(1) Any person who receives a notice of civil infraction shall respond to such notice as provided in this section within 15 days of the date of the notice.

(2) 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 civil infraction and submitting it, either by mail or in person, to the court specified on the notice. 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 Municipal Court may accept cash in payment for an infraction. When a response, which does not contest the determination is received, an appropriate order shall be entered in the court’s records.

(3) 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 civil infraction requesting a hearing and submitting it, either by mail or in person, to the Pasco Municipal 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 seven nor more than 90 days from the date of the notice of hearing, except by agreement.

(4) 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 civil infraction requesting a hearing for that purpose and submitting it, either by mail or in person, to the Pasco Municipal 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 seven days nor more than 90 days from the date of the notice of hearing, except by agreement.

(5) The court shall enter a default judgment assessing the monetary penalty prescribed for the civil infraction and may notify the City Attorney of the failure to respond to the notice of civil infraction or to appear at a requested hearing if any person issued a notice of civil infraction: