Laserfiche WebLink
Ms: Ruth White <br /> August 17, 1979 <br /> Page 2 <br /> This draft charter has been constructed in such a manner as to put maximum res- <br /> ponsibility on the elected council and upon the citizens themselves. In a small <br /> community with numerous interested citizens with substantial time available to <br /> devote to public affairs such diffusion of power generally tends to work well . <br /> However, Mounds View is a fairly large city (for Minnesota) and you may not have <br /> the numbers of retired and other time generous persons to make such an arrangement. <br /> function as you envision. Where no individual above department level has the . <br /> power and responsibility to control city operations, department heads can become <br /> extremely independent with their own constituencies.on the governing body and among <br /> the electors. Overall city operations can then be adversely affected. You might <br /> want to correspond or consult with Joseph Gerzin, chairman of the City of Ely <br /> Charter Commission about this. <br /> Implied in the previous comment is the observation that to the extent that a great <br /> deal is expected of the council, every means available ought to be used to encourage <br /> interested, capable, effective and cooperative people to serve in council positions. <br /> Means of encouragement of course include provision of significant salary inducements <br /> but probably more importantly should aim at minimizing impediments to effective col- <br /> lective decision-making and the attendant frustration which will cause active people <br /> to terminate public involvement. <br /> Note ought also to be made that with rapidly increasing labor and postage costs, <br /> provision for frequent notices and public hearings may constitute a substantial <br /> expense to the city in addition to confronting the citizens with a surfeit of <br /> opportunity for involvement in the decision making process. <br /> SECTION BY SECTION COMMENTS <br /> Section 4.01.. <br /> The last sentence of this section provides for an assumption of office of newly <br /> elected officers at the first meeting following the election. Though this kind of <br /> a provision may have the advantage of limiting "lame duck" legislation and admini- <br /> stration, it might well raise numerous questions as to those rightfully exercising <br /> the duties and powers of office in situations where election contests or other <br /> cases of doubt have not been resolved. The idea for this kind of provision may have <br /> come from examination of other charters. If so, you might want to contact the <br /> communities from which this system is borrowed to determine its workability. <br /> Section 4.02 <br /> This section allows an elector to file for city office during a seven-day period <br /> thirty days prior to the city election. Is this a sufficient time so that all <br /> citizens have a reasonable opportunity to file for office? Vacations, illnesses <br /> and other events may interfere with filing during a one week period. As you are <br /> probably aware, in the absence of such a provision, state law would allow two weeks <br /> for filing. <br /> Section 4.05 <br /> This section must have been intended to harmonize with M.S. 205.14, Subd. 3. I say <br /> this because the charter provision makes no provision for breaking a tie vote or <br /> 4 <br />