The Commission shall provide by resolution for the time and place of its regular meetings. The Commission shall meet at least once each month.
Special meetings of the Commission shall be called by the Clerk on the written request of the Mayor or any two members of the Commission. At least 24 hours' written notice shall be given to each Commissioner, served personally or left at each Commissioner's usual place of residence. However, in an emergency, the Commission may meet as allowed by State law.
No business shall be transacted at any special meeting of the Commission unless it has been stated in the notice of that meeting. However, if all the members of the Commission are present at any special meeting of the Commission, then any business which might lawfully come before a regular meeting of the Commission may be transacted at that special meeting.
All regular and special meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public and held in accordance with State law. Portions of regular and special meetings may be closed to the public as allowed by State law. Citizens shall have a reasonable opportunity to be heard at all meetings of the Commission.
Four members of the Commission shall be a quorum for the transaction of business at all Commission meetings. In the absence of a quorum, any number less than a quorum may adjourn any Commission meeting to a later date.
(a) 
The Commission shall determine its own rules and order of business. The vote upon the passage of all ordinances and upon the adoption of all resolutions shall be taken by "Yes" and "No" votes and entered upon the record prepared by the Clerk. However, where the vote is unanimous, it shall only be necessary to so state in the record.
(b) 
The Commission may compel its members and other officers and employees of the City to attend its regular and special meetings. Any member of the Commission or other officer or employee of the City who refuses to attend the required Commission meeting or to act in an orderly manner while there shall be deemed guilty of misconduct in office.
(c) 
No Commissioner shall vote on any question in which, under State law, the Commissioner has a financial interest other than the common public interest, or on any question concerning the Commissioner's own conduct. Otherwise, a Commissioner shall vote upon all other issues before the Commission for its determination unless excused by a unanimous vote of the remaining present Commissioners.
(d) 
The proceedings of the Commission or a summary thereof shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City at least once within 15 days following each meeting. If a summary is used, it shall be prepared by the Clerk and approved by the Mayor, and it shall show the substance of the Commission's proceedings.
All ordinances, resolutions, rules, regulations and policies not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter, and which are in full force and effect at the time of the adoption of this Charter, shall continue in full force and effect until or unless repealed or amended.
All legislation of the City shall be enacted by ordinance or by resolution. The word "resolution" as used in this Charter shall be the official action of the Commission in the form of a motion. All acts of the Commission which carry a penalty if they are violated shall be by ordinance. Ordinances may be enacted, amended or repealed by the affirmative vote of not less than four Commissioners. Each ordinance shall be identified by a number and a short title. Each proposed ordinance shall be introduced in written or printed form. All ordinances passed by the Commission shall state "The City of Fennville Ordains:" as a heading. Except for those declared to be emergency ordinances, no ordinance shall be finally passed by the Commission at the same meeting at which it is introduced. When enacted, all ordinances shall be signed by the Mayor and the Clerk and then recorded in "The Ordinance Book" or the City's Code of Ordinances.
The Commission may provide in any ordinance for the punishment of those who violate its provisions. The punishment for the violation of any City ordinance shall not exceed the maximum fine and/or the maximum imprisonment allowed by State law for the violation of local ordinances.
Each ordinance shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the City at least once within 15 days after its adoption by the Commission. All ordinances of the City shall become effective immediately upon their publication, unless a subsequent date is specified in the ordinance itself. The publication of any ordinance in full after its passage as part of the published proceedings of the Commission shall constitute the required publication of that ordinance. An ordinance which is declared to be immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health or safety may be given effect before publication in a newspaper if preliminary publication is accomplished by conspicuously posting copies of the ordinance in 10 public places in the City; however, that ordinance must still be published in the manner required for other ordinances within 15 days after its adoption.
By petition and according to the procedure in this Charter or established by State law, an ordinance may be initiated or a referendum may be had on an ordinance passed by the Commission.
A petition for initiative or referendum shall be signed during the six months preceding its filing with the Clerk by not less than 15% of the registered electors of the City. Before being circulated for signatures, a petition must be approved as to form by the Clerk. Each person signing a petition shall sign the person's name in ink or indelible pencil; the person shall also indicate the date and the person's address. A sworn affidavit shall be attached to each petition by the petitioner's circulator; the affidavit shall state the number of petitioner signers, that each signature is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be, and that each signature was made in the presence of the circulator. The petition shall be filed with the Clerk. Within 10 days, the Clerk shall canvass the signatures on the petition to determine their sufficiency. If the petition is found to contain an insufficient number of signatures of registered electors of the City, or to be improper as to form or compliance with the provisions of this Charter, the Clerk shall promptly notify the person filing the petition; 10 days from the notification shall be allowed for the filing of supplemental petition papers. If the Clerk finds the petition sufficient and proper, the Clerk shall present it to the Commission at the next regular meeting.
Upon receiving from the Clerk a sufficient and proper petition for initiative or referendum, the Commission shall take action within 30 days.
(a) 
Upon receipt of a petition for initiative, the Commission shall either adopt the ordinance as submitted in the petition or submit it to the electors of the City.
(b) 
Upon receipt of a petition for referendum, the Commission shall either repeal the ordinance to which the petition refers or submit it to the electors of the City.
If the Commission submits the petition to the electors, it shall do so at the next election held in the City for any purpose, or, in the discretion of the Commission, at a special election. The result shall be determined by a majority vote of the electors voting at the election.
The Clerk's certification of the sufficiency of a petition for referendum filed within 30 days after the passage of the ordinance to which the petition refers shall automatically suspend the operation of the ordinance, pending repeal by the Commission or final determination by the electors of the City. An ordinance adopted by a vote of the electors of the City following a petition for initiative may not be amended or repealed by the Commission for a period of two years after the date of the election at which it was adopted.
Unless approved by a 60% majority of the City electors voting on the particular issue at a regular or special election, the Commission shall not have the power to:
(a) 
Sell any cemetery, in whole or in part; or
(b) 
Sell any park, in whole or in part, unless the park is not designated as a park in the City's master land use plan.
If a vote of the electors is taken and the requested power is not granted to the Commission, another vote on that same issue may not be taken for one year.
Except by the affirmative vote of four Commissioners, no office shall be created or abolished; no tax or assessment shall be imposed; no street, alley, or public ground shall be vacated; no real estate or any interest in it shall be sold or conveyed; no action shall be taken to condemn private property for public use; no money shall be appropriated; and no prior vote of the Commission shall be reconsidered or rescinded.
The Commission shall have the power to inquire into the conduct of any department, office or officer of the City. The Commission shall also have the power to investigate City affairs by subpoenaing witnesses, administering oaths, and compelling the production of books, and other evidence. The Commission may exercise these powers itself or through any person or committee it authorizes.
Failure of any City officer to obey a subpoena or any other lawful order under this section shall constitute misconduct in office.