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Rules and Procedure Governing the City Clerk's Processing
of a Petition Requesting a Public Hearing
Download a Public Hearing Petition 
1. The City Clerk must accept a petition requesting a public hearing if the petition meets the following requirements:
- the petition contains at least 25 original signatures, no photostatic copies;
- the petitioners are electors (anyone who is eligible
to vote, even if not registered, is an elector);
- they are residents of the city;
- they intend to appear at the requested hearing;
- in the case of hearing requested on pending legislation,
the petition must be presented within three days of the introduction
of the legislation.
2. Other than to determine facial validity to the petition, the City Clerk is not required to make an investigation to determine the validity of the information set forth in the petition unless specifically requested to do so by Council.
3. Upon determining that the petition meets the above requirement, the City Clerk will forward a copy of the petition to Council, an will submit the petition to the President of Council for introduction and scheduling accompanied by a statement indicating that the petition is valid.
4. Petitions considered at Council's Committee Meeting, in which Council moves to schedule a public hearing and refer the petition
to the appropriate department for a report prior to setting a hearing,
the City Clerk will forward a copy of the report to Council.
A copy of this report will be sent to the petitioner requesting
them to review the report and notify the City Clerk as to whether
or not they still desire a hearing.
5. In the event that the City Clerk rules a petition invalid,
a copy of the petition will be forwarded to Council accompanied
by a statement indicating the reasons; the petitioners will be notified
that the petition was ruled invalid and reasons why this ruling
was made and submit the petition to the President of Council for
introduction and scheduling.
6. If a challenge to the validity of a petition is presented
to the City Clerk, he would be required to receive evidence offered
by those challenging the petition and make a decision as to whether
the petition is valid.
7. All petitions will be clocked in at the time received
by the City Clerk from the petitioners or Council members.
- Petitions received by the City Clerk from the petitioners
will be submitted to the President of Council for introduction
and referred to the proper committee.
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Petition received by the City Clerk from Council members will
be introduced in Council by the Council member delivering the
petition and will be referred to the proper committee.
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