act giving cities of the third class the right and power
3 to adopt one of several plans of optional charters and to
4 exercise the powers and authority of local self-government
5 subject to certain restrictions and limitations; providing
6 procedures for such adoption and defining the effect
7 thereof," authorizing the adoption of property maintenance
8 ordinances; and further providing for fines and penalties.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. Section 303 of the act of July 15, 1957 (P.L.901,
12 No.399), known as the Optional Third Class City Charter Law,
13 amended October 3, 1988 (P.L.736, No.105), is amended to read:
14 Section 303. Each city governed by an optional form of
15 government pursuant to this act shall, subject to the provisions
16 of and limitations prescribed by this act, have full power to:
17 (1) Organize and regulate its internal affairs, and to
18 establish, alter, and abolish offices, positions and employments
19 and to define the functions, powers and duties thereof and fix
20 their term, tenure and compensation;
1 (2) Adopt and enforce local [police] ordinances [of all
2 kinds and impose penalties of fine not exceeding one thousand
3 dollars ($1,000) for a violation of a building, housing,
4 property maintenance, health, fire or public safety code or
5 ordinance, and for water, air and noise pollution violations,
6 and not exceeding six hundred dollars ($600) for a violation of
7 any other ordinance, or imprisonment for any term not exceeding
8 ninety days, or both; to construct];
9 (2.1) Impose penalties of fine not exceeding one per month
10 and limited to no more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for
11 the first two violations and not exceeding ten thousand dollars
12 ($10,000) for the third and subsequent violation of the same
13 subsection of a building, housing or property maintenance
14 ordinance;
15 (2.2) Impose penalties of fine not exceeding one thousand
16 dollars ($1,000) for violations of any section of any other
17 ordinance or a term of imprisonment of ninety days or both;
18 (2.3) Construct, acquire, operate or maintain any and all
19 public improvements, projects or enterprises for any public
20 purpose, subject to referendum requirements otherwise imposed by
21 law, and to exercise all powers of local government in such
22 manner as its governing body may determine;
23 (3) Sue and be sued, to have a corporate seal, to contract
24 and be contracted with, to buy, sell, lease, hold and dispose of
25 real and personal property, to appropriate and expend moneys,
26 and to adopt, amend and repeal such ordinances and resolutions
27 as may be required for the good government thereof;
28 (4) Exercise powers of condemnation, borrowing and taxation
29 in the manner provided by general law applicable to cities of
30 the third class.
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1 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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