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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCharter April 28, 1988 CITY of ANDOVER ANDOVER CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING APRIL 28, 1988 7:30 P.M. l. Call to order 2. Approval of Minutes 3. Discussion/Ward System for Elections 4. 5. Adjournment -- CITY of ANDOVER CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING-APRIL 28, 1988 A meeting of the Andover Charter Commission was called to order by Chair- man Jerry Windschitl at 7:37 P.M., Thursday, April 28, 1988 at the Andover City Hall, 1685 Crosstown Boulevard N.W., Andover, MN. Commissioners Present: Bradley, Bosel1, Veiman, Knight Commissioners Absent: Peach, Sabel Also Present: William Hawkins, City Attorney: others AGENDA APPROVAL Chairman Windschitl asked that Item 4, Whether a Charter should be Established, be added to the agenda. MOTION by Bradley, seconded by Knight to approve the agenda with the addition of Item 4. Motion carried. APPROVAL OF MINUTES March 23, 1988 Commissioner Bose11 noted that on the first page, the 6th line, the word charter is misspelled. March 29, 1988 Ms. Bosell noted on the first page, under Dick Schneider's comments, the third line should read 'however, he is in favor of more fair assessments.' MOTION by Bosell, seconded by Bradley to approve the minutes of March 23, 1988 and March 29, 1988 as corrected. Motion carried. WARD SYSTEM/ELECTIONS Bill Hawkins noted that a ward system for elections can be established with a charter. This item was continued so that Mr. Hawkins could research whether wards could be established in a statutory city. ESTABLISHMENT OF A CHARTER Ms. Bose11 felt that the moving force to adopt a charter does not seem to be present in the City. We do not have residents beating down the door at city hall complaining that they are being treated unfairly. She suggested waiting for six months before the Commission meets again to see how many people do come in and what kind of complaints they have. Commissioner Veiman agreed with Ms. Bosell except for getting information to the residents. He suggested that more information be put on public - Charter Commission Meeting April 28, 1988 - Minutes Page 2 hearing notices so that the residents are aware of exactly what is happening. Commissioner Bradley asked the attorney if there is anything a charter could not cover. Mr. Hawkins stated that there could be some things, such as is~uancecof_liquor~licenses. Commissioner Knight didn't see a need for a charter at this point as nothing has been indicated to him from the public as to a change. He felt that the present system is functioning well enough. Dick Schneider didn't know what the advantage would be in having a charter. The w~y it is now, an individual can't fight city hall. One point is the Gaughan Company rezoning. The residents in the area spoke against the re- zoning, but the developer said that he had already been assessed $85,000 for the property, so the request was approved. Mr. Schneider didn't know what property owners needed to do in order to be heard. Ms. Bosell disagreed with Mr. Schneider in that the people are heard. A mining permit on Seventh Avenue was recently denied by the Planning Commission because of the comments of the residents in the area, along with other reasons. She noted that with a charter, the process that the city follows would not change. Mr. Bradley felt that a charter fortifies the communication lines: it aids in bringing the people's views into focus. Mr. Schneider asked what other surrounding communities have a charter. Mr. Hawkins stated that they all do with the exception of East Bethel. Mr. Winds chit 1 explained that where the charter originated was the special assessment issue. In 1974 or 1975 the city took the position that projects would be initiated by the residents rather than by the Council. A lot of cities simply went out with big blanket assessments. This is the type of thing that generated charters. Mr. Hawkins noted that the advantages to having a charter are initiative and referendum and recall. He further noted that a statutory city does not have the authority to establish wards. Mr. Bradley asked Mr. Hawkins if the odds favor a charter. Mr. Hawkins stated that from what he's seen, there isn't a pressing need for a charter. He didn't think that Mr. Schneider's concerns are something that can be handled with a charter. The Council is very receptive to complaints: they try to make it work for the individual. If someone doesn't like something that is in one of the ordinances, they can come in and have it changed . Mr. Bradley stated that he would support the idea of meeting twice a year as there does not seem to be a need for a charter at this time. Ms. Bosell asked if the City Council minutes could be provided to the Charter Commissioners so they are aware of what is happening in the city. Several dates in October and November were discussed for the next meeting. Charter Commission Meeting April 28, 1988 - Minutes Page 3 The concensus was that the meeting should be October 27, 1988 at 7:30 P.M. MOTION by Bosell, seconded by Bradley that the Charter Commission at this time doesn't feel that there is a need to establish a charter and that meetings should be held at six month intervals to see what necessary changes should be made, with the next meeting scheduled for October 27, 1988. Motion carried. MOTION by Bosell, seconded by Veiman to adjourn. Motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 8:27 P.M. Respectfully submitted, ! -. i.~' ~'-<-<_ t ,,-é& victoria Volk Acting Recording Secretary