(a) The Council, the Mayor, City Administrator, or any person or committee authorized by the Council, shall have power to inquire into the conduct of any office, department, or officer of the city and to make investigations in municipal affairs and compel the production of books, papers and other evidence. Failure to obey such orders to produce books or evidence shall constitute grounds for the immediate discharge of any officer or employee of the city.
(b) All officers of the city, including Mayor and Council members, shall before entering upon the duties of his office, severally take an oath in writing to honestly, faithfully and impartially perform and discharge the duties of his office and trust, which oath shall be filed with the City Clerk.
(c) All records and accounts of every office and department of the city shall be open to inspection by any person. Except, that records and documents the disclosure of which would tend to defeat the lawful purpose for which they were intended, may be withheld from inspection. Such records as are required by state law or city ordinance to be kept confidential are not open to inspection. Each department head shall be held responsible for the preservation of all public records under his jurisdiction and shall provide a system of filing. No public records, reports, correspondence or other data relative to the business of any department shall be destroyed or removed permanently from the files without the knowledge and approval of the City Clerk.