(1) Upon petition, signed and dated in their own handwriting by not less than ten percent of all of the registered voters in the City, any matter which is the proper subject of one ordinance, as set out in this Charter, shall be submitted to the Council in the manner hereinafter provided, which the Council shall either adopt without alteration, or refer to a vote of the people, without alteration.
(2) Such petition shall not be circulated by any officer of the City; the office of any officer so doing shall be forthwith vacated as the penalty therefor.
(3) Such petition shall contain the residence address of each signer, and shall be filed with the Clerk within sixty days from the date the first signature was affixed thereto.
(4) Within fifteen days next following such filing, a committee, composed of the Clerk, one member appointed by the Mayor, and two members chosen by the Council, shall determine by careful examination, the sufficiency or insufficiency of such petition, and shall report its findings to the Council in a certificate signed by a majority of the members thereof, dated and attached thereto. If such petition be found insufficient, the particulars of such insufficiency shall be stated in such certificate. The petition may be amended within ten days from the date of such certificate, and refiled with the Clerk; provided, however, that any petition may be refiled only once. Upon finding such petition sufficient the committee shall so state in its certificate, signed by a majority of the members thereof, and shall submit the petition, with the attached certificate, to the Council at its next regular meeting. The finding of the committee shall not be final until approved by the Council.
(5) The proposed ordinance contained in such petition shall be passed without alteration by the Council, or shall be submitted, without alteration, by the Council to the voters in the City, within sixty days from the date of its filing with the Clerk. If a regular election is to be held within ninety days from the date of the action of the Council, such ordinance shall be voted upon at such election; if such regular election is not to be held within ninety days from the date of the action of the Council, then the Council shall forthwith call a special election, to be held within sixty days thereafter.
(6) Notice of the vote on such ordinance, at either a regular or special election, shall be given for at least thirty days prior to such election. Such notice shall set out the ordinance verbatim, shall state the date and time of the election, the form of ballot to be used, and such other pertinent matter as the Council may determine or as may be required in the petition. Such notice shall be published, once each week for four successive weeks, in two newspapers of general circulation in the City, if such there be, and shall be posted at some prominent and public place in each voting precinct in the City, at least thirty days prior to the election.
(7) Not more than one special election may be called in any period of six months.
(8) Such ordinance, if adopted by a majority of the persons voting at the election therefor, shall go into effect on the tenth day following its adoption, unless otherwise therein provided. Such ordinance shall not be altered or repealed within six months from its effective date, by the Council, nor thereafter except by vote of two-thirds of all members of the Council. The Council may submit the question of the amendment or repeal of such ordinance to the voters at any regular election, or at a special election called for that purpose, after notice thereof has been given as hereinabove provided.