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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Minutes 09-20-1996 SpecialMinutes Special Council Meeting September 20, 1996 A special meeting of the Plymouth City Council was called to order by Deputy Mayor Lymangood at 12:03 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 3400 Plymouth Blvd., on September 20, 1996. COUNCIL PRESENT: Deputy Mayor Lymangood; Councilmembers Anderson, Black, Wold, and Granath. ABSENT: Councilmember Preus and Mayor Tierney. STAFF PRESENT: Assistant City Manager Lueckert and City Clerk Ahrens. Deputy Mayor Lymangood called the meeting to order at 12:07 p.m. He stated that the purpose of the meeting is to consider and act on any action by the Plymouth Charter Commission on the proposed charter amendment relating to a super -majority vote requirement for a tax levy increase. Assistant City Manager Lueckert reported that the Charter Commission has not met this week and has no report to forward to the City Council. She explained that the Charter Commission met on Monday, September 9, and held a public hearing on the super - majority vote issue. At the conclusion of that meeting, the Charter Commission tabled the issue until Monday, September 30. There was an opportunity, had the Charter Commission met this week and made a report, to still have the proposed charter amendment placed on the November 5 general election ballot. This was communicated to the Charter Commission. Councilmember Wold stated that at the September 9 meeting, the Charter Commission failed to act and tabled the issue for further study. He asked Assistant Manager Lueckert to clarify what additional information or testimony the Charter Commission is waiting on in order that they would feel able to act. Assistant Manager Lueckert said that she cannot speak for the Charter Commission. She has not received a request for additional information for the September 30 meeting. Perhaps the Commission wanted additional time to consider the information they received at the public hearing. Councilmember Anderson asked if staff received any responses from Charter Commission members as to why they did not call a meeting this week. Assistant Manager Lueckert responded that she only spoken directly to the Chairperson, Virgil Schneider. He had a personal conflict with attending meetings later in the week, Special Council Meeting September 20, 1996 Page 2 and he saw no need or reason to meet prior to the next scheduled meeting of September 30. Councilmember Anderson stated that because the Charter Commission has failed to act, the City Council will be unable to place the proposed amendment on the November ballot. Councilmember Granath asked how the Charter Commission was informed that if they acted this week, there would still be an opportunity to get the amendment on the November ballot. Assistant Manager Lueckert stated that the Charter Commissioners received the same information as the City Council one week ago, which explained the possible scenario of getting the issue on the November ballot. Councilmember Wold stated that he had originated the call for this special meeting because he wanted it to be very clear that the City Council is ready to act. It would have been remiss for the Council not to be prepared to act, should the Charter Commission have met and submitted a report. He said this is an important issue and it is important that the public gets the opportunity to make the decision of whether it should be adopted. He stated that the citizens should have had an opportunity to vote on this issue on November 5. Councilmember Granath stated that he was one of the three Councilmembers who called this special meeting. He respects the members of the Charter Commission but believes that the City Council has "passed them the ball and they have buried it." He noted that the Charter Commission had an additional opportunity to correct the situation by calling a special meeting this week and submitting a report, but they failed to do so. He has heard Charter Commission members comment "what is the rush?" He said that the Council is simply trying to get the issue to the voters. There will not be a general election of this magnitude until the next century. He believes the proposed amendment is a common sense proposal, and he is unsure how Charter Commission members stand on the issue because they failed to vote on it. The Charter Commission only voted to delay, and tabled the entire issue to September 30. He regrets the extent to which this proposed amendment has become an issue between the Charter Commission and the City Council. He believes that there are no winners, and the taxpayers will be the losers. Councilmember Granath said that he heard Charter Commission members, including Mayor Tierney, say they felt they were pushed by the City Council. He said that only the voters and taxpayers will be hurt. The City Council has not said that they will cut services. In fact, the past few years the Council has expanded services while cutting costs. He said that the issue cannot go before the voters because the Charter Commission, including Mayor Tierney, didn't act. Councilmember Lymangood explained that a requirement of the Open Meeting Law is a minimum three-day notice of special meetings. He said that today's special meeting was Special Council Meeting September 20, 1996 Page 3 called on Friday, September 13. This was when the Council first learned that in the event the Charter Commission would have called a special meeting and submitted a report to the Council by today, the City Council could have acted to add the proposed amendment to the November 5 general election. He stated that the City Council called the special meeting for today in order to be prepared to act. Councilmember Anderson added historical perspective on the issue. He explained that he became involved in local politics six years ago because there was a problem with the City Council voting to extend their terms of office without citizen input. He formed the League of Plymouth Voters. At that time, Joy Tierney was the President of the League of Women Voters for Plymouth. The League of Plymouth Voters asked the League of Women Voters to support the quest to allow voters to decide whether terms of office should be extended. He stated that Joy Tierney would not let the League of Women Voters take a position because she could not decide on the issue. He said that "paralysis of analysis" occurred six years ago on that issue and it has occurred again on the super - majority vote issue. It is a pattern and the voters have a clear choice this fall. He stated that a minority of people - the Charter Commission - want to decide the fate of 50,000 residents. He stated that leadership is expected in this situation, and leadership has fallen down. He said that leader is the Mayor of Plymouth who didn't act six years ago and didn't act in this situation. Councilmember Anderson explained that these comments are made as background information to what is now before the Council. He stated that the deciding vote to table this issue on the Charter Commission was made by Mayor Tierney. Deputy Mayor Lymangood read the call of the meeting and respectfully requested that remarks be kept pertinent to that call. Councilmember Granath stated that he believes Mayor Tierney interjected herself squarely into this issue. She was asked to avoid a conflict of interest at the Charter Commission meeting and she chose not to do that. Councilmember Black agreed with the previous comments. She has respect for the difficult job of the Charter Commission, but believes this is simply about placing an important issue before the voters. Citizens allow the Council to run the City, and citizens should be allowed a voice on this issue. She stated that the greatest number of residents will be voting at the November 5 general election than will occur again until 2000. This issue needs the greatest number of residents voting and shouldn't be decided by a small portion of the voting population. She said that a smaller number of voters will decide the issue if it is done at a special election or in the 1998 general election. She may have a difficult time voting to place the issue on the ballot at those elections because of the small number of people voting. Councilmember Wold said it is unfortunate that the Council does not have something to vote on. He believes that these comments have been important for the public record. The City Council will receive a recommendation from the Charter Commission, but he does Special Council Meeting September 20, 1996 Page 4 not know how much influence that recommendation will have with him because he believes that recommendations should be timely. Councilmember Lymangood announced that the next Charter Commission meeting is scheduled for September 30 at 7 p.m. He reminded Councilmembers that they may wish to attend that meeting. He stated that the City Council has not received an official request from the Charter Commission that any Councilmembers attend. Councilmember Lymangood said that in the event the Charter Commission makes a recommendation on September 30, the City Council can consider the issue at their regular meeting on October 2. Assistant Manager Lueckert said that the statutes allow the Charter Commission until October 15 to make their report. If that is the case, the City Council has a regular Council meeting scheduled on October 16. Councilmember Lymangood stated that the City Council will be prepared to act at either time. Motion was made by Councilmember Anderson, seconded by Councilmember Black, to adjourn the meeting at 12:25 p.m. Motion carried, five ayes. City derk