Agenda - Charter Commission - 01/08/2002 - Memorandum

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-6- the first one brought up for discussion, and it should be considered continuously until settled. In the meantime, the several committees ought to be gathering their materials and meeting from time to time for discussion in order to have their proposals ready to be embodied in the charter just as soon as substantial agreement is reached on the main outlines of the p~ of government. Further progress on the charter. "Well begun is half done" is a proverb which every charter commission will find true in its own experience. If good, orderly habits of business are adopted in the beginning, th~ way to a successful conclusion will not seem so hard. Nevertheless there is much work ahead. Meetings of the whole commission should come at least once every two weeks on a day and at a time set in advance. Each of the five committees should make a progress report at every meeting of the ~ho!e board. It is appropriate to emphasize again that every effort should be made by the commission and its committees to secure informed and interested opinion from citizens and city officials about the existing form of government and proposed changes. If there are criticisms of the existing government · which are pertinent to the commission's charter drafting work, they should be elicited; if there has been good experience with some features of the existing laws under which the city operates, the charter commission should know about them so that those particular features can be written into the proposed charter if that seems desirable. Likewise, it is important that tentative proposals be brought to the attention of the public and city officials before final decisions are made. Often the mayor, councilmen, and city officials may, from their city legislative and a~m~nistrative experience~have special insights bearing on the merits or practicability of particular proposals. When substantial agreement has been reached upon the plan of government, a definite time should be fixed for each of the committees to present a final report. Time will be saved if each committee prepares its report in the form of sections and articles of a charter, following a model-charter. Enough copies of each committee report should be run off to give each member of the commission a copy for his own use, with a few to spare. These copies should be in the hands of members before the meeting. When the report is called for, it should be read by the chairman section by section, with opportunity given for amendments and deba%e. In case no objection is offered to any seciton it can be passed over, but where objection is made, or an amendment offered, a vote should be taken as soon as the debate has been closed. When an entire chapter has been read and informally approved, a formal yea and nay vote should be taken on it as a whole, and the results recorded by the secretary. When all thework of any committee has been approved, that committee may be discharged and its members may be designated to assist other committees or to do some other work. Steady and visible progress will be made if the commission adopts chapters of 'th~'charter in their order, instead of skipping about. The members will feel the charter growing under their hands.