(1) Response. A person who receives a notice of infraction shall respond to such notice as provided in this section within 15 days of the date of the notice. If the response is mailed, it must be postmarked not later than midnight of the day the response is due.

(2) Uncontested Determination. If the person determined to have committed the civil infraction does not contest the determination, the person shall respond by completing the appropriate portion of the notice of infraction and submitting it, either by mail or in person, to the court. A check or money order in the amount of the penalty prescribed for the civil infraction must be submitted with the response. The clerk of the court may accept cash in payment for a civil infraction. When a response that does not contest the determination is received, an appropriate order is entered into the court’s records.

(3) Contested Determination. If the person determined to have committed the civil infraction wishes to contest the determination, the person shall respond by completing the portion of the notice of infraction requesting a hearing and submitting it to the court, either by mail or in person. The court shall notify the person in writing of the time, place, and date of the hearing, and that date shall not be earlier than 14 days nor more than 90 days from the date of notice of the hearing, except by agreement.

(4) Mitigating Circumstances. If the person determined to have committed the civil infraction does not contest the determination but wishes to explain mitigating circumstances surrounding the infraction, the person shall respond by completing the portion of the notice of infraction requesting a mitigation hearing and submitting it, either by mail or in person, to the court. The court shall notify the person in writing of the time, place, and date of the hearing, and that date shall not be earlier than 14 days nor more than 90 days from the date of notice of hearing, except by agreement.

(5) Failure to Respond or Appear. The court shall enter a default judgment assessing the monetary penalty prescribed for the civil infraction if a person issued a notice of infraction fails to respond or appear as provided in this section. (Ord. 11-07 § 2)