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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019 AnnuaL Report Draft Copy Mounds View Charter Commission 2019 Annual Report November 26, 2019 Honorable John H. Guthmann, Chief Judge Ramsey County District Court 1070 Courthouse 15 W. Kellogg Blvd Saint Paul, MN 55102 Honorable Judge Guthmann: SUMMARY OF COMMISSION ACTIVITY: January 2019 - November 2018 January 29, 2019: Adopted Resolution 2019-02 to amend the Charter Commission Bylaws. Elected Officers as Chair, M. Reyes-Johnson; Vice Chair, J. Thomas; 2nd Vice Chair, B. Clawson; Secretary, B. Amundsen. Continue discussion of Charter Section 4.05. Discussed Resolution 2019-01 to amend Chapter 4 of the Mounds View Charter. March 19, 2019: Special Order of Business segment was added to the agenda to discuss some guiding principles for conduct of meetings, allow Commissioners to state reason for serving, and notify the Commission of City extending transcribe service to the Commission if it desired to use the service. Motion Adopted to begin a trial of Time Savers services for Commission minutes. Commission Business A. Training Debrief. - Chair Reyes-Johnson asked to review the training session. Members asked for training debrief discussion to be at the next meeting since it is a significant new topic. B. Recognize participants in revising Chapter 4. - Chair Reyes-Johnson introduced the topic of how Chapter 4 language has changed. Commission discussion on how to present the question of vacancy appointment time to the Council started. Chair Reyes-Johnson stopped discussion at 8:30 PM. City Administrator Zikmund offered to work with the executive committee to present the Council questions at the May Council Work shop. May 21, 2019: Motion adopted to amend the proposed agenda to by-laws specified format. Motions adopted to approve Commission Secretary’s minutes as official minutes and approve Secretary’s March 19, 2019, minutes. Chair M. Reyes-Johnson reported that she met with the City Council on May 6. The Council consensus is to have the appointment for a Council vacancy changed to 18 months. City Attorney Riggs, said Council doesn't have to ask Commission by ordinance to make the change, but simplest manner is that Commission pass resolution language drafted by City Attorney in support of Council consensus, then the Council unanimously pass ordinance with language. B. Amundsen reported he also attended the May 6 meeting and was disappointed that no one brought up that changing to 18 months would not have changed past vacancy election requirements. J. Thomas reported he was eager to follow the Bylaws of the Commission, since MN statutes require we have them in place and they are our guide. Review of Time Savers Trial Minutes. Chair M. Reyes-Johnson gave the floor to City Administrator N. Zikmund to report on the trial minutes. City Administrator N. Zikmund acknowledged that there was a technical issue in March. Secretary B. Amundsen was asked if he was prepared to continue to record minutes for all Commission Meetings. B. Amundsen affirmed he was prepared to continue. Motion adopted to continue the Time Savers trial of preparing minutes for the next three meetings and have them side-by-side with Secretary’s minutes, and Secretary’s minutes will be the official minutes for those meetings. Draft Copy - Mounds View Charter Commission 2019 Annual Report - Page 2 Motion adopted to adopt the Purpose and Guiding Principles as “Code of Conduct” as amended to include “Significant effort will be made to conduct the Commission business in approximately 90 minutes”. Motion adopted to change future Commission meeting times to 6:30 PM. Motion adopted to continue this evening meeting until 9:00 PM, no later than 9:15 PM. Process for Chapter 4 Chair M. Reyes-Johnson introduced City Administrator N. Zikmund, to describe the next steps. City Administrator N. Zikmund stated he has been directed by Council to contact the City Attorney to draft language for Chapter 4 based on their consensus. The language would be in Ordnance form for them to approve as a resolution, and it would come to the Commission for review. Motion adopted to send to City Attorney S. Riggs the Commission's January 29, 2019 Chapter 4 Revised language with the modification of 18 months for vacancy appointment. Discussion occurred. City Attorney S. Riggs said that he is recommending the issue come from the Council as a resolution and not as an ordinance. J. Thomas asked the motion be amended with