Agenda - Charter Commission - 10/10/1996

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MEMORANDUM DATE: April 16, 1996 TO: Mayor and Councilmembers CC: Ryan Schroeder, City Administrator William Gotx:lrich, City Attorney FROM: Jo Thieling, Recording Secretary SUBJECT: Resolutions/Ordinances - Roll Call Voting At a recent City Council meeting, Councilmember Beyer suggested that the proper procedure for voting on ordinances was by roll call and that it is the duty of the Recording Secretary to take the roll. In a conversation with City Attorney Goodrich, he remembered an ordinance being adopted that deleted the section in the Charter about having to read ordinances and resolutions aloud at the meetings and the section about Council having to vote whether or not to read the ordinance/resolution. He thought that the portion calling for a roll call vote was also deleted. I reviewed the ordinance, which is enclosed, and it appears the only portion deleted was the portion talking about reading the ordinances and resolutions aloud. Once this became effective, Council no longer had to make a motion to dispense with the reading of the ordinance/resolution - they could just vote on it. Prior to the adoption of that ordinance, the then Council adopted ordinances by roll call vote, performed by the Mayor, and following the adoption of that ordinance, they dispensed with the roll call voting also. I searched past minutes for discussion that lead to Council no longer using the roll call method, but could not £md any. I talked with Sylvia Frolik who was the Recording Secretary at that time and her recollection was that Council just "phased out that practice". For your information, I am enclosing the following: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) A portion of Chapter 3 of the Ramsey City Charter - Council procedures Charter minutes dated May 30, 1985, discussing amending Charter Chapter 3 City Council minutes dated June 11, 1985, introducing the ordinance amending Charter Ordinance #85-9 amending Chapter 3 of Charter, plus affidavit of publication and posting Public hearing notice from the Anoka Union that was published June 14 and 21, I985 City Council public hearing miiautes dated June 25, 1985 - to amend Charter Portions of March 26, 1985 Council minutes, showing a roll call vote on an ordinance Portions of June 25, 1985 Council minutes, showing a vote on an ordinance - no roll call The Ramsey City Charter Commission wilI be reviewing Chapter 3 of the City Charter entitled Council Procedures. Council may wish to provide input. ~mt