07/23/2007 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Who are the Charter Commission? The Lino Lakes Charter Commission is a fifteen member body appointed by the District Judge to oversee the City Charter. Established in 1981, they're the only entity in Lino Lake's government that doesn't fall under the authority of the city council. They're also volunteers, and do not receive any compensation for their efforts. Their charge is to study the City and ensure that the City's needs are addressed within the Charter as allowed under state law. The Commission may propose amendments to the Charter, as can the city council. The Commissioners are appointed to four -year terms, and any Lino Lakes resident can apply, except current City Council members. The Charter Commission is completely separate and distinct from the recently formed "Citizen's task force" (or "Lino Lakes Charter task force ") which was appointed in February, 2007 by the city council. In the coming months there will be several openings on the Commission due to expiring terms. If anyone is interested in applying, please do so by contacting city hall at 982 -2400, Chair Cori Duffy at the.duffys@msn.com, or print an application from the city's website at www.ci.lino - lakes.mn.us. The Charter Commission presents... City Roads and the Charter: Fact or Fiction? The City Charter has recently come under scrutiny for its provisions regarding assessable projects such as road reconstruction. The Lino Lakes Charter Commission has examined a few recent public statements and has issued definitive answers for each. Statement #1: Lino Lakes' City Charter is unique. Verdict: Fact! Every Charter is uniquely tailored to fit that city, and all charters are unique. Our Charter is unique, just as our city is unique, just as our people are unique. Statement #2: The Charter does not allow the city council to do road reconstruction. Verdict: Fiction! In 1996 the city had 25 miles of roadway in need of reconstruction, yet today there remain only 11 such miles. The city council has full power to approve reconstruction projects, as long as they are not funded using special assessments (which are costs levied against individual homeowners by the city for "street improvements "). And when the city wishes to impose special assessments, the city council can still approve the project, provided that the affected residents and the taxpayers also agree. The city has successfully rebuilt 14 miles of roadway over the past 10 years using a variety of funding options. Statement #3: The Charter requires a public referendum for road reconstruction projects. Verdict: Fact! But only in those cases where a proposed project would be funded using both special assessments and money from the general fund (i.e. property tax revenue). In these cases the Charter shares decision power between the city council and the people, nothing more. Statement #4: Lino Lakes residents favor a change to the Charter by a margin of 60% to 20 %. Verdict: Let's check the facts: The actual survey question asked "Do you favor or oppose a City Charter change that would allow the city to establish such a <road reconstruction> fund ?" To conclude that the response from this question indicates that a majority of voters are willing to give up their present right to approve or disapprove road reconstruction projects is, at its best, a very long stretch of the survey results. Statement #5: The City Charter is to blame for our roadway system deteriorating. Verdict: Fiction! The fact is that the city council has always been 100% responsible for maintaining our roadways, and has failed to provide for timely maintenance like seal coating, crack repair, and resurfacing. This has allowed some of our roads to deteriorate more than they otherwise would have. After decades of neglect due to lack of planning, the city finally adopted a pavement management system in 2005; however, • • •