Agenda - Council - 04/08/2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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bound to expound the language according to the common sense and ordinary meaning of the words. "') The resident exception included in Minn. Stat. S l24D.10 is Hmited, and by its explicit terms is prefaced to only apply: If a charter school is theonlv school located in a town serving pupils within a particular grade level . . . /' Minn. Stat. S l24D.10, subd. 9(3) (2006) (emphasis added). Although the statute does not define "town," the word town has a plain meaning that does not include cities. Black's Law Dictionary defines "town" as follows: town. 1. A center of population that is larger and more fully developed than a village but that (traditionally speaking) is not incorporated as a city. 2. The territory within which this population lives. 3. Collectively, the people who live within this territory. Cf. CITY.! Black's Law Dictionary (8th ed. 2004), town (emphasis added). Cities and towns are separate and distinct forms of local government entities in Minnesota. The term "local government unit" is defined by statute to mean "any county, city, town, school district, special district or other political subdivisions or public corporation. . . ." Minn. Stat. S 473.121, subd. 6 (2006). Obviously, the legislature recognizes cities and towns as being two distinct types of local governments and not one and the same. And, the legislature has further provided a mutually exclusive process by which cities and towns are to be formed. A town is organized under Minnesota law and is specifically defined as a public corporation with certain duties and powers. See Minn. Stat. S 365.02 (2006). Towns as political subdivisions are distinct from cities in geography, governance and manner of operation. In contrast to. towns, ] BJack's Dictionary's of the cf. signal preceding the tenn CITY in this definition is significant. '''Cf.' is used to refer to related but distinguishable terms." Guide to the Dictionary Black's Law Dictionary (8th ed. 2004) (emphasis added). 10 -137-