City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 01
Chapter 01.01
Section 01.01.040
 

Title 01 General Provisions

Chapter 01.01 Adoption of Code

Section 01.01.040 Amendment of Code
  1. The City Council interprets the last sentence of Charter section 21 as prescribing a method of amendment and not as prescribing a minimum unit of text which may be amended. Charter section 21 provides that this code may not be amended by that parliamentary method known as insert and/or strikeout; rather, amendment is by setting forth the entire text of the provision as amended. For example, the addition of two words to SMC 1.01.030(B) may not be accomplished in the form: “That SMC 1.01.030(B) be amended by inserting the words ‘may be’ before the word ‘cited.’” Rather, that addition is to be in the form: “That SMC 1.01.030(B) be amended to read as follows: B. The Spokane Municipal Code may be abbreviated and may be cited as ‘SMC.’”
  1. Any logical unit of text may be amended, whether it be designated a section, subsection, paragraph, or other subdivision.
  1. As may be provided by council rules of procedure, this section does not prevent the council from adopting a motion that an existing or proposed ordinance be amended by inserting and/or striking out words or para­graphs, but such amendment is not effective until embodied in a filed ordinance setting forth in final form the provision as amended.
  1. As a matter of policy when clarity will be aided, the City follows the amendatory format of the Washington State Code Reviser, whereby:
  1. Language (including punctuation) to be deleted is set forth in full and enclosed in double parentheses or brackets (and may be lined out by hyphens or italicized);
  1. New matter to be added is underlined, unless an entire new section, subsection, or other unit is being added; and
  1. Deletions precede additions.
  1. The City Clerk has the authority to correct clerical or typographical errors and to make technical or editorial changes, such as recodifying or renumbering (including relettering) provisions, in this code as necessary.
  1. The City Clerk has the authority and shall amend the code as necessary to reflect amendments adopted by the City Council to the titles of city departments set out in chapter 3.01A.SMC.

Date Passed: Monday, September 13, 2021

Effective Date: Wednesday, October 20, 2021

ORD C36103 Section 1