331.302 - COUNTY LEGISLATION.

        331.302  COUNTY LEGISLATION.         1.  The board shall exercise a power or perform a duty only by the      passage of a motion, a resolution, an amendment, or an ordinance.         2.  For a violation of an ordinance a county shall not provide a      penalty in excess of the maximum fine and term of imprisonment for a      simple misdemeanor under section 903.1, subsection 1, paragraph      "a".  The criminal penalty surcharge required by section 911.1      shall be added to a county fine and is not a part of the county's      penalty.         3.  The subject matter of an ordinance or amendment shall be      generally described in its title.         4.  An amendment to an ordinance or to a code of ordinances shall      specifically repeal the ordinance or code, or the section,      subsection, paragraph, or subpart to be amended, and shall set forth      the ordinance, code, section, subsection, paragraph, or subpart as      amended.         5. a.  A county may by ordinance adopt by reference any      portion of the Code of Iowa in effect at the time of the adoption in      the manner provided in section 380.8 for adoption of a proposed code      of ordinances containing a proposed new ordinance or amendment,      subject to the following limitations:         (1)  The ordinance shall describe the subject matter and identify      the portion of the Code of Iowa adopted by chapter, section, and      subsection or other subpart, as applicable.         (2)  A portion of the Code of Iowa may be adopted by reference      only if the criminal penalty provided by the law adopted does not      exceed the maximum fine and term of imprisonment for a simple      misdemeanor under section 903.1, subsection 1, paragraph "a".         (3)  Amendments or other changes to those portions of the Code of      Iowa which have been adopted by reference shall serve as an automatic      modification of the applicable ordinance.         b.  An ordinance which adopts by reference any portion of the      Code of Iowa may provide that violations of the ordinance are county      infractions and subject to the limitations of section 331.307.         6. a.  A proposed ordinance or amendment shall be considered      and voted on for passage at two meetings of the board prior to the      meeting at which it is to be finally passed, unless this requirement      is suspended by a recorded vote of not less than a majority of the      supervisors.         b.  However, if a summary of the proposed ordinance or      amendment is published as provided in section 331.305 prior to its      first consideration and copies are available at the time of      publication at the office of the auditor, the ordinance or amendment      shall be considered and voted on for passage at one meeting prior to      the meeting at which it is to be finally passed, unless this      requirement is suspended by a recorded vote of not less than a      majority of the supervisors.         7.  Passage of an ordinance, amendment, or resolution requires an      affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the supervisors.      Each supervisor's vote on an ordinance, amendment, or resolution      shall be recorded.         8.  A resolution becomes effective upon passage and an ordinance      or amendment becomes a law when a summary of the ordinance or the      complete text of the ordinance is published, unless a subsequent      effective date is provided within the measure.  As used in this      subsection, "summary" shall mean a narrative description of the      terms and conditions of an ordinance setting forth the main points of      the ordinance in a manner calculated to inform the public in a clear      and understandable manner the meaning of the ordinance and which      shall provide the public with sufficient notice to conform to the      desired conduct required by the ordinance.  The description shall      include the title of the ordinance, an accurate and intelligible      abstract or synopsis of the essential elements of the ordinance, a      statement that the description is a summary, the location and the      normal business hours of the office where the ordinance may be      inspected, when the ordinance becomes effective, and the full text of      any provisions imposing fines, penalties, forfeitures, fees, or      taxes.  Legal descriptions of property set forth in ordinances shall      be described in full, provided that maps or charts may be substituted      for legal descriptions when they contain sufficient detail to clearly      define the area with which the ordinance is concerned.  The narrative      description shall be written in a clear and coherent manner and      shall, to the extent possible, avoid the use of technical or legal      terms not generally familiar to the public.  When necessary to use      technical or legal terms not generally familiar to the public, the      narrative description shall include definitions of those terms.         9.  The auditor shall promptly record each measure, publish a      summary of all ordinances or a complete text of the ordinances and      amendments as provided in section 331.305, authenticate all measures      except motions with signature and certification as to time and manner      of publication, if any, and maintain for public use copies of all      effective ordinances and codes.  A copy of the complete text of an      ordinance or amendment shall also be available for distribution to      the public at the office of the county auditor.  The auditor's      certification is presumptive evidence of the facts stated therein.         10. a.  At least once every five years, the board shall      compile a code of ordinances containing all of the county ordinances      in effect.         (1)  If a proposed code of ordinances contains only existing      ordinances edited and compiled without change in substance, the board      may adopt the code by ordinance.         (2)  If a proposed code of ordinances contains a proposed new      ordinance or amendment, the board shall hold a public hearing on the      proposed code before adoption.  The auditor shall publish notice of      the hearing as provided in section 331.305.  Copies of the proposed      code of ordinances shall be available at the auditor's office and the      notice shall so state.  Within thirty days after the hearing, the      board may adopt the proposed code of ordinances which becomes law      upon publication of the ordinance adopting it.  If the board      substantially amends the proposed code of ordinances after a hearing,      notice and hearing shall be repeated.         b.  Ordinances and amendments which become effective after      adoption of a code of ordinances may be compiled as a supplement to      the code, and upon adoption of the supplement by resolution, become      part of the code of ordinances.         c.  An adopted code of ordinances is presumptive evidence of      the passage, publication, and content of the ordinances therein as of      the date of the auditor's certification of the ordinance adopting the      code or supplement.         11.  The compensation paid to a newspaper for a publication      required by this section shall not exceed the fee provided in section      618.11.  The compensation paid to a newspaper for publication of the      complete text of an ordinance shall not exceed three-fourths of the      fee provided in section 618.11.         12.  The board may adopt the provisions of a statewide or      nationally recognized standard code or portions of any such code by      an ordinance which identifies the code by subject matter, source, and      date, and incorporates the provisions either by reference or by      setting them forth in full.  The code or portion shall be adopted      only after notice and hearing in the manner provided in subsection      10.         13.  Immediately after the effective date of a measure      establishing a zoning district, building lines, or fire limits, the      auditor shall certify the measure and a plat showing the district,      lines, or limits, to the recorder.  The recorder shall record the      measure and plat in the miscellaneous record or other book provided      for special records, and shall index the record.         14.  A measure voted upon is not invalid because a supervisor has      a conflict of interest, unless the vote of the supervisor was      decisive to passage of the measure.  If a majority or unanimous vote      of the board is required by statute, the majority or vote shall be      computed on the basis of the number of supervisors not disqualified      by reason of conflict of interest.  However, a majority of all      supervisors is required for a quorum.  For the purposes of this      subsection, the statement of a supervisor that the supervisor      declines to vote by reason of conflict of interest is conclusive and      shall be entered of record.         15.  A valid measure adopted by a county prior to July 1, 1981,      remains valid unless the measure is irreconcilable with a state law.         16.  A county shall not provide a civil penalty in excess of seven      hundred fifty dollars for the violation of an ordinance which is      classified as a county infraction or if the infraction is a repeat      offense, a civil penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars for each      repeat offense.  A county infraction is not punishable by      imprisonment.  
         Section History: Early Form