CHA 11/22/2004 Charter Commission Members
_ FROM: Deb Skogen, Staff Liaison
Date: November 17, 2004
C,IWOF Re: November 22nd Charter Meeting
FRIDLEY
The Charter Commission has a membership of 14 members due to the resignation
of Commissioner Garcia who recently moved out of the City of Fridley.
Enclosed are the minutes from the September 27th and October 25th meetings for
your review and the agenda for the meeting. The meeting will be held in Meeting
Room 1 in the lower level of City Hall at 7:00 p.m.
If you cannot attend the meeting Monday evening, please leave a message on my
voice mail at 763-572-3523 or my e-mail (skogend@ci.fridley.mn.us) no later than
Noon, Monday, November 22nd. Thank You.
CITY OF FRIDLEY
CHARTER COMMISSION
AGENDA
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2004 7:00 P.M.
LOCATION: Fridley Municipal Center
Meeting Room 1 (Lower Level)
CALL TO ORDER:
ROLL CALL:
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
September 27, 2004 and October 25,2004
3. Administrative Matters
A. Membership
B. 2005 Calendar
4. Discussion of Mission Statement
5. Discussion of Glossary/Index—Chapters 1 and 2
6. Discussion of future items
7. Adjournment
Next regular meeting: Monday, January 24, 2005, at 7:00 p.m. in Meeting
Room 1 in the Lower Level
CITY OF FRIDLEY
CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING
September 27,2004
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairperson Findell called the Charter Commission meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Members Present: Braam,Findell, Garcia,Gordon,Heck,Holm,Linder, Soule,Van Dan
Members Absent: Borman,Fitzpatrick,Gerrety,Johnson,Jorgenson
Others Present: Deb Skogen,City Clerk/Staff Liaison
1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
MOTION by Commissioner Gordon seconded by Commissioner Garcia to approve the agenda.
UPON A VOICE VOTE,ALL VOTING AYE,CHAIRPERSON FINDELL DECLARED THE MOTION
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
2. APPROVAL OF MAY 24,2004,CHARTER COMMISSION MINUTES:
MOTION by Commissioner Gordon seconded by Commissioner Heck to approve the May 24,2004,Charter
Commission Minutes.
UPON A VOICE VOTE,ALL VOTING AYE,CHAIRPERSON FINDELL DECLARED THE MOTION
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
3. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Commissioner Gary Braam attended the meeting for the first time and introductions were made.
There was a brief discussion and review of the charter amendment recommended to the City Council in Marcy from
the Charter Commission. The Commissioners recommended that a ballot be included with the ballot language
on the amendment for the next meeting.
4. DISCUSSION OF MISSION STATEMENT/GLOSSARY AND/OR INDEX
Chairperson Findell asked Commissioner Van Dan if he had had time to prepare a mission statement.
Commissioner Van Dan gave a brief review of the Fridley's Charter Commission and said that the Charter
Commission was a separate entity from the City Council and had the power to levy a tax to cover its expenses.
Commissioner Van Dan stressed the importance of remaining an independent voice to give direction to the City
Council. Commissioner Van Dan had been ill and had not had time to prepare a mission statement.
Commissioner Gordon agreed there should be a mission statement.
Commissioner Heck felt there should be a process.
CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 27,2004 PAGE 2
n Commissioner Soule said that her employer recently redid their mission statement and thought it would be interesting
to go through the process.
Commissioner Heck said the Commission had been waiting for Commissioner Van Dan to bring something and that
if he couldn't prepare it,maybe they should discuss it among the group.
Commissioner Holm said he preferred to have something to look at or start with for discussion purposes.
Commissioner Soule recommended having a flip chart to allow the Commissioners to brainstorm with words and
phrases to help Commissioner Van Dan put something together.
Commissioner Heck said there was a purpose in the Charter.
Commissioner Garcia agreed he would like to see something in writing to work from,even if it was talking points to
start with.
Commissioner Gordon asked Commissioner Van Dan if something could be prepared for the next meeting.
Commissioner Heck said that the Commission should refer to the statutes when discussion the mission statement.
Commissioner Holm asked if the Charter Commission really had taxing authority to operate. Ms. Skogen said that
the state statutes allowed the Charter Commission to spend up to 1,000 a year if needed but could not fmd anything
in the statutes about taxing authority. She would review the statutes again before the next meeting.
Commissioner Heck asked if the Commission wanted to vote on the defmition of eminent domain.
Commissioner Soule asked if the Charter meeting minutes were posted on the web site. Ms. Skogen said not at this
time.
Commissioner Van Dan thought the glossary should be part of the Charter so there was not doubt about the
definition of the terms used. Commissioner Van Dan said that the courts may enforce the law without really
understanding the verbiage that was used,so they should be careful. For instance tax imposed or levy had different
nuances;or that fees were really a cost for service. Commissioner Van Dan felt the language should be consistent
throughout the charter.
Commissioner Gordon felt that the city attorney and the city council should review the terminology in the glossary or
index before they determine whether it should be part of the charter or not.
It was recommended that the Charter Commission review the Charter chapter by chapter so if there was language
someone didn't understand they could bring it forward to the Commission to discuss.
At this time they preferred to wait on voting on the definition of eminent domain and directed the members to read
Chapters 1 and 2 before the next meeting.
ADJOURNMENT:
MOTION by Commissioner Gordon seconded by Commissioner Heck to adjourn the meeting.
UPON A VOICE VOTE,ALL VOTING AYE,CHAIRPERSON FINDELL DECLARED THE MOTION
CARRIED AND THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 7:50 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra A. Skogen,City Clerk/Staff Liaison Anita Gerrety, Secretary
CITY OF FRIDLEY
CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING
October 25,2004
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairperson Findell called the Charter Commission meeting to order at 7:10 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Members Present: Gary Braam,Don Findell,Dan Garcia,Anita Gerrety,Nancy Jorgenson,Kathleen Linder,
and Francis Van Dan
Members Absent: Peter Borman,Char Fitzpatrick,Craig Gordon,Harry Heck,Bill Holm,Janet Johnson,
Deborah Monden and Cindy Soule
Others Present: Deb Skogen, City Clerk/Staff Liaison
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
MOTION by Commissioner Garcia seconded by Commissioner Gerrety to approve the agenda.
UPON A VOICE VOTE,ALL VOTING AYE,CHAIRPERSON FINDELL DECLARED THE MOTION
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 27,2004 COMMISSION MINUTES:
MOTION by Commissioner Jorgenson seconded by Commissioner Garcia to table the September 27,2004,Charter
Commission Minutes to the next meeting to allow more time for review.
Commissioner Van Dan stated she was unhappy about being referred to as a he since becoming a transsexual and felt
his gender should be referred to as she in future minutes.
UPON A VOICE VOTE,ALL VOTING AYE,CHAIRPERSON FINDELL DECLARED THE MOTION
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
1. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
A. Resignation of Commissioner Garcia
Commissioner Garcia presented a letter of resignation to the Charter Commission. He recently purchased a
home in another community and no longer resides in the City of Fridley. He thanked everyone and wished
everyone well.
B. Discussion of Mission Statement
Commissioner Van Dan did not prepare a statement due to her illness and it was determined that this issue
would be tabled to the next meeting.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m. due to the lack of a quorum upon the departure of Commissioner Garcia.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra A. Skogen,
City Clerk/Staff Liaison Anita Gerrety, Secretary
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