HomeMy WebLinkAboutPresent and Alternative Goverment Report 0 •o, < m
c o
a) `° A c ic
(� ° ate, ° o ' DJ 0.o �oo Q � 0 � °: ci
cQ o co Q chi, ccz > > p22 m N 3 n 'Q (D O A
al OW �, Com . m cin o 2 o 2o - m cp a = O � co
W � �caw b' K M CO a, m Qo Cl)� O ' ' ., _ m o m
r- ( Z o < K K a 2 a) b �' 0 c° a CO o co co ca 01
CD
3paoopm w (1' - -aA -a a c a a� (7 (710,,
m a cn m o d a, a HO
cn• n C a �'� m a, 2222 -.• il ° a,ric a, asw H C" `° m O 0 CxDLCD C C ° O eo ° (nSI) y O� cn -a 0 O O Si, ct) n111
o '! m cQ ® n ° m m c o a m c c a °ha, 3 110111
o q a o ro a11111
UI
o
EU D D o o yo po3 = ° (1 as ° � a, 4.- g ° � �tr o o w e m fn 0 O 0 mA 3-. o � o �7o spy, = D � oo0 3 - < 3 D " o � � °—' 3ccOo ? �a, ocn (7 n ° cn vi o m3 c' r a,r0 ° Vic' o ° o 0071 a, 2c o o mrn o o cQ c� o o ° DcQ a,cn ' m0i D c0 O N =� 0J1 • p -• + Q I
m 4,-t
3? r� D is.
_ O�o � oa, o a, ov v :0: Av, � �, - c� � ° Dec; 3 o m
P Fa5.R° f O (/) a cn ;s 3 va NO n C n O pO' -t ro p,' -'
•s 3 $z Q O �� S' 0X1 p p f' O �, dN„wym m m e 'll ivC? �}s5.s a m O n O C) O 011.
O C :. O o CD o A C
u • r• ;> c _ 0 71 Q 3 �„' o' c�, cr 0 (�� CO2CO s2 CO .' ° CD h p% t i a�
p (Q' O C 0 a . a m Tt C m 3 -� O
Z . !y o LU' > p j o."'
o o ° ° a, "' co — C � (p• C3
A CO 'M
ro O m m cci, (D ° = p �• v,' o u,: um, m p O, m N
v c o o a m va°i °p m .z p m w 0. m ]7
— a o
o D KcQ nco ,..„.9
� C ccD ° < o o v, D
a3 ° a, • ° cap m � �ic s)) a.., ° o a
r c.co m m m . -« C C Co a a, a cQ c as
CD 0 0.) 1 0
I
ca uo " 2 m m m o 0( o Q, N
� cm � 3 �. � N cQ cn = � � 3 D m
a o K A Z,: a o .. av
ocQ � � Do m `� su
�(Q c Cl) a a,' m
m 3 � * 3 m
a, (O r m
m O O m W W a,' 0
CD
H P. P. - aWi a)
=12)
(O > > 0"
37
a) ° T
c.
T C.(p m m Q. w
Cl)03 CD 0 5
o
CD
cn
a.
`•G
cD SD7
REPORT OF THE "PRESENT AND ALTERNATIV1! LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION"
SUBCOMMITTEE 1/28/79
The assignment of this subcommittee was to loos into the follow-
ing questions:
1. What kind of city government is presently in effect.
2. What are the various departments and officers, and what are
their functions.
3. How much does the present government cost the people.
4. How do our costs compare to neighbouring cities.
5. What are the defects and strengths of our present system of
city government.
6. What are the defects and strengths of alternative forms of
government presently in effect in other cities in Minnesota.
question #1 : The form of city government is given under 5.03 of the
Mounds View Municipal Code as Optional Plan. A.
Questions h2 through 4: An item that should be of immediate concern to
the Charter Commission is the present practice of public funding of pre-
liminary engineering, legal and other costs for development, followed
by special assessment to recover these costs. This practice has result-
ed in some $0,000 of outstanding charges from cancelled Projects 1978-1
and 1978-3. These charges may be difficult, if not impossible , to re-
cover. A more acceptable approach is to require that all ;"front end" costs
be paid out of an escrow fund provided by the developer.
Secondly, it should be realized that general or special assessments
for improvement pro4ects can greatly increase the "out of pocket" cost
of local government. It is therefore recommended that a committee of the
Charter Commission be established to look into what restrictions, addi-
tional-to
ddi-
tionalto those norov provided by raw, should-and-can be-placed-on the
authorization and financing on improvement projects.
Mayor McCarty will be able to provide input on any further changes
that may be needed under these questions as he gets further into his job.
Question #6: Among the recognized and tested statu*tory and charter
forms of city government in Minnesota,the strong mayor-council type seems
best fitted to large cities which can afford a full time political lead-
er in additional to professional staff. As indicated by Mr. Peskar from
the League of Minnesota Cities , the commission form is most appropiate
for small cities which lack professional staff. Of the three weax mayor-
council types, as previously indicated, Mounds View is technically under
Asir
.' PAGE 2
Optional Plan A. This plan normally prescribes a clerk-treasurer but
allows for an administrative officer. (see p.67 of the Handbook of
Statutory Cities, 3rd Editionl.
teThe "standard plan" mainly differs from Plan A in specify-
ing the election of the city clerk -- a feature that we consider to be
best suited to communities smaller than Mounds View. The distinctive
difference in the last choice, Optional Plan B, is the provision for a
city manager who has autonomy in administrative matters..
