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SEC. 5.07 ACTION OF COUNCIL ON PETITION.
   If the petition is found to be sufficient, the city clerk shall so certify to the council at its next meeting, stating the number of petitioners and the percentage of the total number of voters which they constitute, and the council shall at once read the ordinance and refer it to an appropriate committee, which may be a committee of the whole. The committee or council shall thereupon provide for public hearings upon the ordinance, after the holding of which the ordinance shall be finally acted upon by the council not later than sixty-five (65) days after the date upon which it was submitted to the council by the city clerk. If the council fails to pass the proposed ordinance, or passes it in a form different from that set forth in the petition and unsatisfactory to the petitioners, the proposed ordinance shall be submitted by the council to the vote of the electors at the next regular municipal election; but if the number of signers of the petition is equal to at least twenty-five per cent (25%) of the total number of voters voting in the municipality at the last preceding presidential year general election, the council shall call a special election upon the measure. Such special election shall be held not less than thirty (30) nor more than forty-five (45) days from date of final action on the ordinance by the council or after the expiration of sixty-five (65) days from the date of submission to the council when there has been no final action; but if a regular election is to occur within three months, the council may submit the ordinance at that election. If the council passes the proposed ordinance with amendments and at least four-fifths (4/5) of the committee of petitioners do not express their dissatisfaction with such amended form by a statement filed with the city clerk within ten (10) days of the passage thereof by the council, the ordinance need not be submitted to the electors.
SEC. 5.08 INITIATIVE BALLOTS.
   The ballots used when voting upon any such proposed ordinance shall state the substance of the ordinance and shall give the voters the opportunity to vote either “yes” or “no” on the question of adoption, if a majority of the electors voting on any ordinance vote in favor of it, it shall thereupon become an ordinance of the city. Any number of proposed ordinances may be voted upon at the same election but the voter shall be allowed to vote for or against each separately, in case of inconsistency between two initiated ordinances approved at one election, the one approved by the higher percentage of electors voting on the question shall prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.
SEC. 5.09 INITIATION OF CHARTER AMENDMENTS.
   Nothing in this Charter shall be construed as in any way affecting the right of the electors under the Constitution and statutes of Minnesota to propose amendments to this Charter.
REFERENDUM
SEC. 5.10 THE REFERENDUM.
   If prior to the date when an ordinance takes effect a petition signed by qualified electors of the city equal in number to fifteen (15) per cent of the total vote voting in the municipality at the last preceding presidential year general election is filed with the city clerk requesting that any such ordinance be repealed or be submitted to a vote of the electors, the ordinance shall thereby be prevented from going into operation. The council shall thereupon reconsider the ordinance at its next regular meeting, and either repeal it, or by yes and no vote re-affirm its adherence to the ordinance as passed. In the latter case the council shall immediately order a special election to be held thereon, or submit the ordinance at the next regular municipal election, pending which the ordinance shall remain suspended. If a majority of the electors voting thereon is opposed to the ordinance, it shall not become effective; but if a majority of the electors voting thereon favors the ordinance, it shall go into effect immediately on canvass of the ballots and announcement and publications of the result thereof or on the date provided in said ordinance whichever may be later upon compliance with all of the provisions of chapter 3 hereof with reference to ordinances.
SEC. 5.11 REFERENDUM PETITIONS.
   The requirements laid down in sections 5.04 and 5.05 above as to the formation of committees for the initiation of ordinances and as to the form of petitions and signature papers shall apply to the referendum as far as possible, but with such verbal changes as may be necessary. The referendum petition shall read as follows:
“REFERENDUM PETITION
“proposing the repeal of an ordinance to (stating the purpose of the ordinance), a copy of which ordinance is hereto attached. The proposed repeal is sponsored by the following committee of electors.
            Name                                  Address
1. ______________________________________________    ______________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________    ______________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________    ______________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________    ______________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________    ______________________________________________
   “The undersigned petitioners, understanding the nature of the ordinance hereto attached and believing it to be detrimental to the welfare of the city, petition the council for its submission to a vote of the electors for their approval or disapproval.
            Name                                  Address
1. ______________________________________________    ______________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________    ______________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________    ______________________________________________
SEC. 5.12 REFERENDUM BALLOTS.
   The ballots used in any referendum election shall conform to the rules laid down in section 5.08 of this Charter for initiative ballots.
RECALL
SEC. 5.13 THE RECALL.
   Any five electors qualified to vote for the office in question may form themselves into a committee for the purpose of bringing about the recall of any elected officer of the city. The committee shall file a certificate with the city clerk setting forth the name of the officer whose removal sought, a statement of the grounds for removal in not more than two hundred fifty (250) words, and their intention to bring about the elected official's recall. A copy of this certificate shall be attached to each signature paper and no signature paper shall be put into circulation previous to such certification.
(Ord. 556, passed 6-27-2016)
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