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Letter to Honorable Judge Joseph Quinn <br />November 27, 2000 <br />Page 2 of 2 <br />section stated that Ramsey could only have three precincts and, due to growth, it has become <br />necessary to expand the number. The Commission directed staff to prepare an ordinance for <br />review deleting the sentence pertaining to three precincts and to present it for the next meeting. <br />The Charter Commission met on September 23, 1999, and discussed the term and appointment of <br />Charter Commission members. The Commission voted to schedule a City Council public <br />hearing to introduce an ordinance amending Chapter 3, Section 3.2 of Ramsey's Home Rule <br />Charter dealing with precincts. With regard to the Ward System Proposal, the Commission <br />recommended that City Council review the idea of a ward system including an at -large <br />component based on the following consensus by the Charter Commission: 1) Each geographical <br />area of the City will be assured representation; 2) Councilmembers will be able to have closer <br />contact with their constituents and be more responsive to their needs, thereby being more <br />accountable to the people who elected them; 3) The voter is more likely to have personal <br />knowledge about the candidate seeking office and thereby will more likely make an intelligent <br />choice; and 4) The campaign costs to a council candidate are lower. The issue of a Primary <br />Election was again on the agenda. The Commission voted to request that the City Council look <br />into implementing primary elections when there are more than two seats open for office by the <br />election year 2000. The Commission discussed the number of council seats and reached the <br />consensus, at that time, that the council seats would not be increased unless the City implements <br />a ward system. <br />We are well into the year 2000, and we apologize for the lateness of this letter dealing with 1999 <br />activities. The Charter Commission has been quite active in 2000, and will begin working on an <br />update to the District in the very near future. <br />Very truly yours, <br />CITY OF RAMSEY <br />Keith Kiefer <br />Charter Commission Chairperson for year 2000 <br />KK/j mt <br />C. Charter Commission <br />City Administrator <br />