BOULDER - The city of Boulder's Clerk's Office has notified a citizens group that its petition to put new provisions into the city charter concerning a potential municipal electric utility contains potential problems that could jeopardize the legality of the measure.

In a letter to the five-person Voter Approval of Debt Limits group, the clerk's office pointed out four possible glitches.

One of the five petitioners, Phil Fox, identified as the group's spokesman, registered to vote in Boulder on May 6. The initial petition was filed with the city on May 8. It was later withdrawn to correct a typographical error, and a corrected version was filed Monday, May 13. The law requires that there be five members of a citizen petition committee, all of whom must have been residents of the municipal election precinct for a minimum of 30 days prior to filing. To meet legal requirements, the petition committee will need to identify a fifth member who has lived in the precinct in the city of Boulder for at least 30 days or wait and file a new petition when this condition can be met.

The proposed language is not in the form of a question, the clerk's office said. Ballot issues should be drafted in a format that requires a clear "yes" or "no" response from a voter.

While the primary language focuses on debt-limitation provisions, secondary language seeks to restrict the service area of a city electric utility. Ballot initiatives must be limited to a single subject.

The proposed initiative limits elections on the issue of debt to the dates of general municipal elections, which are held the first Tuesday in November of odd-numbered years. No provision of the Boulder Charter limits elections on charter issues to less often than every year. It is unclear whether the petitioners are seeking to limit these elections to once every two years or to limit voting to the November election each year.

"It is our responsibility to provide objective feedback about whether a petition meets legal requirements," said city clerk Alisa Lewis. "There are some concerns with this particular initiative that the committee may want to consider before moving forward with its attempt to collect signatures."

The petitioners have 90 days from the date of filing to collect verifiable signatures from 5 percent of registered city voters in order to meet the minimum threshold for inclusion on the November 2013 ballot.

A copy of the Clerk's Office letter and more information about the possible creation of a local electric utility, including financial analysis and details about the proposed service area, are online at www.boulderenergyfuture.com.