The procedure for making, altering, vacating or abandoning a public improvement shall be governed by general ordinance, or, to the extent not so governed, by the applicable general laws of the State of Oregon. Action in any proposed public improvement, except an improvement unanimously declared by the council to be needed at once because of an emergency, which shall state the exact harm to the City if the improvement is not made, shall be suspended for six months upon a remonstrance thereto by the owners of two thirds of the property to be specially assessed therefor. For the purpose of this section, "owner" shall mean the record holder of legal title to the land, except that if there is a purchaser of the land according to a recorded land sale contract or according to a verified writing by the record holder of legal title to the land filed with the City Recorder, the said purchaser shall be deemed the owner.