HomeMy WebLinkAbout20070105 Misc Memo regarding Charter CommissionMEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councltmembers
FROM: Dave Osberg, City Administrator
DATE: January 5, 2007
SUBJECT: Charter Commission Membership
For the last several years, recruiting and retaining members to serve on the Charter Commission
has proven to be difficult. While on the surface, this may appear to be a problem, the absence of
any significant agenda items for the Charter Commission to consider has reduced a major
concern. Several years ago, the Charter Commission conducted a rather thorough review of the
entire City Charter, and brought forward several changes for the City Council to consider. Since
that time, there has been no need for much activity by the Charter Commission.
The time has come for consideration to reactivate the Charter Commission to perhaps again
conduct a chapter by chapter review of the document, and also consider any other items which
may warrant attention. However, before the Charter Commission can begin its work, the City
Council is asked to again consider recruiting members to serve on the Charter Commission. Any
person who may be interested in serving on the Charter Commission is asked to contact Deputy
Clerk, Addie Schroeder to complete an application, and it will then be forwarded to my attention to
process for appointment at a City Council meeting.
The Charter Commission typically meets quarterly, at times and dates agreed to by the
membership. There is minimal intensity on the Committee, as careful deliberation and discussion
usually takes place before any changes are considered to the City Charter, which in a sense,
serves as the City's "constitution ". My intent is to spend the next few weeks soliciting members to
serve on the Charter Commission, complete appointments in February or March, and then
conduct the first meeting of the Charter Commission, sometime in April.
Let me know if you should have any questions. Furthermore, if you find a person who may be
interested, feel free to have them call me, or if you would like, I could contact them to "recruit"
them_ Thanks for your attention to this project, and I look forward to working with the Charter
Commission in 2007.
David M. Osberg
City Administrator
cc. anie Mesko Lee
&,-'Shawn Moynihan
Addie Schroeder
Shannon Rausch