10-13-2005 Charter Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Charter Commission April 14, 2005 Page 7 DRAFT asked Mr. Heitke for information on what the Charter Commission did. Council Member Stoltz stated he probably received more training than the other City Council Members. He questioned where the two groups go from here and indicated he believed each member of the City Council and the Charter Commission needed to look within themselves for answers. He wondered why the 2003 referendum failed and did not know that answer. He noted the question needed to be answered so that each could determine what lessons were learned. Both the Charter Commission and the City Council had a role. They would not agree on every issue,but they needed to respect each other's position. Council Member Stoltz stated the City Council needed to be careful not to make blanket statements about the Charter Commission and vice versa. Everyone should try to get along. Commissioner Storberg advised the Charter Commission was really fifty-one percent(the majority)of the people. They have tried for 20 years to weaken the Charter. The City Council and the Charter Commission were two different entities. The City Council does not have 100 percent of the power. Council Member Stoltz asked why the two groups could not have the same vision. Council Member Bor asked how the City Council received the communication this was a we/they situation. She suggested that at the Fall meeting,the two groups should move forward to have better communication. She stated she has a deep respect for the process and noted the people in this City were educated. If the people would do the right thing,residents would end up with the right thing for the City. Council Member Bor stated she believed the Charter Commission could partner with the City Council to achieve this. Commissioner Zastrow advised the Charter was basically rules. The Charter Commission tries to interpret them. The City Council should be familiar with the rules which are like a road map. Commissioner Storberg advised that for the last twenty years there have been many different City Councils. Each one relied on the City Attorney and received the same interpretations. The City Council was paying for the same update. The real problem is that the City government does not want to be controlled by the Charter Commission. Commissioner Carlson advised if the Commissioner's role is to frame and amend the Charter, the Commissioners want to be informed before they make an amendment. They all want to feel they were well informed, and that information was covered from A through Z. That information has to come from the City Council and City staff. Chair Trehus asked where else could the Charter Commission get that information. He noted there was an election in 1995 to more or less remove chapter 8 from the Charter, and it failed horribly. The residents do not want to give up their power. After that, the City Council came to the next joint meeting and said the City could not fix the roads. The Charter Commission asked the City Council how they could say this when they had never tried to work within the charter. So the city decided to give it a try, and in 1997 there was a road project proposed and the 7