A lot of people don't know that many of the General Provisions in Rye's Code, were first adopted in the late 70s. Now, some of you might remember this as the Disco era. Which explains why we were briefly renamed "Funkytown." And The Mayor insisted on being called "Le Freak."
City Council meetings back then were packed. And you had to stand outside the place and hope you got picked to go in.
And heaven forbid you weren't shaved!
In any case, here is the first of a two-parter, that should explain more about the Rye Code and its Adoption.
In the beginning, they started with "Legislative Intent," in which they set forth a lot of laws, ordinances and provisions. If I read this right, apparently, until '79, Rye had very few laws. Just a sheriff, a saloon, some dance hall girls and guys who called themselves The Wild Bunch. So, this Legislative Intent didn't come a moment too soon!
Also, before they enacted a bunch of new laws, they had to repeal the old ones. That took up the first 3 minutes of the meeting. Then, they didn't know what to do for the next hour. Someone suggested they dance the Hokey Pokey, which would have been fine. Except it had been repealed, too.
So, everyone went to Rye Brook, where you can still do this dance. And, as far as I know, they're still the Hokey Pokey capital of the East.
Now, importantly enough, there were certain laws that were Saved From Repeal.
One of the more vital ones was that any "prosecution, indictment," or legal proceeding that was on the books before the Adoption, stayed on the books. And that's putting it mildly. How else can you interpret, "It Better Freaking Stay There!"
In other cities, they tried just wiping the slate clean when they adopted their Code. But this meant they put some pretty scary dudes back on the streets. Who whacked you if you so much as took their parking space.
Yes, that Newark is a scary, scary place.
Also Saved From Repeal, were any licenses or franchises that were pending. So, you can thank this law for the fact that there's a Subway in Rye. Unless you've recently eaten one of those BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches. They admit now, they were wrong about this. And this sandwich was actually supposed to be part of a Constitutional Ban.
Also Saved From Repeal were any any transactions involving the 'transferring of funds.' Rye didn't realize this would force all those deadbeats to pay off their bar tabs. But they did. And the City economy changed overnight! So this worked out nicely.
Now, it's important to understand that no "Meaning" of local laws has changed in any way. And yet, "Drop It Like It's Hot" is still open to interpretation! What's up with that?
There was also something enacted called "Severability." It's not as creepy as it sounds. And Rye now admits it put up the guillotine that day as a joke.
There is a copy of The Code on file with the City Clerk and it is available for the general public to read. It's a little dry and characterless and slow. And yet it still reads better than the script for "The Green Lantern."
What's up with that?
The Code does make allowances for Amendments, as well. But they can't be made by Rye citizens just looking at the thing. And, as they've been told in Rye Brook, if you're going to try and add some? Don't do it with a crayon. It's too easy to spot.
The Code Book will be kept up-to-date by The City Clerk. Please remember, if you wish to look at it, that this is the City Code. There are no secret plans in there that detail the how Rye can Defeat The Axis Menace. They took those out in 1945. And frankly, The Clerk is tired of explaining this.
Finally, this book is available for sale, as well. And, apparently, it has been bought for the movies. Which is great. Unfortunately, though, it's been bought by the same company that made "The Green Lantern." So, as with most things? Well, it's a good news/bad news kind of scenario. But it may still turn out okay.
