The City Council within 20 days after filing of the application shall act thereon. If the application be not approved, and permit issued, it shall be deemed to have been refused. In the event of refusal, or in the event of withdrawal of application prior to the granting of the permit, the filing fee shall be returned to the applicant, except that the city shall retain therefrom $100.00 as a processing fee. After approval and issuance of permit, no part of the filing fee shall ever be returned, except in cases of extreme inequity or hardship, in the discretion of the City Council. The permit shall contain and specify all terms upon which it is granted; all proposals of the application which are approved; shall specify the length of time during which it shall be in effect, which shall not be less than set out in the application nor longer than one year, except that it may provide for extension thereof during periods of substantially continuous drilling or re-working operations, and periods of production in paying quantities, as the City Council shall determine; shall specify all further actions required of the applicant before actual drilling operations may be commenced; and shall be signed by the Mayor, attested by the City Secretary under the seal of the city. Under such signatures, it shall contain a certificate, to be executed by the City Oil and Gas Inspector or other designated officer or officers, to the effect that all requirements made in the permit as prerequisites to actual drilling have been complied with. Such certificates shall, when executed and dated, constitute the applicant's authority to commence actual drilling; and the term of the permit shall run from such date. The permit shall likewise specify the terms under which the same may be cancelled or may terminate, for failure promptly to commence drilling operations or otherwise to comply with any requirement; and the acceptance of same by applicant shall be evidenced by his signature thereon in duplicate original copies, one of which shall be retained by each party.
(Ord. 39817, passed 10-2-79)