Minutes - 2003/02/10 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mounds View City Council February 10, 2003 Regular Meeting Page 14 City Attorney Riggs indicated it does not. Council Member Quick commented that he is not aware of many employees with a copy of the Charter handy to refer to and Resolution 5555 is a simple way of laying out the protocol for communication. Council Member Stigney disagreed with Council Member Marty as the paragraph that he read is not in the Charter and that is why Resolution 5555 is needed. He then said that the interpretation is the problem not the Resolution itself. Mayor Linke indicated there are several reprimands in files for employees talking to Council Members because items did not go up to Council and when it was suggested to Council that is when the reprimand happened because the next person up the line from department head did not follow through that process. He then said that there is too much room for interpretation there and that is why he is for rescinding Resolution 5555. Mayor Linke indicated the policy was that Staff could talk to Council Members but Council could not give direction to employees other than through the City Administrator as a Council body. • Barbara Thomas of 5444 Landmark Circle encouraged Mayor Linke to go back through the files because there are only minor circumstances where that occurred. She then said she had the Charter in front of her and the circumstances of the birth of Resolution 5555 were shortly after an extended period of meeting with a facilitator because the City was having some serious issues with department communications and Council had constant complaints that employees did not know the process. Ms. Thomas indicated that this is an area that the Charter is weak in as it says what, but not how. The purpose was not to in any way change or affect the interpretation of the Charter, it was a method to reinforce what the Charter says while explaining how to accomplish what is in the Charter. The Charter is bare on this and that was to allow for flexibility as the Resolution allowed for flexibility and interpretation. Ms. Thomas commented that however it was interpreted whether or not Council Members agreed with it or not should Council choose to rescind, that puts the City in a position of needing to change the policy on communication. She further commented that rescinding the Resolution requires a good explanation of why and what changes Council Members expect and she thinks the employees and the residents deserve to know that. Council Member Stigney indicated he did not want to go back to where the City was before when there was confusion and the Mayor was running around running the City with out Council or Administrator input. MOTION/SECOND: Stigney/Quick. To Table Resolution 5944.