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HomeMy WebLinkAbout19880414 Charter MinutesMINUTES CHARTER COMMISSION CITY OF HASTINGS, MINNESOTA APRIL 14, 1988 Present: Winton Hartman Earl Beltz Rick Law Jeanne McGree Dick Dobrick Janice Johnson Judy Gilbert Dick Lee Mike Hovgaard Absent: Agnes Kobierowski Guest: Shawn Moynihan Presiding: Winton Hartman, Chairperson Call To The meeting was called to order at 7:35 p.m. by Chairperson Order and Winton Hartman and the chairperson declared a quorum to be Quorum: present. Item III Minutes approved as amended. Approval of Motion Earl Beltz Minutes: Second Jeanne McGree So ordered. Item IV Jeanne McGree moved to adopt the resolution to place on the Committee November election ballot the proposed amendment to Sec. 3.04 Reports: dealing with Acting Mayor. Second by Dick Lee. Motion was carried. Jeanne McGree moved to place the proposed amendment to Sec. 3.09 regarding City Council committees on the ballot for the November election. Second by Janice Johnson. So ordered. Gifts & Dick Dobrick moved to adopt the resolution on "Gifts and Gratuities: Gratuities" in order that that change be placed on the ballot for the November election. Second by Richard Law. So ordered. Conflict of Dick Dobrick moved to adopt the resolution on "Conflict of Interest: 'Interest". Second by Judy Gilbert. Dick Dobrick made the observation of the importance of not only setting policies to prevent conflict of interest but also the public's perception of there being a conflict of interest. Motion carried. Mike Hovgaard opposed. Incompatible Motion made by Janice Johnson, second by Judy Gilbert to amend Offices: that portion of the proposed section on Incompatible Offices, "except volunteer firemen" to read "except volunteer firefighter". So ordered. Motion was then made by Dick Dobrick, second by Dick Lee to approve the Resolution regarding Incompatible Offices, as amended, to be placed on the ballot for the November election. Motion carried. Janice Johnson and Mike Hovgaard opposed. Contracts: Dick Dobrick moved that the Resolution regarding Contracts be adopted so that the proposed change may be placed on the November ballot. Second by Earl Beltz. Motion carried. Opposed by Janice Johnson and Mike Hovgaard. Charter Commission Meeting Minutes April 14, 1988 Page Two Item V Winton Hartman, Chairperson made a preliminary statement which is Unfinished attached. Shawn Moynihan then addressed the Commission suggesting Business: that this matter, "Changing of Ward Boundaries", be tabled until such time as would allow him ample time to review additional information that has come to his attention. Dick Dobrick reviewed: 1. The sources used in doing calculations and arriving at his committee's conclusions. 2. Estimated population - 15,317. ~ 3. Smallest Ward being Ward 3 - 3425 Ward 4 is 1/2 of 1~ larger - 3443 Ward 2 is 89 larger - 3707 Ward 1 is 38~ larger - 4742 He stated that in 1984 the Commission did a similar procedure and because the Wards had not been redrawn for many years, the largest Ward was 579 larger than the smallest Ward. After the Wards had been redrawn the largest Ward was then only 2~ larger. Motion for Motion was made by Janice Johnson to hold a special meeting of Special the Charter Commission on Thursday, May 5th, 7:30 p.m. for Meeting: reconsideration of adjusting Ward Boundaries. Second by Mike Hovgaard. So ordered. Item VI Motion was made by Dick Lee to establish a definite public New information program and time table to be presented at the Business: July 14th Charter Commission meeting to be acted upon and/or approved. Second Earl Beltz. So ordered. Adjournment: Motion was made by Janice Johnson and second by Mike Hovgaard to adjourn. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:39 p.m. Respectfully submitted, O /1j . __ c: •, v.^:i;D1i IT.c.I''i y -- %~-i~r1i~I~i.4_Zi- STxTEI'~'.~T•iT - D. Winton Hartman April 14, 1988 rreliminar,y-• to the consideration of the next item on the agenda, L erish to make the following statement for recording into the minutes of this meeting. Since the reactivation and reorgar_ization of the Hastings City C'r_arter Commission eight years ago, two fundamenial principles have guided the deliberations and decisions of the Commission 1) The Commission orould fulfill its responsibilities exactly according to the law and orithin the perimeters imposed by that law. 2) The Commission erould carry out its responsibilities for monitoring the observance of the conditions of the astings City Charter and for recommending improvements to that charter solely on a non partisan basis vrithout any concessions to the political consequences or interests of what, in its opinion it deemed to be in the best interests of the City of Hastings. In the light of those t~•ro principles and in consideration of the question of the need for adjusting ward boundaries, I have requested tine folloi•~ing for the information of the Commission and the people of the City of astings: 1) I requested that the City Attorney prepare a legal opinion as to vrhat are the legal responsibilities of the Charter Commission as regards the matter of adjusting Z~lard Bounda~^i es and urhat, if any legal constraints the Commission must observe in any attempt to achieve the desirable, eo.ual representation of voters and the fulfillment of the United States Supreme Courts decision of "one person one vote" in the case of Reynolds vs Sims and any subsequent decisions. 2) I requested that the Committee on 47ard Boundaries prepare an updated information on the current status of the relative populations of the wards in Hastings and provide any pertinent information on the impact of any significant population variences between t~rards on equal representation of the voters of Hastings as reflected in the votes of the Cit~,r Council.