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Commissioner Ful%s stated that the Charter Commission might be a good way to <br />get the citizens involved and informed. <br /> <br />Commissioner Guy stated that there is room for improvement regarding Council <br />meetings themselves. <br /> <br />Mr. Sieber replied that Section 3.01 deals with Council meetings~and states <br />that Citizen Input shall be provided for at the beginning of each meeting. <br /> <br />Commission Fults stated that the problem is Council takes repeated input from <br />citizens and this pushes scheduled cases on the agenda out to a late hour. <br /> <br />Mr. Sieber stated that the charter has caused more citizen involvement, and <br />after this issue has been settled there may be a reversion back to apathy <br />in the City, but the Charter provides that citizens do have more authority <br />and the framework for that authority. <br /> <br />Mr. Schnelle stated that his time in government has shown that people don't <br />really care and in Ramsey it took an issue like sewer and water to alarm and <br />wake people up. Even people who served on the Ad Hoc Committee for sewer and <br />water, were very knowledgeable in that area and had the maximum chance for <br />input and influence as to the writing of the assessment ordinance, never <br />spoke up until after the public hearings were conducted. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cox stated that there were political overtones to the sewer and <br />water issue involving two firms and the Ramsey public was used through the <br />Coalition and made dopes of. <br /> <br />Mr. Sieber inquired why this fact wasn't brought out by Council. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cox stated that maybe even Council wasn't aware of this fact. <br /> <br />Chairman Greenberg inquired as to when the public hearing regarding the charter <br />will be conducted. <br /> <br />Mr. Sieber that he didn't know but it would not be held until the draft of the <br />charter is finished and some of the chapters are time consuming. <br /> <br />Mr. Heitman stated that it is one thing to request a charter, but when you <br />are actually involved in the writing of that charter you tend to act more <br />conservatively. The reason the public hearing is not being held until after <br />the draft is complete is that it is difficult to criticize unless you have <br />something to look at and we are trying to pull together a product for people <br />to target in on. <br /> <br />Mr. Schnelle stated that when the Charter Commission gets into areas of <br />financing, it is critical that they contact some fiscal consultants for <br />advice and review as to whether or not the Charter could take Ramsey out of <br />the competitive market as far as development is concerned. <br /> <br />Mr. Sieber stated that that is the intention of the Charter Commission and <br />requested that any persons knowledgeable in this area provide input to the <br />Commission. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cox stated that he has not heard any discussion as to how a <br />charter could improve the 'current form of government in Ramsey. He further <br /> <br />EDC/August 10, 1983 <br /> Page 6 of 10 <br /> <br /> <br />