HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-14-2011 Council MinutesCharter Commission
April 14, 2011
Page 1
1 APPROVED
2 CITY OF LINO LAKES
3 CHARTER COMMISSION
4
5 DATE April 14, 2011
6 TIME STARTED 6:35 P.M.
7 TIME ENDED 9:31 P.M.
8 MEMBERS PRESENT Aldentaler, Bretoi, Carlson, Dahl, Drennen (arrives at
9 6:40pm), Gunderson, Lyden, Minar (arrives at 7:28pm)
10 Penn, Storberg, Trehus, Turcotte, Williams
11 MEMBERS EXCUSED Sutherland, Zastrow
12 MEMBERS UNEXCUSED None
13 STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT None
14 OTHERS PRESENT: Dean Hausladen, Councilmember Rob Rafferty (arrives
15 at 7:25pm.)
16
17 CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
18 Chair Dahl called to order the meeting of the Lino Lakes Charter Commission at 6:35 pm on
19 April 14, 2011.
20
21 SETTING THE AGENDA
22 Commissioner Drennen arrives at 6:40pm.
23
24 Chair Dahl added under New Business; 7D. Excelsior Charter Commission.
25
26 MOTION by Commissioner Penn, seconded by Commissioner Drennen to accept the agenda as
27 amended. Motion passes unanimously.
28
29 OPEN MIC
30 No one spoke during the "open mic" portion of the meeting.
31
32 APPROVAL OF MINUTES
33 After finding numerous errors with the minutes for the January 13, 2011, Commissioner
34 Gunderson states she will review the document and correct the errors.
35
36 MOTION by Commissioner Trehus, seconded by Commissioner Lyden to table the minutes to
37 the next meeting in July 2011. Motion passes unanimously.
38
39 OLD BUSINESS
40
41 A. Charter Agreement / Karen Marty
42 No new information was presented.
43
44
45
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46 B. Charter Amendments
47 Commissioner Trehus presented new information to the Commission. The Charter Commission's
48 attorney reviewed language for Section 1.04 amendment and found no problems. Drafting ballot
49 language is the next step for the amendment, needing to be completed by the July meeting.
50
51 Discussion of amendment continues in the possibility of submitting the amendment to the City
52 Council for passage by ordinance. Time deadlines of submitting language for ballot may preclude
53 the possibility of submitting amendment to Council.
54
55 Commissioner Gunderson asks about the possibility of adding budgetary language of the
56 Commission to the amendment.
57
58 MOTION by Commissioner Penn, seconded by Commissioner Carlson that the subcommittee
59 draft language that captures the concept of equivancy in expenditures in amendment for adding
60 Section 1.04 to the Charter document.
61
62 Councilmember Rafferty arrives at 7:25pm.
63
64 Commissioner Minar arrives at 7:28pm.
65
66 Chair Dahl calls the question. Motion passes unanimously.
67
68 MOTION by Commissioner Penn, seconded by Commissioner Drennen, to refer recommended
69 re -wording of amendment for Section 1.04 to the Commission's attorney for approval and
70 construction of ballot language. Motion passes unanimously.
71
72 Commissioner Trehus moves onto discussion of the Tax Levy Cap amendment. He reviews the
73 e-mail from Ms. Marty that contains suggestions on wording the amendment, as well as a
74 summary of the 24 loopholes in the current state statute. Commissioner Trehus also included
75 separate information from the League of Minnesota Cities and Minnesota House of
76 Representatives.
77
78 MOTION by Commissioner Minar, seconded by Commissioner Penn, to send to the City Council
79 the amended ballot language regarding the proposed charter amendment limiting the city tax
80 currently imposed by state statute.
81
82 Discussion continues until Commissioner Gunderson states she will ask State Senator Roger
83 Chamberlain's office to research if there is a current bill to extend Statute 275.71. Therefore,
84 after deciding more information is needed, Commissioners Minar and Penn withdraw the motion.
85
86 MOTION by Commissioner Trehus, seconded by Lyden, to have subcommittee work with
87 Charter Commission's attorney Ms. Karen Marty to develop questions and answers on the Tax
n 88 Levy Amendment. Commissioner Trehus asks Commissioners to view the subject as voters and
89 think of questions. Motion passes with Commissioner Storberg voting no, Commissioner
90 Carlson abstains.
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91
92 C. Rules of Order
93 Commissioner Trehus presents to the Commission a handout of proposed rules of conducting
94 meetings.
