03/24/2008 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • STAFF ORIGINATOR: MEETING DATE: TOPIC: AGENDA ITEM 3A Gordon Heitke March 24, 2008 Ordinance No. 05 -08, Amending Chapter 8 of the Lino Lakes City Charter, Regarding Public Improvements and Special Assessments VOTE REQUIRED: 3/5 (roll call vote required) BACKGROUND After receiving the report of the Citizen's Task Force to Review Charter Provisions Pertaining to Local Improvements in July 2007, which included a recommended amendment to Chapter 8 of the existing city charter, the council approved the first reading of the charter amendment ordinance and referred it to the Charter Commission. The referral followed the process established by state statute for amendments proposed by council. The Charter Commission elected to draft a substitute amendment that was received by the council in December 2007. A member of the Charter Commission (who has subsequently resigned from the Commission) also submitted a proposed charter amendment. The council received information at their February work session from the city's bond counsel, Stephen Bubul of Kennedy & Graven, and from the city's financial advisor, Terri Heaton of Springsted, on legal and financial concerns relative to the Charter Commission's substitute amendment. After discussing the detailed review, the council requested that a simplified "grid" analysis be prepared to assist in further discussion of the amendments submitted by the Citizens Task Force, Charter Commission and Mr. Bening, as well as Chapter 429. A special council work session was held on Wednesday, February 27, 2008 to continue discussion of possible charter amendments to be placed on the November, 2008 ballot. Additional clarification was requested and subsequently presented at the Council's March 3, 2008 work session regarding the impact of the various charter amendments on the city's ability to issue tax - exempt bonds for improvements, related to the inclusion of "exempt" zones in the charter amendment altematives. Staff was directed to draft a new ordinance for Council action on March 24, 2008, based on the charter amendment originally proposed by the Citizens Task Force, but with the exempt zone language removed.