§ 15-3. Review and comment hearing on initiated ordinances and charter amendments.

(a)

Prior to the submission to the clerk and recorder of any affidavit or statement of intent commencing the process for initiating any ordinance or charter amendment, the proponents of the initiated measure shall submit a typewritten draft of the text of the proposed ordinance or charter amendment to the director of the city council staff and to the city attorney for review and comment. Proponents are encouraged to write such drafts in plain, non-technical language and in a clear and coherent manner using words with common and everyday meaning which are understandable to the average reader. No later than ten days after the date of submission of the original draft, unless it is withdrawn by the proponents, the director or the city council staff and the city attorney, or their designees, shall render their comments to the proponents of the petition concerning the format or contents of the proposed ordinance or charter amendment at a meeting open to the public. Where appropriate, such comments shall also contain suggested editorial changes to promote compliance with the plain language provisions of this section.

(b)

After the public meeting but before submission to the clerk and recorder of any affidavit or statement of intent commencing the petition process, the proponents may amend the text in response to some or all of the comments of the director of the city council staff and the city attorney, or their designees. If any substantial amendment is made to the text, the amended text shall be resubmitted to the director and the city attorney for comment in accordance with subsection (a) of this section. If the director or city attorney have no additional comments concerning the amended text, they may so notify the proponents in writing, and, in such case, a hearing on the amended text pursuant to subsection (a) of this section is not required.

(c)

To the extent possible, drafts shall be worded with simplicity and clarity and so that the effect of the measure will not be misleading or likely to cause confusion among voters. The draft shall not present the issue to be decided in such manner that a vote for the measure would be a vote against the proposition or viewpoint that the voter believes that he or she is casting a vote for or, conversely, that a vote against the measure would be a vote for a proposition or viewpoint that the voter is against.

(d)

After the conference provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the director of the city council staff and the city attorney, or their designees, shall jointly submit to the proponents and to the clerk and recorder a written notice, including a copy of the text or amended text finally reviewed by the director and the city attorney, certifying compliance with this section. The clerk and recorder shall not receive or act upon any affidavit or notice of intent commencing the process for initiating any ordinance or charter amendment unless the affidavit or notice of intent is accompanied by a certification as provided herein.

(Ord. No. 1010-02, § 1, 12-9-02; Ord. No. 264-07, § 5, 6-11-07)