A. Sufficiency Of Petition:
1. In the event that a petition filed with a city clerk-treasurer does not contain the required number of certified signatures, the clerk-treasurer shall inform the person under whose authority the petition was circulated that the petition is defective for lack of certified signatures, and specify the number of additional signatures required to make the petition valid. The petition must be perfected within thirty (30) days of the date that the city clerk-treasurer finds the petition defective for lack of certified signatures in the case of an initiative, and must be perfected within the sixty (60) day period following the final adoption of the ordinance subject to referendum in such case as required by subsection 1-8-3-2C of this chapter. If the petition is not perfected within such period, the clerk-treasurer shall declare the petition null and void ab initio in its entirety.
2. In the event that a petition filed with the city clerk- treasurer is found by the clerk-treasurer to contain the required number of certified signatures, the clerk-treasurer shall promptly, by certified mail, inform the person under whose authority the petition was circulated, and shall also notify the city council at its next meeting that the initiative or referendum petition is in proper form.
B. Council Action:
1. If the petition is for a referendum, the city council may, within thirty (30) days from the date of certification of the petition, repeal the ordinance being referred to the voters. In the event the council repeals the ordinance, the referendum petition shall be declared null and void.
2. If the petition is an initiative petition, the city council may, within thirty (30) days, pass an ordinance substantially as proposed by the petition. In the event the council passes such an ordinance, the initiative petition shall be null and void.
C. Election: In the event the city council neither repeals the ordinance which is the subject of a referendum petition, nor enacts an ordinance which is the subject of an initiative petition, an election shall be ordered by the city clerk- treasurer to be conducted citywide. A special election for initiative or referendum shall be provided not more than ninety (90) days following the certification of the petition; provided, that in the event a municipal election will occur within the ninety (90) days, the initiative or referendum shall be submitted at the time of the municipal election. (Ord. 380, 7-12-1977)