Agenda - Charter Commission - 02/02/2023

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Charter Commission Meeting Date: 02/02/2023 By: Katie Schmidt, Administrative Services Information 5.4. Title: Continue Review of Amendments to Chapter 4 of the Charter - Nominations and Elections Purpose/Background: Purpose The purpose of this case is to review Chapter 4 of the Charter, Nominations and Elections, to conform with state law; as well as to consider other potential beneficial changes to Chapter 4 that could be agreed upon. Changes to State Election Law The State Legislation previously set uniform election dates for special elections which prompted a complete review of Chapter 4, Nominations and Elections, of the City's Charter. The current Charter language does not include these dates, is not entirely consistent with State law, and causes problems in administering City elections. City of Ramsey Actions - To Date As the Charter Commission will recall, the Commission started its work on updating Chapter 4 in February 2019. In cooperation with former City Attorney Langel, a draft ordinance (#19-15 "An Ordinance Amending the Charter by Repealing and Replacing Chapter 4 - Nominations and Elections") was drafted and then reviewed by the City Council on December 10, 2019, but it did not pass. In order for the ordinance to pass, all Councilmembers must motion in favor of the ordinance When the City Council reviewed this topic in December 2019, the main point of dissent was related to primaries and the length of Council appointments that could occur under certain circumstances. To date, the Charter Commission has approved changes to sections 4.1, 4.2 (minor updates were presented in the previous case) and 4.4. The case this evening is to discuss the options for section 4.5. The attached Election Scenarios goes over Election dates and additional information as it relates to timelines and vacancies. The attachment with options for section 4.5 has been updated with comments and possible changes to the previously presented options. Also attached are examples from comparable Minnesota cities Charters on uniform election dates and procedures for filling vacancies on council. This evening, City Attorney Knaak will be on hand to provide assistance with this matter. Notification: N/A Time Frame/Observations/Alternatives: NA Funding Source: N/A