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to density and the League of Minnesota Cities Attorney determined it best not to discuss <br />this issue at this time. <br /> <br />Case #2: Review Annual Letter to Judge Gibbs <br /> <br />Consensus of the Charter Commission was that staff draft a letter to the Judge of the <br />Tenth Judicial District and present it to the Chairperson for approval. <br /> <br />Case #3: Ward System Proposal <br /> <br />It was noted that the City, several years ago, held "town meetings" on an annual basis. <br />Due to "lack of interest", these meetings are no longer held. <br /> <br />Commissioner Anderson explained some of the strengths in having a ward system, <br />comparing it to the School Board and also to the City of Blaine. She noted that some <br />people feel wards mean narrow and focused governing, however, she felt that did not <br />happen on the School Board. <br /> <br />City Attorney Goodrich explained that to go to a ward system, the City would have to <br />have a Charter amendment and the soonest this would take effect would be with the 2002 <br />election. It would be based on the year 2000 census. <br /> <br />Chairperson Peterson suggested that the past couple of Councils !lave not really been <br />interested in changing from precinct to wards. <br /> <br />Commissioner Donovan recollected that responses to the Charter's electoral process <br />survey talked about how costly it is to campaign over the entire City. <br /> <br />Discu.;sion ensued relating to the number of Councilmembers Ramsey should have - five, <br />seven, term limits for Council, whether or not Ramsey should have a local primary <br />election, should the City be split into wards as opposed to precincts, and should Ramsey <br />have a City Administrator or a City Manager. <br /> <br />Motion by Commissioner Kiefer and seconded by Commissioner Swokowski to send the <br />electoral process survey out to the candidates fi.om the 1998 election. <br /> <br />Motion carried. Voting Yes: <br />Anderson, Donovan, Marn, <br />Commissioner Vogt. <br /> <br />Chairperson Peterson, Commissioners Kiefer, Swokowski, <br />Netzloff and Spain-Brist. Voting No: None. Absent: <br /> <br />Consensus of the Charter Commission was that the City Attorney and City Administrator <br />research the following information for the Commission for their January meeting: wards <br />versus precincts - number of cities that have wards and how we would go about changing <br />to a ward system, the number of councilmembers for different cities and their population, <br />what cities have for term limits, do cities have primaries and, if so, under what <br /> <br /> Charter Commission/November 19, 1998 <br /> Page 2 of 3 <br /> <br /> <br />