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<br />COMMISSION BUSINESS: <br /> <br />Case #1A: Consider Amending the City Charter Section 2.1 to Implement a Council- <br />Manager Plan of City Government <br /> <br />City Attorney Goodrich explained the options to' amend the City's Charter. The item for <br />discussion this evening is one that has been before the Commission several times - which is <br />changing from a City Administrator to a City Manager form of government. Mr. Goodrich <br />presented a proposed ordinance to change the form of government. He stated the essential <br />difference is a City Manager regulates the hiring and firing of staff. The City Council retains the <br />rights to adopt ordinances and resolution, .etc. and-they always are in charge of the City's budget. <br /> <br />The Commission reviewed the proposed ordinances and s~ggested that they did not want to wait <br />that long (1 0 years) for this to become effective should it be adopted. Discussion ensued relating <br />to the fact that there will soon be a vacancy in the City Administrator position due to Mr. <br />Norman's resignation and the Commission felt the City should be looking at hiring a Manager <br />versus an. Administrator. Some Commissioners suggested it be effective immediately while <br />others stated they could "live with" the change happening in a year or two - or even four years. <br />During the discussion, most Commissioners stated they felt 'that even tw() years was too long. <br />Mr. Goodrich wasn't certain the City Council would be ready to make that change immediately. <br />The Commission felt that it is a good time to transition to a City Manager position and since <br />there is a new hiring coming within this next year, it would make sense to have it be known that <br />the new person would be' hired as a City Manager - or at least that the position would be <br />transitioned very shortly into a Manager form of government. <br /> <br />Motion by Commissioner Frederick and seconded by Commissioner Deemer to adopt Resolution <br />#CH-06-l2-00l recommending that City Council enact an ordinance to amend City Charter <br />Section 2.1 by requiring that the City be governed by the Council-Manager plan of government, <br />effective January 1,2008. <br /> <br />All present voted in favor - Motion carried. <br /> <br />Case 1B: <br /> <br />Consider Amending Section 4.5 of the City 'Charter in order to EstabUsh a <br />Different Procedure for Filling Council Vacancies <br /> <br />City Attorney Goodrich stated that Section 4.5 of the City's Charter relates to vacancies of <br />municipal elected offices. If a vacancy occurs with 365 days remaining on the term, there should <br />be a special election within 90 days. This proposal is to adopt what the City 'of Anoka has - and <br />other cities - and that is to not have that special election feature. The election would be held on <br />the regular Election Day. <br /> <br />Commissioner Simenson was not in favor of a Councilmember in office for almost two years <br />who had been "appointed" versus elected. He suggested that since this would happen so seldom, <br />the cost of the election is not really a factor. His position was to not make it change to the <br />Charter. <br /> <br />Charter CttmmissionlDecember 5, 2006 <br />Page 2 of 4 <br />