§ 6-120. Violation unlawful; enforcement and penalties.

(a)

Any person who willfully and deliberately violates any provision of this article or the fire prevention code shall be guilty of an offense that, pursuant to Section 125.69, Florida Statutes, and any successor thereto, shall be prosecuted in the same manner as misdemeanors are prosecuted, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail, not to exceed sixty (60) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(b)

As an alternative to enforcement under subsection (a), the provisions of section 15-20 may be used to enforce this article and the fire prevention code as a nonexclusive alternative to enforcement by any other means authorized by law. Except where otherwise stated, an initial violation of the fire prevention code shall constitute a category 2 civil infraction. A second violation of the fire prevention code shall constitute a category 4 civil infraction. A habitual violation of the fire prevention code shall constitute a category 8 civil infraction. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense. If a person contests a civil citation for a violation of this article or the fire prevention code and is found guilty, the applicable civil penalty may be increased to an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00).

(Ord. No. 2008-38, § 1, 9-23-08; Ord. No. 09-36, § 4, 9-22-09)