§ 42. Penalties for violation of ordinances. Any person violating an
ordinance of the common council shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, except
that an ordinance may provide that a violation thereof shall be an
offense, and the common council may provide therein or by general
ordinance, that any person guilty of such violation shall be liable to a
fine which shall not exceed one hundred and fifty dollars in amount, or
to imprisonment not exceeding one hundred and fifty days, or to both
such fine and imprisonment, or such ordinance may provide for a penalty,
not exceeding five hundred dollars to be recovered by the city in a
civil action. The city may maintain an action or proceeding in a court
of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with, or to restrain by
injunction the violation of, any ordinance of the common council or of
the commissioner of public safety, notwithstanding that the ordinance
may provide a penalty for such violation.