La Palma Municipal Code Art. I In General

(a) The impression of the City seal shall be made and used upon official documents executed by the City or its duly authorized officials.

(b) Except as prohibited by law, including the prohibitions contained in California Government Code Section 34501.5, a copy of the City seal may be used on official City letterhead and business cards of City Officials, officers, and employees.

(c) The City Clerk shall be the custodian of the City seal.

(d) The City seal is property of the City.

(e) The use of City seal shall be for purposes directly connected with the official business of the City, its City Council, officers, or departments, and for those matters expressly approved by the City Council.

(f) The City seal, or any facsimile or copy thereof, shall not be affixed to any document or writing, except as authorized by the City Clerk or designees of the City Clerk, which may require approval of the City Council.

(g) No person shall use the City seal, or any facsimile or copy thereof, for any malicious purpose or for the purpose of financial gain. Each violation of this subsection is punishable as a misdemeanor in accordance with Section 2-350.

(h) The City seal is described as follows:

(1) The shape is round. A gold band circles the seal. The width of the band is approximately 15 percent of the outside diameter of the seal. The band is bordered, on the outside and inside, with a narrow black line.

(2) Block lettering around the upper part of the gold band reads "CITY OF LA PALMA" and lettering around the lower part of the band is "CALIFORNIA," in upright position. All lettering is black.

(3) The upper inner area is a medium blue colored background, covering approximately 60 percent of the total inner area and separated from the lower part, which is a medium green color, by a horizontal thin black line.

(4) The central figure is a torch. The upper part of the torch is bowl-shaped. It and the stem are gold and the stem is held in a white colored hand, outlined in black.

(5) The flame is also gold around its outside area, surrounding a red flame in the center of which is a white flame. The torch configuration is imposed in the center, partly in each colored field. In the upper part of the blue field, to the left, is a white factory building and just below it is a white ranch type house, both outlined in black.

(6) To the right of the torch is a California Fan Palm Tree, with approximately one-fourth of the black trunk in the green area and the upper part in the blue area. The fans are green, outlined in black. To the left of the torch, a black and white cow grazes in the lower green area.

(7) Below the torch, in black lettering is the corporate identification:

"'INCORPORATED

OCTOBER, 1955'"

(Code 1975, § 1-7; Ord. No. 19, § 1; Ord. No. 2023-04, § 3, 9-5-2023)

The City Council shall, by resolution, designate the places for the posting of ordinances and other public notices required to be posted by law within the City.

(Code 1975, § 1-11; Ord. No. 79-2, § 1)

State Law reference— Publication of ordinances, Government Code § 36933.

The City Council shall hold regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. Modification to the time, date, and frequency of the regular meetings shall be established by resolution. A regular meeting coinciding with a State holiday shall be held upon the next succeeding day that is not a holiday.

(Code 1975, § 2-1; Ord. No. 2000-01, § 2; Ord. No. 2020-02, § 2, 5-5-2020)

State Law reference— Similar provision, Government Code § 36805; state law as to time of adjourned meetings, Government Code § 36809.

Regular meetings of the City Council shall be held in the Council chambers of the City hall.

(Code 1975, § 2-2; Ord. No. 216, § 1)

The City hall shall be located at 7822 Walker Street.

(Code 1975, § 2-3; Ord. No. 216, § 1)

(a) This section is enacted pursuant to Government Code § 36516, authorizing the Council to provide by ordinance that each member of the Council shall receive a prescribed salary, the amount of which is based upon the population of the City as determined by estimates made by the Department of Finance.

(b) Each member of the City Council shall receive as salary, the sum of $300.00 per month, as prescribed in Government Code § 36516, which salary shall be payable each month for the preceding month. If the commencement or termination of office shall include at least one regular council meeting, a full month's salary shall be paid for such partial month in office.

(c) The salaries prescribed in this section are and shall be exclusive of any amounts payable to each member of the City Council as reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred by such member in the performance of official duties for the City.

(Code 1975, § 2-4; Ord. No. 125, §§ 1, 3—5; Ord. No. 79-3, § 2; Ord. No. 86-12, § 1)

State Law reference— City council members permitted to be reimbursed for expenses incurred in performance of official duties, Government Code § 36514.5.

The salaries and compensation of officers and employees of the City shall be as fixed and determined by resolution of the City Council.

(Code 1975, § 2-5; Ord. No. 19, § 1)

State Law reference— Similar provision, Government Code § 36506.

(a) No person shall hold office as a member of the City Council for more than three consecutive terms. Any person may hold office as a member of the City Council for more than three terms if he or she does not hold office as a member of the City Council for four or more consecutive years immediately following the conclusion of each three consecutive terms of office as a member of the City Council.

(b) If a person serves for at least two years of a term, that person for purposes of subsection (a) of this section shall be considered to have served a full four-year term.

(c) The term limits established by this section shall only be applicable to all terms of office for members of the City Council commencing with the terms of members of the City Council elected at the November 5, 2024, City general municipal election. If it is determined that the term limits established by this section cannot legally be made applicable to the terms for the offices that are filled at said election, then they will still be effective as to all instances of the filling of the office of a member of the City Council, whether it be by appointment or election, that occur after this section goes into effect.

(d) In the event that the City switches its system for electing the City Council from by district to at-large, as currently provided by Article XIII of Chapter 2 of the La Palma Municipal Code, the term limits established by this section shall revert back to the term limits in effect prior to November 5, 2024, as follows in paragraphs (1)—(3) and Section 2-8, subsections (a)—(c) shall no longer be operative:

(1) No person shall hold office as a member of the City Council for more than two consecutive terms. Any person may hold office as a member of the City Council for more than two terms if he or she does not hold office as a member of the City Council for two or more consecutive years immediately following the conclusion of each two consecutive terms of office as a member of the City Council.

(2) If a person serves for at least two years of a term, that person, for purposes of subsection (a) of this section, shall be considered to have served a full four-year term.

(3) The term limits established by this section shall only be applicable to all terms of office for members of the City Council commencing with the terms of members of the City Council elected at the November 5, 1996, City general municipal election. If it is determined that the term limits established by this section cannot legally be made applicable to the terms for the offices that are filled at said election, then they will still be effective as to all instances of the filling of the office of a member of the City Council, whether it be by appointment or election, that occur after this section goes into effect.

(Code 1975, § 2-5.1; Ord. No. 96-2, § 2; Ord. No. 2024-03, § 1, 11-5-2024)

State Law reference— Term of office, Government Code § 34879.

Whenever a power is granted to or is duly imposed upon a public officer or employee, the power may be exercised or the duty may be performed by a deputy of such officer or employee or by a person otherwise duly authorized pursuant to law or ordinance or by an officer of the County or by a deputy or employee of such officer when by contract with the City such officer is obligated and has agreed to perform certain duties on behalf of the City unless this Code expressly provides otherwise.

(Code 1975, § 2-6; Ord. No. 19, § 1)

State Law reference— Similar provision, Government Code § 7.

(a) A filing fee of $25.00 is hereby established for candidates' nomination papers for elective offices at municipal elections held in the City.

(b) The filing fee shall be paid to the City Clerk by each candidate for an elective office at the time the candidate's nomination paper is filed with the City Clerk.

(c) The City Clerk shall transfer to the City Treasurer all fees received which shall be deposited in the General Fund.

(Code 1975, § 2-7; Ord. No. 73-14, §§ 1—3)