HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-07-2007 Draft Commission memo to Council re various requests
Charter Commission
Chair
Jonathan J Thomas
763-784-5205
Vice Chair
Bill Doty
763-786-3421
2nd Vice Chair
Jean Miller
763-786-3959
Secretary
Barbara Thomas
763-780-6226
Michael Haubrich
651.205.6848
Thai W Vang
763.792.1750
Mounds View City Council (Draft Memo for Charter Commission Review)
Attn: City Administrator
Mounds View City Hall
May 5, 2007
Honorable Mayor & Council Members:
The Mounds View Charter Commission would like to request your assistance and direction
in regard to a few different issues we have been asked to address. We would like to request
Council response to these issues as soon as can be arranged and would be interested in a joint
meeting to discuss these items at the Council’s request.
The first issue regarding Section 2.02 for Commissions and administrative authority has been
discussed by the Charter Commission on multiple occasions and a request for direction
regarding the Police Civil Service Commission was sent to the Council in May of 2003. We
have not yet received a response and would like to remind the Council of what options the
Charter Commission determined were available to the Council:
• The City Council could request that the Charter Commission review Section 2.02 of
the Charter specifically excluding the Police Civil Service Commission and such other
commissions as it may deem necessary, from the restriction of not allowing any commissions
that would serve in an administrative function.
• The City Council could abolish the Police Civil Service Commission defined by
Section 404 of the City Code and Minnesota Statute 419.16 which according to Minnesota
Statute 419.16 would require a unanimous vote of the City Council. Then the City Council
could amend Section 404 of the City Code to create an advisory only Police Civil Service
Commission.
In the intervening time, we have come to the conclusion that the Economic Development
Authority is also in a similar position. However, the options that were presented to the
Council in 2003 for how to address the conflict in language between the Charter and State
Statute are not necessarily applicable. The first option would cover all commissions that the
Council would choose to include but the second option would only cover the Police Civil
Service Commission. Further research into the Economic Development Authority Statutes
and what the options for Council action to remove administrative authority would have to be
pursued by legal counsel. At such time, the Council could discuss this issue and decide on a
direction they would like the Charter Commission to pursue.
The second issue is in regard to language in Section 3.02 providing that Council Members be
appointed as liaisons for City Departments. This provision has not been met in several years
and the Commission would like direction from the Council on how or even if this language
should be revised. We merely wanted to bring this conflict to the Council’s attention.
The third issue was raised by City Staff at the request of the Council in February of this year.
This item is still under discussion by the Charter and staff was given several items to research
which have not yet been re-addressed. Any direction the Council could provide on this
matter would be helpful.
The Charter Commission thanks you for your time and attention on these matters and looks
forward to your response
Respectfully submitted,
_______________________ ________________________
Jonathan Thomas, Chair Barbara Thomas, Secretary