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MEMO TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL 011 <br />j ;A <br />r�A�end4 SesS� orb <br />FROM: CLERK -ADMINISTRATOR <br />DATE: DECEMBER 28, 198s <br />SUBJECT: DRAFT RAMSEY COUNTY CHARTER <br />On December. 23rd you each received copies of the Draft <br />Charter for Ramsey County which was submitted to us at my <br />request. This Draft reflects the current status of the <br />development of a charter for Ramsey County and I felt it <br />would be appropriate for us to take the time to review the <br />charter and make any comments that the Council felt might be <br />appropriate. In preparation for a discussion of the Draft <br />Charter, I would like to review those areas that I have <br />identified as areas of possible concern that you might wish <br />to address and mane comnent on to the Ramsey County Charter <br />Commission. Those areas are as follows: <br />I. Section 2.01, B. provides that all members 02 <br />the Ramsey County Board Of Commissioners will be <br />elected every four years with no staggering of their <br />terms. I have two thoughts with respect to this <br />provision. The first is that the lack of staggering <br />Of terms of commissioners ignores the need for <br />continuity on the County Board. The second is in <br />response to an argument placed by the Charter <br />Commission in the Draft Charter that voters could <br />affect quicker change by making a big switch in <br />commissioners all at once. This seems to ignore the <br />later provision in the Draft Charter that the voters <br />have recall authority and could affect the same <br />change by recalling those members whose terms have <br />not expired. <br />2. Section 5.02, D. provides that approval or amendment <br />Of the Civil Service Rules is by resolution and that <br />such approval or amendment shall receive two <br />readings prior to its adoption. It would strike me <br />that the County's Civil. Service Rules would "best be <br />adopted by ordinance, particularly considering the <br />significance of the rules on county personnel. <br />3. Section 5.04 requires that after the introduction of <br />an ordinance at least two additional separate <br />readings of the ordinance must occur before its <br />adoption and that the proposed ordinance must be <br />available for public inspection in the form in which <br />it is to be adopted at least one week before <br />adoption. My first thought is that unless it is <br />adopted how can anyone be certain of what the final <br />41 form of an O-�in.nce is to be? The provision of two <br />