04-12-2007 Charter Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Citizen's Task Force to Review Charter Provisions Pertaining to Local Improvements A citizen's task force is currently conducting an independent review of the Lino Lakes City Charter to determine whether existing charter provisions are allowing for the responsible stewardship of the city's roads. The city has prepared a pavement management program that establishes policies and a plan to maintain the overall pavement condition of the city's street system in the most timely and cost-effective manner. The Pavement Management Report, available on the city website, identifies 11 miles of the city's 85 miles of pavement, as needing reconstruction. However, the City Council does not have the ability to approve the reconstruction of these roads because of a provision in the charter. In addition to state laws that govern the construction and financing of public improvements, the charter includes some local requirements, which based on preliminary research, may be unique to the 854 cities in Minnesota. These additional requirements limit the city council's ability to reconstruct streets at the end of their useful life when normal maintenance practices are no longer effective. The formation of the citizen's task force was prompted by public opinion expressed through the recent community -wide survey and visioning process. The 2030 Vision Plan recommended that a citizen -led task force be organized to identify options for a change to the charter. The City Council appointed the visioning committee, made up of randomly selected residents, to study the City Charter. Nine members agreed to join the Citizens Task Force reviewing charter provisions pertaining to local improvements, including roads. It is expected that the task force's findings and recommendations will be presented to the City Council in June. The task force's membership, meeting schedule, meeting summaries and information presented at past meetings can be viewed at this site.