Minutes - Council - 03/23/2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Ramsey, Councilmembers Wise, Elvig, Dehen, Jeffrey, Look, and McGlone. Voting No: None. Councilmember Jeffrey left the meeting at 8:37 p.m. 7.06: Amendment to Chapter 2 of the Home Rule Charter of the City of Ramsey Relating to the Form of Government of the City for the Purpose of Maintaining the Mayor/Council Plan City Attorney Goodrich reviewed his report. Councilmember Dehen asked who was in charge of the drafting of this amendment. City Attorney Goodrich responded the process was governed by State Statute and under State Statute, the governing body was responsible for the wording on the ballot. Councilmember Elvig stated he was opposed to this when the Charter Commission recommending changing it and the previous Council had also recommended changing it. He asked how this had come about. City Attorney Goodrich responded the Mayor had asked that this amendment be drafted Councilmember Look noted under a managerial form of government, the experience the City had with the last City Administrator was very problematic and this was righting a wrong and would allow the residents to make a major change to the City's Charter. Mayor Ramsey stated he was in favor of this. He stated to fire a City Manager was a lot different than trying to fire a City Administrator. He stated there had to be some level of control in a situation where someone had done something wrong and the City Manager would not remove that person. This would allow the City Council to remove that person. Motion by Councilmember Look, seconded by Mayor Ramsey, to adopt Ordinance #10-03 which is an Ordinance Amending Chapter 2 of the City's Home Rule Charter by requiring that effective January 1, 2011 the City's form of government shall be the Mayor Council Plan and directing the following: (a) The City Clerk is directed to forthwith refer to the Ordinance to the Charter Commission for its review and comment. Said Charter Commission comments shall then be presented to the City Council for its consideration. (b) The Ordinance amendment shall be placed on the ballot for November 2, 2010 general election. (c) The process prescribed in Minn. Stat. 410.12, Subd. 5 shall be followed for this amendment. Further discussion: Councilmember Elvig stated the previous Council had worked on the Amendment for four years and the process was followed. He noted this was not an 11~' hour City Council /March 23, 2010 Page 9 of 13