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Livingston council repeals and replaces municipal code to match the published online version
Summary
Council approved an ordinance repealing and replacing the municipal code to align the city's published code with the version the city intends to adopt after untracked edits were made and published by a private vendor.
The Livingston City Council voted to repeal and replace the city—s municipal code to reflect a corrected, published version of the code that staff said contains substantive edits not traceable through standard redline methods.
Staff described the item as a cleanup measure related to prior edits initiated under a former city manager and published by the code publisher. "This item is a cleanup item relating to an action that was taken by former city manager Portillo," a staff member said during the presentation, explaining that the published code needs a council vote to confirm it was properly adopted.
The nut graf: staff said the publisher posted a version of the municipal code that incorporates substantive edits and citations; because the city could not produce a redline showing all changes, the council was asked to repeal the prior code and adopt the published version to ensure legal clarity and to prevent untracked alterations.
Council discussion included clarifying that the repeal-and-replace does not remove existing law immediately; staff confirmed the adopted code will remain in effect by operation of law 30 days after approval of the second reading. Council members asked for a few small typographical fixes to be corrected in the ordinance and for confirmation that the published version matched staff and legal counsel—s intent.
A motion to waive first reading by title and approve the ordinance passed by roll call vote 4-0. Staff noted the previously adopted code remains in effect until the new code becomes effective after the required second reading and statutory waiting period.
Councilmembers praised staff and city legal for coordinating the item and emphasized the need for clear, recorded edits for future code changes. Staff said they explored alternatives but concluded repeal and replace was the only viable option to ensure all edits had explicit council approval.
The city clerk will schedule the second reading and the ordinance will take full legal effect per the timeline in the municipal code and state law.
