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<br />Commissioner Cleveland felt that the Commission really needs to look at the timeline. One <br />solution could be for a liaison for an at-large to serve in. that person's term - it's a current <br />Councilmember. <br /> <br />Attorney Goodrich commented that you could have the City Council appoint someone in August. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cleveland wanted specific times mentioned - three weeks, etc., rather than an <br />open-ended way to appoint. ..This is our opportunity to be specific. <br /> <br />Commissioner Erickson agreed a specific date would be a goodthing- then it is simply black or <br />white - no gray area. <br /> <br />Chair LaMere read from the model charter regarding filling of vacancies: A vacancy in the city <br />council shall be filled for the remainder ofthe unexpired term, if any, at the next regular election <br />following not less than sixty days upon the occurrence of the vacancy, but the council by a <br />majority vote of all its . remaining members shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy <br />until the person elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term takes office. If the council <br />fails to do so within thirty days following the occurrence of the vacancy, the election authorities <br />shall call a special election to fill the vacancy, to be held not sooner than ninety days and not <br />later than 120 days following the occurrence of the vacancy, and to be otherwise governed by <br />law. Notwithstanding the requirement in S2.11 (c), if at any time the membership of the coUncil <br />is reduced to less than (blank), the remaining members may by majority action appoint additional <br />members to raise the membership to (blank). <br /> <br />Attorney Goodrich stated that we can take the City's Charter and make it more specific or more <br />restrictive than State Statute, but we cannot make it less restrictive. If something is not stated in <br />the Charter, State Statute is what we abide by. We need to check with State Statutes. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cleveland read the timeline in Brooklyn Park's Charter. <br /> <br />Commissioner McKinney stated that he is learning a lot this evening with regard to State Statutes <br />and Charters. He felt it was a good idea to research what is working for other cities and to <br />determine what criteria is already set in State Statutes. <br /> <br />Attorney Goodrich inquired if the Commission is concerned about having no one other than a <br />liaison represent a ward between eight weeks after the primary and the end of the year. At what <br />point can we not have an election? We could back up and say no matter when this happens, we <br />could have the City Council appoint someone (4.5.4) or we could let it sit until January 1 and <br />have time to set it up and do it in January or February, or we could do something else. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cleveland asked if we have agreed on what 4.5.4 says. <br /> <br />Attorney Goodrich stated that's what our Charter says - it's never been amended. <br /> <br />Chair LaMere stated that you need to tie 4.5.4 and 4.5.5 together; it's not always 365 days. <br /> <br />Charter Commission/February 21,2008 <br />Page 4 of6 <br />