Question5: . From ob$$e ation itis apparent that Mounds View functions
.i,P,cK 'S ,Hv '-/fai •1 drWhl% V:r+✓s &O 4r 84• ‘40,11.0
essential y asA`Plan government, with a de facto city manager, has not
been popular with many citizens. This form does have the advantage of
providing professional administration, howezer,. a feature that is in-
creasingly needed with ezermore complex government at all levels.
A factor to consider in relation to professional administration is
the impact this has,or man have, on the city council-staff relationship.
Many citizens have expressed concern that policy as well as administre-
fore
tion has been unduly influenced byClerk-AdministratorAchen. Evidence
can be seen that the Council has become overly dependent on an admini-
strator from the insistence of several Council Members on the appoint-
ment(this. month)of an acting clerk-administrator, rather than a clerk ,
even though the appointee lacked formal qualifications.
The essential problem then appears to be to retain professional
administration while providing needed checks and balances in the office.
It is recommended that this be done by retaining the basic Optional Plam
�`~ `s
A structure with the following implement the provisions on
p.68 of the Handbook of Statutory Cities which provide that department
managers be directly responsible to the council and report directly to
both the council and the public. This should make the managers more re
sponsible and more accountable, while preventing one individual standing
between the council and staff. Secondly, the clerk-administrator posi-
lion should beNtitled clerk-coordinator and
�he, duties of the p2sition
..r4Atidf 144. plt: " ff T r deaf se#4 7 11. C(.r�E Grey :gas. i.
rewritbn, as s�iown in` ie attached revisionA�lFinally, the practice of
having a council member as liaison to each staff department, which has
recently been adopted by the City Council, should be formalized.
It should be plain after the experience of the past year that we
Can find ourselves in the position where citizens have no real recourse
against arbitrary decisions by three or four individuals on the city
•
PAGE 3
council even when these decisions are opposed by a large majority. The
power of election can be meaningless in this situation because it will
always come after the fact. The only statutory way that citizens can inter-
vene when necessary in policy mating is through a charter which pro-
vides initiative, referendum and recall. It is therefore recommended
that we formulate a charter and that the indicated provisions be written
in.
Lowell Nygaard, Subcommittee Chairman
Neil Loading
Wally Siciba
5.02 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE: DUTIES OF THE CLERIC-ADMINISTRATOR
Subdivision 2. Other Duties-Ag $evi sed.
(1) Coordinate the administration as provided by Council action,
state and federal statutes.
(2) Participate with affected Municipal department ssamegrss in
the preparation of reports and summaries relating to contemplated mun-
icipal projects and/or improvements and submit them with recommendations
as may be required to the Council for study and subsequent action.
(3) Participate with Municipal department Aa airs in the prepara-
tion of an annual fiscal budget and capital improvement plan for sub-
mission to the Council. Maintain financial guidelines for the Municipal
ity within the scope of the approved budget and capital program.
(4) Participate with the Municipal treasurer in the preparation
of the annual financial statement.
(5) Attend all Council meetings. Attend by invitation other com-
mittee and commission meetings.
(6) Coordinate municipal programs and activities as authorised by
the Council.
(7) Participate in the submission of quarterly reports to the
Council on the financial condition of the Municipal accounts.
(8) Supervise the conduct of local elections in accordance with the
prescribed laws and regulations.
(9) Coordinate the activities of all Municipal department heads in
the-admin-istration-of_Municipal-policy. May__participate with the Coun-
cil in decisions affecting the employment or removal of department heads.
(10) Work in cooperation with the Council' s appointed attorney
and engineer.
41) Participate in the preparation of news releases and public
relations material. Maintain. along with the rest of the Staff good
public relations with the general public.
(12) Consult as directed by the Council with appointed officials
and with other public or primate agencies as may be required.
(13) Be fully informed regarding federal, state and county programs
which affect the Municipality.
(14) Participate with affected Municipal department heads in the
negotiation of the terms and conditions of employee labor contracts for
presentation to the Council.
(15) Perform all duties required of him by ordinances or resolu
tions adopted by the Council
Subdivision 2. Other Duties -- as presently set out; .
(1) Direct the administration as provided by Council action, state
and federal statutes. Coordinate with the Council in administering
Municipal affairs.
(2) Prepare reports and summaries relating to contemplated auniw-
ipal projects and/or improvements and submit them with recommendations
as may be required to the Council for study and subsequent action.
(3) Prepare an annual fiscal budget and capital improvement plan
for submission to the Council. Maintain financial guidelines for the
Municipality within the scope of the approved budget and capital program.
(4) Prepare the annual financial statement and perform other duties
as required in Minnesota Statutes 412.141 and of the code.
(5) Attend and participate in all Council meetings. Attend at his
discretion or by invitation other committee and commission meetings.
(6) Coordinate muniwipal programa and activities as authorised by
the Council.
(7) Submit quarterly reports to the Council on the financial con-
dition of the Municipal accounts.
(B)---Super-vise-and conduct-the-local elections in accordance with
the prescribed laws and regulations.
(9) Supervise the activities of all Municipal department heads
and the administrative staff in the administration of Municipal policy
with authority to effectively recommend their employment and removal.
(10) Work in cooperation with the Council' s appointed attorney and
engineer.
(11) Prepare news releases, develop and discuss public relations
Material with all concerned as required. Maintain good public relations
with the general public.
(12) Consult with appointed officials and with other public or
private agencies as may be required.
#`
(13) Be fully informed regarding federal, state and county pro-
grams which affect the Municipality.
(14) Negotiate or delegate the negotiation of the terms and condi-
tions of employee labor contracts for presentation to the Council.
(15) Perform all duties required of him by ordinances or resolu-
tions adopted by the Council.