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signatures represents 115% of the total number of signatures needed to qualify the referendum petition. As prescribed in sections 9114 and 9240 of the Elections Code, if the petition is found sufficient, the elections official shall certify the results of the examination to the City Council at the next regular meeting of the council. Accordingly, the City Clerk, as the City's election official, was prepared to certify the results to the City Council at its January 15, 2008 meeting. Before that meeting, however, the property owners obtained a temporary restraining order preventing the City Clerk from certifying the results to the City Council. Moreover, on February 21, the Court issued a tentative decision that the referendum petition did not have attached to them all the documents required by the State Elections Code. At the time of the writing of this staff report, however, (February 28), the Court has not issued a final decision on that issue. In the event, however, that the City Clerk is no longer prevented from certifying the sufficiency of the number of signatures at the Council's March 4 meeting, this staff report addresses the options that will be available to the Council. DISCUSSION As set forth in Elections Code, Section 9241, once the City Clerk has certified the sufficiency of the number of signatures, the legislative body must either repeal the ordinance against which the petition has been filed or submit the ordinance to the voters at the next regular municipal election occurring not less than 88 days after the order of the legislative body or at a special election called for the purpose not less than 88 days after the order of the legislative body. The ordinance shall not be effective until a majority of the voters voting on the ordinance vote in favor of it. (Because the Pleasanton Municipal Code does not define the City's "regular municipal election" the definition defaults to State law which would allow the election to take place in conjunction with the State primary election on June 3, 2008.) Accordingly, assuming the City Clerk is not prevented from certifying the sufficiency of the number of signatures, the Council must first determine whether to rescind the ordinance in its entirety or to call for an election. If an election is to be called, Council must determine whether to call for the election for June 3, November 4, or at a special, stand alone election between June 3 and November 4. Once that date is established, Council must adopt ballot language (i.e, how the ballot question will be framed), determine whether the Council wants an impartial analysis prepared by the City Attorney, establish the dates for submittal of ballot arguments and determine if any member of Council will be signatories on the arguments. The timing for submitting arguments is set forth in the State Elections Code. A reasonable date for direct arguments, limited to 300 words, needs to be set. If the Council chooses the June 2008 election date, in order to meet the printing deadlines of the Registrar of Voters Office and provide fora 10-day review period of the direct Page 3 of 4