the understanding that the City Attorney will work to the best of his ability with the Commission’s language and present any missing concepts at the Commissions July meeting. Motion maker and seconder accepted the amendment. City Attorney S. Riggs indicated he would have language for Commission consideration in July. Review Secretary Duties and Processes. Secretary B. Amundsen distributed the duties and processes of the Secretary as described in the Bylaws and MN Statutes and years of practice, then asked if the Commission wished to change any of the duties or processes. Discussion occurred. No changes to the duties or processes were directed by the Commission. * After the May 21, 2019 meeting, around 10:50 PM, all Commission members received an email from Chair M. Reyes-Johnson, with a notice of her immediate resignation. June 3, 2019: City Council Work Session in which a decision was reached to have City Administrator N. Zikmund call Charter Commission Vice Chair, J. Thomas and Secretary, B. Amundsen, and request their immediate resignations from the Charter Commission. July 16, 2019: Meeting canceled by email notification from 2nd Vice Chair, B. Clawson due to his understanding that the Commission should not attempt to conduct business without a full complement of members. * Court hearing related to City Council request to have B. Amundsen removed from the Commission on August 5, 2019. September 17, 2019: Reports of Chair. Acting Chair J. Thomas reported on Robert's Rules of Order for discipline of a member. Any member may make a motion for personal privilege to remind the Chair the meeting appears to be getting out of order. If that does not help, then a motion for censure of a member can be done at any meeting. Options beyond those two motions requires disciplinary action under Chapter 20 of Robert’s Rules of Order. Acting Chair J. Thomas introduced and welcomed new Commissioner Bob King. Review of Time Savers Trial Minutes. Acting Chair J. Thomas introduced the Time Savers minutes. Motion adopted to send Commission direction to Time Savers that for preparing the Charter Commission minutes they are to be as brief as reasonable, describing each meeting item stating what was done, not what was said, the motion, the motion maker, the seconder, any amendments, and the results of votes. Discuss schedule for Chapter 4 language updates from the City Attorney. Acting Chair J. Thomas recommended the Commission delay discussion until feedback from the attorney is received. Discussion occurred and no action occurred. Draft Copy - Mounds View Charter Commission 2019 Annual Report - Page 3 Acting Chair J. Thomas introduced the need to declare the Chair position vacant. Motion adopted declaring the Chair position vacant. . Motion adopted that the election of a new chair be the first order of business under Unfinished Business at the next meeting. Acting Chair J. Thomas introduced that members have asked to meet on a different night of the month. Resolution 2019-05a with amendments to change to 4th Tuesday, November 2019 through March 2020, with the dates of 11/26/2019, 1/28/2020, & 3/24/2020. Motion adopted. * Second Judicial District Court ruling in Case File No: 62-CV-19-4965, “The Petition to remove Brian Amundsen as a City of Mounds View Charter Commissioner is denied and the Petition is dismissed.” Conclusions of Fact affirmed “cause” is limited to “legal cause” as found by MN Supreme Court (53 Minn 238, 55 N.W. 118); and affirmed Commission has full authority to act when by-laws defined quorum is present. October 28, 2019 * All Commission members received an email from B. Staples, stating: “In light of the recent Ramsey County District Court ruling, I hereby resign my position on the Mounds View Charter Commission effectively immediately. I wish you all the best and hope that this Commission can effectively operate to serve our community without the behaviors and waste of precious time that I witnessed in the short time I served.” November 3, 2019 November 26, 2018: Agenda includes: Accept Brooks Staples resignation and thank him for his service on the Charter Commission. Discuss the Robert’s Rules of Order summaries in the packet. Election of Chair to fill vacant position. Review Time Savers prepared minutes and discuss future use. Discuss schedule for Chapter 4 language updates from the City Attorney. Review 2019 Annual report. Respectfully submitted, _______________________ ________________________ Jonathan J Thomas, Acting Chair Brian Amundsen, Secretary