The City Council shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its members and of the grounds for forfeiture of their office. In order to exercise these powers, the Council shall have the power to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of evidence. The City Clerk shall notify a member charged with conduct constituting grounds for forfeiture of office by certified mail.
If the member desires a public hearing, he/she must notify the City Council within ten days. The public hearing must be heard no later than twenty days after the receipt of the request for a hearing. A notice of such hearing shall be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the City at least one week in advance of the hearing. Decisions made by the Council under this section shall be subject to judicial review.