05.27.98 Notice of Public HearingNOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
TO CRYSTAL CITY CHARTER
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Crystal, Minnesota will
conduct a public hearing on
Tuesday June 16 1998
at 7:00 P.M., or as soon thereafter as the matter can be heard, in the Council Chambers in City
Hall, 4141 Douglas Drive North, in the City, to consider oral and written testimony concerning
proposed amendments to the Home Rule Charter of the City. In general terms, the proposed
amendments (i) bring cerotain sections of the charter into conformance with state law, (ii) remove
obsolete provisions of the charter, (iii) authorize summary publication of city ordinances, and (iv)
modify the contracting authority of the city manager.
It has been recommended by the Charter Commission that the amendments be adopted by
ordinance of the City Council in the manner prescribed by Minnesota Statutes, section 410.12,
Subdivision 7. Under that procedure, designed to facilitate routine charter amendments, the City
Council must, if the Council approves the amendment, adopt the amendment by ordinance after
the public hearing by a unanimous vote of all of its members. The adopting ordinance is
effective 90 days after its passage and publication, but if within 60 days thereof a petition signed
by a number of registered voters equal to two percent of the votes cast in the City at the last state
general election, or 2,000 registered voters, whichever is less, is filed with the City Clerk, the
ordinance is not effective until approved by 5 1 % of votes cast on the amendment at the regular
municipal election or a special election called for that purpose.
The text of the proposed amendments as they would appear in the ordinance is as follows:
read:
Section 1. Crystal city charter, section 2.03, subdivision 5 is amended to
"Subdivision 5. The mayor and councilmembers are elected
€er- three yeafg on the date, in the years and for the terms specified
by ordinance adopted by the council in accordance with hw ftftd
They serve until their successors are elected and wed uq alifX
for office."
Sec. 2. Crystal city charter, section 203, subdivision 6, is repealed.
Sec. 3. Crystal city charter, section 2.05, is amended to read:
"Section 2.05. Wards. The city is divided into four wards.
Review of the wards must be made by the council and the wards
reapportioned no later than two years after the year in which a
federal census is taken so that each ward contains no more than
30% nor less than 20% of the population of the city.
Reapportionment is by ordinance. A change in ward boundaries
does not disqualify a councilmember from serving the remainder of
a term. If the council does not reapportion within the period
prescribed, the mayor and councilmembers forfeit all renumeration
until the wards are reapportioned as required by this section. The
wards of the city are those described by ordinance,as of Tine '
4#W.
to read:
Sec. 4. Crystal city charter, chapter 3, is amended by adding a new section
"Section 3.12. Summary publication of ordinances. The
city council may by ordinance adopt procedures for the publication
of ordinances in summary form. A summary of an ordinance must
contain a general statement of the purpose and effect of the
ordinance."
Sec. 5. Crystal city charter, section 4.09, is amended to read:
"Section 4.09. Canvass of Elections and Taking_ Office..
The council must (a) meet and canvass the election returns no later
than five two days after a regular or special election, (b) declare the
results of the election as soon as possible, and (c) file a statement
of the results of the election with the city clerk. The statement
must be made a part of the minutes of the council meeting. The
statement must include: (a) the total number of valid ballots cast;
(b) the total number of spoiled or defective ballots; (c) the vote for
each candidte or question, with a declaration of those who are
elected and questions approved or disapproved; (d) a true copy of
the ballots used; (e) the name of the judges of election; and (f)
such other information as the council finds necessary. The city
clerk must promptly notify persons elected of their election. The
persons elected take office at the time provided in section 3.01
upon taking, subscribing to and filing with the city clerk the oath
of office required by law and this charter."
Sec. 6. Crystal city charter, section 6.05, is amended to read:
"Section 6.05. Purchases and Contracts. The manager is
the chief purchasing agent of the city. Purchases and contracts may
be made by the manager when the amount of the purchase or
contact does not exceed $5,099 $15,000 unless a lower limit is
provided by the council by resolution. Other purchases and
contracts are made by the council on recommendation of the
manager. Except for contracts which the manager is authorized to
make by this section, contracts, bonds, and instruments to which
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the city is a party must be signed by the mayor and the manager on
behalf of the city."
Sec. 7. Crystal city charter, section 7.04 is amended to read:
"Section 7.04. Preparation of Budget. The manager must
prepare an annual budget and submit it to the council. The budget
must include all , deb! seMee and
pF&[)r-ie4EtFy QW9, plus atkef fiands funds of the city except utility
funds, special assessment funds and construction funds, but the
budget may include those funds at the discretion of the council.
The estimated revenues and expenditures for each fund must be
shown for each department of the city. The sity manager must
submit with the budget explanatory statements deemed necessary.
The budget must show comparative figures for the current fiscal
year, actual and estimated, and for the preceding fiscal year."
Anyone wishing to express an opinion about the proposed amendments will be heard, orally or
in writing, at the public hearing.
Dated: May 2 7 . 1998.
BY ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL
/s/ Darlene George
City Clerk
(Published in the Crystal/Robbinsdale Sun Post May 27, 1998)
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