§ 201. Powers of the city.

The City of Lake City shall have all rights and powers of local self-government which are now, or hereafter may be[,] provided by the United States Constitution and the Constitution and Laws of Florida and this Charter, including but not limited to the following:

(a)

To organize and regulate its internal affairs and to establish, alter, abolish and terminate offices, positions and employments including citizen board positions; define functions, powers and duties and fix their term, tenure and composition.

(b)

To adopt, amend and repeal such ordinances and resolutions and codes as may be required for the good government of the city.

(c)

To acquire by purchase, gift, devise, condemnation, or otherwise, property, real or personal, or any estate therein, within or without the city, to be used for any purpose necessary or to meet the needs of the city, and to operate, maintain, repair, improve, any and all properties, real or personal, streets, sidewalks, and the like by the expenditure of the monies of the city for all lawful purposes.

(d)

To raise funds by taxation and to make such levy upon the taxable property of the City of Lake City, and by license and tax upon privileges, businesses, occupations and professions whatsoever carried on and engaged in within the corporate limits of the city, such sums of money as the city council, hereinafter provided for, shall deem necessary for the purposes and needs of the city and in such manner as shall be provided by ordinances of the said city council. Such fees and taxes to be consistent with Florida Statutes.

(e)

To appropriate and expend money for any public purpose.

(f)

To borrow money for public purposes.

(g)

To levy special assessments upon property in a limited and determinable area for special benefits conferred upon such property by any municipal work, service or improvement; and to provide for the payment of all or any part of the cost of the work, service or improvement, out of the proceeds of such special assessments.

(h)

To levy special or local assessments for local improvements and to hold liens for public purposes.

(i)

To purchase, hire, construct, own, operate, maintain or lease local public utilities, including, but not limited to, bus lines, electric light and power, telephone and telegraph systems, and works for supplying the city and its inhabitants with water, sewerage, gas for heating or other purposes. To fix and collect just and reasonable fees and charges for the services furnished by such facilities. To exercise jurisdiction, control and supervision over any municipal utilities, owned, operated, franchised, leased, or maintained by the city.

(j)

To grant a franchise to any private corporation or person for the use of streets and other public places in the furnishing of any public service to the city and to its inhabitants.

(k)

To construct, acquire, operate, maintain, improve or extend public improvements and projects for any public purpose to include but not limited to the following: Public buildings, streets, alleys, sidewalks, avenues, boulevards, lanes and promenades, drainage systems including both off-street and on-street facilities, garbage, sewerage and other waste collections and disposals including an establishment of fees for same. To regulate the speed and operation of any vehicle on public lands and vessels on waterways.

(l)

To compel the abatement and/or the removal of all nuisances within the city or upon property owned by the city beyond its limits.

(m)

To establish and administer housing, urban renewal programs, conservation, flood controls, air pollution controls and drainage programs either singly or in cooperation with governmental agencies and private enterprise in the development and operation of these programs.

(n)

To establish departments or systems.

(o)

To sue and be sued. To have a corporate seal, to contract and be contracted with, to have the power of eminent domain.

(p)

To establish, promulgate and implement a policy and program of affirmative action to provide equal employment opportunity for affected classes who have been underemployed due to their race, color, national origin, sex, [or] marital status.

(Ord. No. A-496, § 1, 8-16-82)