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Charter Commission <br />Meeting Date: 04/19/2012 <br />By: Jo Thieling, Administrative Services <br />Title: <br />Review Ordinance Revising Chapter 8 of the Charter regarding Special Assessment Petitions <br />5. 1. <br />Background: <br />A case was brought to the Charter Commission on March 26, 2012, relating to petitioning for a public improvement <br />project. The percent of property owners required to petition for a local improvement is currently at 35 percent of <br />the affected property owners per State Statute which then allows the City Council to order the local improvement <br />by a simple majority vote. If the percent is less than 35 percent, or no petition, then the local improvement can only <br />be ordered by a super majority (4 /5ths) vote of the City Council. City staff recommended that the Charter <br />Commission consider recommending increasing that percentage to 50 percent. The merits to changing to a higher <br />percentage is that it would require more people to initially petition for the improvement; thereby reducing the <br />chances of a petition against a project after time and money have been expended for feasibility studies, public <br />hearings, etc. to move the project forward. This would be more efficient and more cost effective on the front end <br />but still meet the intent that the project could be petitioned against. It was noted the costs are anywhere from $5,000 <br />to $20,000 to begin the process. <br />Consensus of the Charter Commission was that it made economic sense to increase the percent to petition for a <br />majority City Council voted local improvement project from 35 percent to 50 percent. A motion was made and <br />approved to direct the City Attorney to draft an ordinance changing the petition percentage and bring it back to the <br />Charter Commission for approval. That Ordinance is attached for Charter Commission review. <br />Recommendation: <br />Staff is recommending Charter review the Ordinance language presented and recommend City Council adopt such <br />Ordinance. <br />Funding Source: <br />N/A <br />Council Action: <br />Motion to approve ordinance language amending City Charter Section 8.4 and recommending adoption of such an <br />ordinance to the City Council. <br />Ordinance Amending Chapter 8 of the Charter <br />Attachments <br />Form Review <br />Inbox Reviewed By Date <br />Bill Goodrich Jo Thieling 04/13/2012 02:59 PM <br />Kurt Ulrich Kurt Ulrich 04/13/2012 03:27 PM <br />Form Started By: Jo Thieling Started On: 04/13/2012 10:34 AM <br />Final Approval Date: 04/13/2012 <br />