Minutes - Charter Commission - 09/06/2001

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I am making this speech because I feel there is some misperception by certain citizens about the cities charter. I am making the speech at citizens input because I don't feel making it as a commissioner at the table is the proper use of that position. The cities charter is a set of rules designed to govern how the city makes city codes and administers the affairs of the city... In Ramsey the chm'ter should be compared to the State document known as the constitution of Minnesota. As such it should be very difficult to alter and change, not a function that can easily be achieved by a dissident few fin the city, just as the state constitution is very difficult to change and requires legislative approval, and then approval by the voters of the state. (Remember the gambling issue) The charter cmmnission is the legislature of the cities charter, and must approve changes that are then submitted to the voters for their approval. The charter cormnission can not make changes to the charter without a ballot question, unless the council votes unanimously to adopt the change submitted by the charter commission. (this has been done) There are no provisions in the cities charter allowing citizens to submit changes to the charter itself. There are provisions for allowing citizens to make 'changes to the cities codes that are permitted under state statute, however not all changes to codes are allowed under state statute, as they are reserved to the adininistrafing body of the city, in our case the maym~- and council. .~ oTonight we are dealing with a proposed amendment to the charter, which will require certain volmne of voter turnout for a charter question, or Initiative~ and referendum under the charter. To not include the states statute 410 that allows Charter amendments (by statute the only way to amend the charter) in the requirement, would make my proposed amendment to the charter an exercise in fi~tility, as it is the Charter that has been modified 3 times by this process, and not the city codes .... In future meetings we will all get a chance to read and understand tlfis statute, as we all now have been fim~ished a copy... I don't expect all nine of us to agree on every interpretation we come up with in reading this statute, but it is our bible., if you will~ and contains all of our limited anthority, That authority is limited to this cities charter exclusively. It is cmmnon knowledge that I disagree with Mr. Goodrich. The city attorney on some aspects and interpretations of chapter 410, but including the revised text fi~rnished tonight for 5.9 of the charter would remove my concerns on interpretation of 410 if the voters approve the change in Nov. To not include this version of 5.9, will allow a group of citizens as small as 408 to force charter amend~nents to a special election at any t/me of their choosing before the end of the first week of June, 2002, as chapter 410 is now currently implemented by the city.