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1 <br />2 <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 <br />6 <br />7 <br />8 <br />9 <br />10 <br />11 <br />12 <br />13 <br />14 <br />15 <br />16 <br />17 <br />18 <br />19 <br />20 <br />21 <br />22 <br />23 <br />24 <br />25 <br />26 <br />27 <br />28 <br />29 <br />30 <br />31 <br />32 <br />33 <br />34 <br />35 <br />36 <br />37 <br />38 <br />39 <br />40 <br />41 <br />42 <br />43 <br />44 <br />45 <br />CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION <br />APPROVED <br />DATE <br />TIME STARTED <br />MEMBERS PRESENT <br />MEMBERS ABSENT <br />CITY OF LINO LAKES <br />MINUTES <br />August 4, 2014 <br />: August 4, 2014 <br />. 5:30 p.m. <br />: Council Member Stoesz, Kusterman, <br />Rafferty, and Mayor Reinert <br />: Council Member Roeser <br />Staff members present: City Administrator Jeff Karlson; Community Development <br />Director Michael Grochala; Public Safety Director John Swenson; Finance Director Al <br />Rolek; Public Services Director Rick DeGardner; City Attorney Joseph Langel; City <br />Clerk Julie Bartell <br />2. Proposed Charter Amendment to Create Ward System (August 11 agenda) — <br />City Attorney Langel reviewed and summarized his written opinion. The opinion <br />explains that the Charter Commission has authority to propose a ward system for voter <br />consideration but the amendment submitted has three problems. The districting function <br />that is included with a ward system is given to the Charter Commission while State law <br />places that control with the city council. The timing of filing of ward boundaries <br />conflicts with State law. And the city council cannot be obligated by the charter to <br />provide additional funding to the Charter Commission. For the reasons noted, Mr. Langel <br />explained that the amendment proposed isn't consistent with law and shouldn't be <br />forwarded to Anoka County to be included on the ballot for this fall. <br />Administrator Karlson noted that he has prepared a resolution declining submission of the <br />amendment to the ballot and that resolution will be before the Council at their meeting on <br />August 11. <br />Charter Commission Chair Connie Sutherland noted that the language approved by the <br />Commission is actual language from the charters of the Cities of St. Paul and Blaine. <br />1. Review Options Related to Citizen Petition (August 11 agenda) — City <br />Attorney Langel recalled that in January, the city council passed a resolution regarding <br />their decision to withdraw from the Centennial Fire District (CFD). That is the only <br />formal action that the council must take and that action, in fact, started the clock on the <br />withdrawal. Recently a citizen petition was submitted under the initiative /referendum <br />section of the City Charter. Upon examination of the language of that petition, it calls for <br />the voters to consider a question that would change an administrative action of the <br />council. Mr. Langel explained that the Charter initiative and referendum process is <br />limited to legislative decisions. In the case of the CFD withdrawal, there's been no <br />legislative action on the city's part. If the petition question were placed on the ballot, the <br />voters would be reviewing an executive decision and court case law clearly states that the <br />power of initiative /referendum cannot be used to reverse an administrative action of the <br />1 <br />