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CHM 01/23/2006 - 00028617CITY OF FRIDLEY CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING January 23, 2006 CALL TO ORDER: Chairperson Jorgenson called the Charter Commission meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Members Present: Borman, Braam, Gerrity, Hoiby, Holm, Jorgenson, Linder, Reynolds, Soule, Van Dan Members Absent: Findell, Fitzpatrick, Gordon and Johnson Others Present: Deb Skogen, City Clerk/Staff Liaison 1. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Commissioner Hoiby MOVED and Commissioner Reynolds seconded a motion to approve the agenda. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JORGENSON DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 2. APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 28, 2005, CHARTER COMMISSION MINUTES: Commissioner Borman MOVED and Commissioner Braam seconded a motion to approve the November 28, 2005, Charter Commission Minutes, with a small amendment removing the June 26 calendar date for 2006 meetings. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JORGENSON DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS A. Commission Openings Ms. Skogen stated there was one opening on the Charter Commission. She also said she did not have time to send letters to the head election judges to see if anyone might have some interest, and will do that prior to the neat meeting. Commissioner Gerrity said that her term expires April 22, 2006 and she did not want to renew her appointment. She will send an e -mail confirming her resignation. There was discussion about previous Commission members and Chairperson Jorgenson said she would try to contact some of the individuals to see if they had any interest. Some of the names discussed were Ed Hammernick, and Vicki Klares. It was also suggested notices be placed on Cable and sent to the Focus B. Nominations Committee Adopted February 27, 2006 CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING OF JANUARY 23, 2006 PAGE 2 Chairperson Jorgenson asked if there were any individuals who would like to serve on the Nominations Committee. Commissioners Holm and Hoiby volunteers and Peter Borman agreed to Chair the committee. 4. Discussion of Possible Utilitv Rate Increase Chairperson Jorgenson said she received phone calls from a lot of people who were disappointed the question from the special election was not passed. At the same time they said they could understand, however, because they were asking to remove all of the language allowing them to increase the rate at any time, rather than asking for a rate increase. That is why she suggested recommending a utility rate increase to the city council to send to the voters during the next regular municipal election in November. She said a question might resemble something like, should the city council be allowed to increase the rates on the water, storm water and sanitary sewer funds by 9% for the first year and another percent the next year. Commissioner Hoiby said the council's intent was not to raise by double digits and she would want to see it kept below 10 %. Commissioner Holm agreed that it had to be kept under 10% but said it was worth asking for something. Ms. Skogen said they may want to address rate of inflation or 5% which ever is less in whatever they recommend to the council, whether it would be up to and including or no higher than a total percentage. Commissioner Holm said if the Council got approval from the voters in 2006, they could increase the rates in 2007 and possibly implement an inflation increase in 2008. Chairperson said she did not want to see the provision done away with but would support a rate increase. Commissioner Holm said the council could request a rate increase, but did not think they could increase it more than they needed to operate the utilities. Commissioner Borman wondered what the Met Council rate increases were and what the increases were for. Finance Director Rick Pribyl was available and said they had requested a 9% increase in the summer of 2005 for 2006. He said their requests usually come late summer. Chairperson Jorgenson said if any type of expansion were done to the sewer system, the Met Council would charge all of the users in the system and not just where the expansion occurred. Commissioner Reynolds said there might be a big redevelopment project in the Dowling Avenue area of Minneapolis and that major infrastructure changes were needed. She felt the 9% rate increase requested by the Met Council could be used up very quickly for some of their projects. There was additional discussion about an 8 or 9% increase, but until the Commissioners had more information available to them, they felt they could not recommend an increase at this time. They instructed Ms. Skogen to provide more information and statistics as to what the city rate increases have been since 2000 as well as what the Met Council rates or increases would be during this time. Commissioner Van Dan said at the last meeting one of the Commissioners said the rate increase issue had not been tested, but said it had with the special election and that to have another election to test it would be an extra expense. Commissioner Borman said Commissioner Van Dan might have misinterpreted what he had said. What he had said was that the Council had never tested the issue by just requesting a rate increase, rather than requesting the language be removed. He said rate increases could only be requested at regular municipal elections. He said if the Adopted February 27, 2006 CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING OF JANUARY 23, 2006 PAGE 3 council had done that in 2002, 2004 and 2006 and if the increases had been denied, then there would be reason to remove the language. Commissioner Reynolds MOVED and Commissioner Borman seconded a motion to table the issue until the next meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JORGENSON DECLARED THE MOTION PASSED. 5. Discussion of Chanter 1 Commissioner Borman was confused at the language that, "the city may render convenient within or without the limits of the city." Chairperson Jorgenson said the city may need to enter into an agreement or contract with someone outside of the city limits, or may need to purchase something outside of the city limits and that is what this meant. She said a good example of this was in 1996 when part of Coon Rapids was annexed to the City due to those residents receiving Fridley utilities rather than Coon Rapids utilities. Commissioner Van Dan stated Minneapolis Water Works had plants, one in Columbia Heights and one in Fridley Chairperson Jorgenson said that the St. Paul intake was located near Osborne Road and East River road as well. Commissioner Soule thought it might be easier to review the section if everything were laid out between semicolons with bullet points. So Ms. Skogen will prepare Chapter 1 similar to that of legislative bills by numbering the lines and bulleting each section. It was also suggested that staff provide copies of other city charters for this section. 6. & 7. Mission Statement and Glossary /Index Commissioner Van Dan MOVED and Commissioner Reynolds seconded a motion to table these two items. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JORGENSON DECLARED THE MOTION PASSED. 8. Discussion of Future Items Chairperson Jorgenson said that the discussion of the mail ballot election was tabled because it was decided the cost of doing an election by mail ballot was the same as administering a regular election, due to the cost of postage. Commissioner Holm MOVED and Commissioner Hoiby seconded a motion to permanently remove this item from the agenda. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JORGENSON DECLARE THE MOTION PASSED. Chairperson Jorgenson asked if there was any other business or items for future agendas. Commissioner Van Dan wondered when the appointment of the Police Chief by the mayor was changed to the city manager. Commissioner Van Dan related information that happened in the 1960's that she and a former Charter Commission member had been discussing one afternoon. Commission Van Dan said she would like to see an amendment to the Charter changing that back to appointment by the mayor. Adopted February 27, 2006 CHARTER COMMISSION MEETING OF JANUARY 23, 2006 PAGE 4 Chairperson Jorgenson said that currently the city has a city - manager form of government allowing the city manager to administer the city on a day -to -day basis, which included the hiring of personnel. She said the City Manager makes a recommendation to the City Council to appoint or hire someone, and the City Council usually approves. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Holm MOVED and Commissioner Van Dan seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting. UPON A VOICE VOTE, ALL VOTING AYE, CHAIRPERSON JORGENSON DECLARED THE MOTION CARRIED AND THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 8:15 P.M. Respectfully submitted by Debra A. Skogen, City Clerk/Staff Liaison and Kathleen Linder, Secretary Adopted February 27, 2006