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MEMORANDUM TO: Gary Heimann, Mayor FROM: Dave Hartley, City Administrator DATE: May 19, 1988 RE: Response to Comments of Ramsey Action Committee The comments of the Ramsey Action Committee are attached to this memo for reference. In those comments the Ramsey Action Committee makes statements and offers opinions of that organization. It is in those statements and opinions that the implication is made that the City of Ramsey public policy has changed to the detriment of the issues and ideas of the Ramsey Action Committee. To the best of my knowledge, public policy has been consistent and no action has been taken by the City Staff which would be considered a harassment or unequal enforcement of the City's public policy/ordinances. The act that initiated the response by the Ramsey Action Committee to petition to have the Airport Zoning Ordinance subjected to a referendum was the Council's action to adopt such an ordinance. The timing when a referendum petition must be circulated is determined by the initial adoption of an ordinance. Public policy for this procedure is defined in the City Charter. The fact that the first petition was insufficient and the subsequent petition deadline fell during the Christmas season is far from the scope of public policy. When the City Council chose to include another issue in the same special election that was scheduled to carry the question relating to the Airport Zoning Ordinance, it was clearly within the authority of the Council. The inclusion of any issue in a special election is supported by the City Charter and State law. There does not appear to be any impropriety or irregularity in procedure affecting the April 19, 1988 special election. Just prior to the April 19, 1988 special election, Ms. Barb Graen was contacted. as the representative of the Ramsey Action Committee and asked to remove signs from the public right-of-way within Ramsey. The placement of signs in public right-of-ways with or without a temporary sign permit is a violation of the City Ordinance regulating signs. The procedure of removing campaign signs which violate this ordinance is a common practice in Ramsey and other communities. Another issue addressed by the Ramsey Action Committee was statements by individuals, be they a Council member or the general public. These statements cannot be construed as public policy and exceed the scope of these comments. In reviewing the statements and implications of the comments Action Committee, I do not see any areas where City Staff has which is not consistent with public policy as established by the of Ramsey, Minnesota. DRH:pjc of the Ramsey taken action City Council