Ordinances and Resolutions – Declaring an Emergency

There has been a couple of questions recently about emergency clauses as it pertains to Twinsburg legislation. What are emergency clauses? Why are they passed? I’m putting this post together to hopefully answer those questions.

1. Legislation that is of a “general or permanent nature” shall be read on three (3) different days. Customarily these items are Ordinances. (IE amending the Twinsburg Code, approving a multi-year labor agreement, salary ordinance, budgets). Items that are NOT of a general or permanent nature may be passed by way of Resolution. (IE apply for a grant, acknowledge Healthy Heart Month in February, authorize the Mayor to enter into contract for a singular act). Resolutions do not have to be read on three different days.
2. Both Ordinances and Resolutions have a waiting period before they become effective after approval by Council. This waiting period is 30 days for an Ordinance and 10 days for a Resolution.

An “Emergency Clause” on ordinances waives the three reading requirement and the 30 day waiting period thereby allowing the Ordinance to be effective after Council approval and signature by the Mayor.

While Resolutions do not have a three reading requirement they still have a 10 day waiting period before become effective, unless they are placed on emergency.

The emergency clauses on last Tuesday’s (March 13th) Resolutions were to waive the 10 days waiting period so that we could appoint members to their boards and commissions. As an example, there is a Golf Advisory Board meeting next Tuesday, March 20th which was only seven days after the meeting. Without the emergency clause we could not have the new board be sworn in at their first meeting.