HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Ad Hoc Election Code Amendments Committee - 01/20/2016 -Council Election Ad-Hoc Committee Minutes
January 20, 2016
4:00 p.m.
Members in Attendance: Kristin Stephens, Bob Overbeck, and Ross Cunniff (chair).
Also present: Ann Hutchison, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce; Sally Broste, League of Women
Voters;
Staff in Attendance: Carrie Daggett, City Attorney; Wanda Winkelmann, City Clerk; Rita Knoll, Chief
Deputy City Clerk; Cary Carricato Alton, Paralegal.
A meeting of the City Council Ad-hoc Election Committee (“Committee”) was held on Wednesday,
January 20, 2016, in the City Clerk’s Office Large Conference Room, to consider proposed changes to
the Fort Collins Charter and Municipal Code related to elections.
The meeting began at 4:04 p.m. The Board reviewed the Agenda which contained these items:
1. Call Meeting to Order
2. Approval of January 4, 2016 Committee Meeting Minutes
3. Review Feedback Received from Commission on Disability, Human Relations Commission, and
Senior Advisory Board Regarding Council Compensation
4. Suggested Election Code Changes
5. Other Business
6. Adjournment
Councilmember Cunniff called the meeting to order. Councilmember Cunniff stated that the second order
of business from the agenda was approval of the minutes from January 4, 2016 meeting. Councilmember
Stephens moved for the approval of the minutes, Councilmember Overbeck seconded the motion. The
minutes were approved unanimously.
Feedback Received from Commission on Disability, Human Relations Commission, and Senior
Advisory Board
City Clerk Winkelmann summarized the feedback from the three Boards and Commissions concerning
the ability of a City Council member to waive compensation for serving as a Councilmember. Ms.
Winkelmann stated that all three boards indicated that they would hate the compensation to be a barrier
to serving this community if someone would lose a portion of their pension or disability payment because
of the compensation issue. The Human Relations Commission had specific questions concerning
national trends in compensation for service on City Councils. All Boards and Commissions were in
agreement that the City should remove any barriers to serving.
There was discussion amongst the Committee on the current numbers for Social Security Disability
Income and the effect on health insurance and Medicare and Medicaid.
City Attorney Daggett stated there might be a way to craft the language so a Councilmember could waive
“all or a portion of the salary” associated with being a Councilmember.
The Committee agreed that they would forward this recommendation to the City Council as a
recommended change, but that it would have to be placed on an upcoming Ballot because it would
require a Charter change. They agreed that they would recommend that it be put on a future ballot at the
next convenient time to do so.
The Committee further discussed the timing of this being placed on the ballot and that it would not likely
happen until spring of 2017, making it not effective until April of 2019.
The Committee then moved on to the Recommendations that will be presented to the City Council agreed
to and discussed in previous meetings. City Clerk Winkelmann pointed out a change made to Proposed
Change #15 inadvertently. City Clerk Winkelmann indicated that she would prepare a matrix and Agenda
Item Summary for Council materials.
Council Election Committee
Meeting Minutes January 20, 2016
Page 2 of 2
Committee Chair Cunniff summarized the Committee’s agreement concerning the Charter change
necessary to address the Council Compensation question (Proposed Change #8). Councilmember
Overbeck made a motion to approve all recommended changes as summarized in the matrix with the
addition of Proposed Change #8 as previously discussed. Councilmember Stephens seconded the
motion and it was unanimously approved.
Other Business
There was no other business.
Meeting adjourned at 4:29 p.m.
MINUTES APPROVED: FEBRUARY 23, 2016