(A) Consistency with State Law. Notwithstanding anything in this chapter to the contrary, the provisions of Minn. Stat. § 15.99, and the following sections shall govern the process for making decisions under this chapter. To the extent to which these sections conflict with the provisions of Minn. Stat. § 15.99, the provisions of that statute shall apply.
(B) Applications. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter, all applications for any site plan, conditional use permit, interim use permit, land use permit, variance, comprehensive plan amendment, zoning amendment, or for any other city approval required by this chapter, or to amend this chapter, shall be made in writing on a form provided by the city, to the City Clerk or other person appointed by the City Council to administer this chapter. The City Clerk is authorized to reject in writing any incomplete application within 15 business days of receipt if the application is incomplete, stating the reasons for its rejection, including what information is missing. This rejection shall be sent by first-class mail to the applicant. Every application shall contain the legal description of the property and a statement of the specific permit or action being sought.
Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prevent the city from requesting additional information from the applicant upon which to base a decision.
(C) Public Notice and Hearings. As required by Minn. Stat. § 462.357 and Minn. Stat. § 462.3595 a public hearing shall be held by the City Council or the Planning Commission before any conditional use permit, variance, or zoning amendment may be granted. A notice of the time, place and purpose of the hearing shall be published in the official newspaper of the city at least ten days prior to the day of the hearing. In the case of an amendment to the zoning code which involves changes in district boundaries affecting an area of five acres or less, and in the case of an application for a conditional use permit or a variance, a similar notice shall be mailed at least ten days before the day of the hearing to each owner of affected property and property situated wholly or partly within 350 feet of the property to which the zoning code amendment, conditional use or variance relates. The applicant shall provide a list of the owners of affected property and property situated wholly or partly within 350 feet of the property to which the hearing relates. The Clerk or other person appointed by the City Council to administer this chapter may use any appropriate records to determine the names and addresses of owners. A copy of the notice and a list of the owners and addresses to which the notice was sent shall be attested to by the Clerk or other person appointed by the City Council to administer this chapter and shall be made a part of the records of the proceedings. The failure to give mailed notice to individual property owners, or defects in the notice shall not invalidate the proceedings, provided a bona fide attempt to comply with the mailed notice requirements has been made.