Minutes - Council - 07/26/1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Motion can'ied. Voting Yes: Mayor Gilbertson, Councilmembers Peterson, Beyer, Hardin and Zimmerman. Voting No: None. Ms. Hart explained that the Finance Committee revisited the priority street lighting finance issue. The Finance Committee directed Staff to prepare information with related costs and to prepare it survey to be printed in the Ramsey Resident asking for citizen input and to bring this issue, along wilh more infom~ation, back at a later date. Council ratified the recommendation of the Finance Committee. Case #15: lntrodnce Proposed Charter Amend~nent Ordinance City Attorney Goodrich stated that the Charter Commission discussed Section 4.2.1 of the City Charter. This section states that any applicant currently holding an elected office in the city, and seeking election to an office different from the office he/she currently holds and subject to the limitations prescribed in section 2.4., shall be required to submit his/her resignation fi'om hi.s/her current office upon filing his/her affidavit. The affidavit, resignation and fees shall t)c submitted to the clerk-administrator no earlier than fifty-six days nor laler than Forty-two days before any municipal election. The applicant's resignation From office shall become effective after certification of the election results. Mr. Goodrich stated that based on discussion with the Attorney General's office, a previous attorney general's opinion, research and Mr. Goodrich's opinion, the Charter Commission has concluded thai this provision is most likely unconstitutional. The reason being that it places additional qualifications on a candidate for its office and it forces a duly elected city officer to resign his/her olTice prematurely. Mr. Goodrich felt that these conditions would not be permitted by lhe Minnesota State Constitution. Mr. Goodrich stated an additional problem with Section 4.2.1 is the resignation/filing date, for a present office holder, which is to be no earlier than 50 clays and rio later than 42 days before the municipal election. Unfortunately, when Section 4.2 was amended, Section 4.2.1 was not. The practical effect now is that tti] incumbent can resign and file for a new office two weeks after all other persons must have Filed for office. Mr. Goodrich stated that because of the above reasons, the Charter Commission feels it is in the best interest of the City to repeal Section 4.2.1. I-lc noted the proposed ordinance for Council to introduce and suggested scheduling a public hearing for the adoption of such ordinance, if Council desires to implement the amendment to the Charter. Motion by Mayor (]ilbertson and seconded by Councilmember Hardin to introduce the proposed ordinance which repeals Section 4.2.1 of the City Charter and to schedule tile public hearing l'o~' 7:00 I).m., August 9, 1994. Motion carricct. Voting Yes: Mayor Gilbertson, Councilmembers Hardin, Beyer, Peterson andZimmerma~. Voting. No: None. MAYOR AND C()IJNCll,, INPUT 1) Visil Io Federal Cartridge Site City Administrator Schroeder stated that the Federal Cartridge site visit is scheduled fi'om 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 City Council/July 26, 1994 Page 26 of 27