Agenda - Charter Commission - 01/07/2008 - 2007 Annual Report

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January 7, 2008 The Honorable Gary R. Schurer Chief Judge Tenth Judicial District Washington County Court House nd 14949 – 62 Street N. – P.O. Box 6 Stillwater, Minnesota 55082-0006 Re: City of Ramsey, Anoka County, Minnesota, Charter Commission Annual Report Dear Judge Schurer: In accordance with Minnesota Statutes 410.05, the following is an annual report reflecting the activities of the City of Ramsey Charter Commission during the year 2007. Members of the Charter Commission for 2007 were as follows: Hannah LaMere (Chair), Sandra Bertzyk, Teresa Cleveland, Benjamin Deemer, Lauri Ebel (Vice-Chair), Aimee Fischer, Frank Frederick, Steve Simenson and Brian Swanson. This Commission met on January 18, September 20, and November 15, 2007. At the end of 2006, the Charter Commission presented an Ordinance to the City Council recommending the Council vote in favor of a Council-Manager form of government effective January 1, 2008. The vote was six to one in favor of the change; however, it needed to be passed unanimously in order for it to move forward. The Council asked that the ordinance be sent back to the Charter Commission to ask that they recommend the effective date of January 1, 2011. The Commission met on January 18, 2007, to discuss the request of the City Council. The Commission adopted a resolution recommending that the City Council enact an ordinance to amend City Charter Section 2.1 by requiring that the City be governed by the Council-Manager plan of Government, effective January 1, 2011. The Charter Commission met on September 20, 2007, however, due to no quorum, held discussion but made no motions with regard to considering an amendment to Section 4 of the City’s Charter in order to establish a uniform election date when filling Council vacancies when a vacancy occurs with 365 or more days remaining in a term.