Agenda - Council - 03/09/2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Minn. Stat. §§412.541- .571. Minn. Stat. § 410 1 1. Minn. Stat. § 412.02. subd. 1; Minn. Stat. § 412.581. Minn. Stat. § 412.541 See handbook. Chapter 3, Section IIB Plan A. Minn. Stat. § 412.551, subd. 1. See LMC information memo, City Special Elections. Minn. Stat. § 412.571. subd. 2. Minn. Stat. § 412.551. Minn. Stat. § 412.541, subd. 4, Minn. Stat. § 410 11 Minn. Stat. § 412.02. subd. 1; Minn. Stat. § 412.631. See handbook, Chapter 3, Section IIC Plan B. See Part V - City manager. Standard Plan cities may abandon the Standard Plan form and change to another form of city government: Plan A, Plan B or home rule charter. B. Plan A cities The Plan A city council consists of an elected mayor and four or six elected council members. The city clerk and treasurer are appointed offices, neither a member of the council. The clerk and treasurer positions may be combined into one appointed position. Like Standard Plan cities, all Plan A cities operate with weak mayor - councils. Plan A cities are the most common type of city found in Minnesota. There are 629 Plan A cities in Minnesota. To become a Plan A city, the voters must approve the change at a local election. The council may decide to hold an election on its own, or may be compelled by a valid citizen petition. To be valid, the petition must meet the following criteria: • The petition must be signed by registered voters. • The petition must have signatures equal to 15 percent of the number of people who voted in the last city election. When the Plan A form is approved by the voters of a Standard Plan city, the incumbent clerk and treasurer continue to serve until the end of their respective elected terms of office. If the city is currently a Plan B city, the question of changing to Plan A cannot be submitted to the voters unless the city has been a Plan B city for at least three years. The special election can only address one change in the form of government. In other words, voters cannot be given an option of voting for Plan A and Plan B forms at the same election. Plan A cities may choose to abandon the plan by adopting the Plan B form, reverting to the Standard Plan, or by adopting a home rule charter. C. Plan B cities The Plan B form of government is also known as the council - manager plan. It consists of the elected mayor, four or six elected council members, and an appointed city manager. There are 16 Plan B cities in Minnesota. Although the council retains legislative and policy - making authority, administrative responsibilities, such as hiring and firing, are delegated to the city manager. The council's control over these matters is indirect, essentially through its selection and retention of a manager. Several of Minnesota's 107 home rule charter cities have also adopted the council- manager plan through their charters. CITY ADMINISTRATION 5