10/05/2009 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • WS — Item #3 WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT Work Session Item #3 Date: October 5, 2009 To: City Council From: Julie Bartell Re: City Code Update Background The Lino Lakes City Code establishes the laws, rules and policies under which the city operates. Although there have been amendments approved by the council and some state law changes impacting city regulations, this document has not been updated since 1993. The council's most recent Goals, Objectives, Management Action Plan calls for completion of a project to bring this important document up to date. Currently, the City Code is maintained in the form of a three -ring binder into which staff inserts ordinances as they are approved by the city council. A portion of the code update project is to have that code book reprinted to include all changes since 1993. In addition, staff intends that the city will join the vast majority of municipalities and also maintain an on -line city code, accessible from the city's Web page. This type of access to city regulations is now widely expected by citizens, the city's legal counsel, the police department and the larger community in general. To this end, city staff and the council have engaged in the following process: • The city hired a codifier company who prepared a draft code that includes all changes since 1993 and whose legal staff advised the city on changes to bring the code up to date (mainly with state law); • Department directors were asked to review and approve portions of the draft code that relate to their area of responsibility along with consider the changes recommended by the code company's legal counsel; 1