95
96 MOTION by Commissioner Bretoi, seconded by Commissioner Gunderson to form a
97 subcommittee to bring back recommendations regarding rules of order of Charter Commission
98 meetings.
99
100 The subcommittee would consist of Commissioners Gunderson, Penn, Trehus and Carlson.
101
102 Motion passes unanimously.
103
104 D. Discussion, if needed, of Joint Council meeting (tabled from October 2010)
105 Discussion began with review of tabling the discussion from more than one meeting.
106
107 Chair Dahl stated that she had not received any requests of late from the City Council to meet
108 with the Commission. Commissioner Drennen stated that it appeared that there is no need at
109 present time for a joint meeting. If there is a need or desire to have a joint meeting, either body
110 can make that request.
111
i 12 MOTION by Commissioner Drennen, seconded by Commissioner Minar to close agenda item.
113 Motion passes unanimously.
114
115 NEW BUSINESS
116
117 A. 2010 Letter to Judge
118 Chair Dahl reviewed the letter she wrote to the Chief Judge of the 10th Judicial District,
119 summarizing the Charter Commission's activity in 2010.
120
121 MOTION by Commissioner Bretoi, seconded by Commissioner Williams, to accept the letter, as
122 amended to list two amendments worked on in 2010. Motion passes with Commissioner Carlson
123 voting no.
124
125 Commissioner Trehus will send amendment language to the Chair.
126
127 B. Legislature discussion to bring statute 410.06 up to date
128 Chair Dahl stated she spoke with State Senator Roger Chamberlain, along with Commissioner
129 Lyden regarding the state statute setting minimums for funding Charter Commission. Senator
130 Chamberlain stated to Chair Dahl that he will discuss the statute with his colleagues. Chair Dahl
131 stated that the $1,500 set when statute became law — 1961 - would equal $11,000 today due to
132 inflation.
133
134 Commissioner Gunderson stated that because 2011 is a budget year, nothing may happen this
135 year and the issue could be brought up again in 2012. Gunderson suggested that the Commission
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136 draft a letter to Senator Chamberlain's and Representative Runbeck's offices requesting help in
137 updating the statute.
138
139 Commissioner Williams asked if it is known if any other Charter Commissions are requesting
140 additional funds from their Councils. Chair Dahl sent an e-mail to various Commissions and got
141 back various responses; some Commissions have not needed to additional funds, some
142 Commissions have made requests for funds and received approvals.
143
144 Chair Dahl described how Columbia Heights asked Senator Ann Rest to introduce legislation to
145 raise the minimum amount set to fund Charter Commissions. Legislation was passed but later
146 vetoed by Governor Pawlenty.
147
148 Commissioner Drennen suggested getting involvement from other Charter Commissions.
149
150 C. Brief Charter History for possible inclusion on Charter website
151 Commissioner Storberg handed out a brief history she wrote of the Charter Commission.
152
153 MOTION by Commissioner Minar, seconded by Commissioner Bretoi to accept the written
154 historical document on the Charter Commission as is.
155
156 Commissioner Drennen states although he agrees with the concept, he requested the document be
X157 fact -checked and rewritten.
158
159 Commissioner Minar and Bretoi withdraw the motion.
160
161 MOTION by Commissioner Drennen, seconded by Commissioner Penn, to add a "History of the
162 Charter" to the Charter Commission website and bring the language to the next Commission
163 meeting.
164 Commissioner Aldentaler departs the meeting at 9:25pm.
165
166 Motion passes unanimously.
167
168 D. Excelsior Charter Commission
169 Chair Dahl received a call from a member of the Excelsior City Charter Commission, who also
170 called the chairs of the Fridley and Mounds View. The purpose of the call from the Excelsior
171 Commissioner was to discuss a petition brought forward from a citizen of Excelsior to create a
172 Tax Levy cap and a 5 year financial plan. This Commissioner requested information from our
173 Commission of what we are doing regarding the levy.
174
175 Commissioner Bretoi thanked all Commissioners for their recent hard work.
176
177 E. Next meeting date: Thursday, July 14, 2011
i -•N 178
179
180
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81 ADJOURN
182 MOTION by Commissioner Gunderson, seconded by Commissioner Trehus, to adjourn the
183 meeting at 9:31pm. Motion carried unanimously.
184
185 Respectfully Submitted,
186
187 Kelly Gunderson
188 Secretary