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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 12/18/2018 - ITEMS RELATING TO A CITIZEN-INITIATED CHARTER AMENAgenda Item 21 Item # 21 Page 1 AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY December 18, 2018 City Council STAFF Rita Knoll, Chief Deputy City Clerk Carrie M. Daggett, Legal SUBJECT Items Relating to a Citizen-Initiated Charter Amendment Relating to Council Compensation. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. Possible Public Hearing and Motions Regarding Protest(s) of Ballot Language. B. First Reading of Ordinance No. 173, 2018 Submitting a Citizen-Initiated Charter Amendment Relating to Council Compensation to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City at the Regular Municipal Election on April 2, 2019. The purpose of this item is to set the ballot title for a citizen-initiated Charter amendment relating to Council compensation. Any protest of the proposed ballot language must be received no later than Monday, December 17, 2018, at noon. The protest(s) shall be heard, considered, and resolved by Council prior to adoption of Ordinance No. 173, 2018. If protests are received, copies will be included in Council’s “Read-before” packet. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on First Reading. BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION On December 7, 2018, the City Clerk’s Office received petition to amend the City Charter relating to Councilmember compensation. The petition was determined to contain a sufficient number of signatures to place the citizen-initiated measure on the regular municipal election ballot in April 2019. The proposed Charter language, which would replace the existing language in Article II, Section 3 of the Charter, is as follows: ARTICLE II CITY COUNCIL Section 3. Compensation [and reporting requirements]. Commencing on April 2, 2019 compensation shall be offered to all Councilmembers and the Mayor equal to the Fort Collins Area Median Household Income, in accordance with the U.S. Census ACS five-year estimates plus benefits afforded to full-time, exempt city employees. The Mayor or any Councilmember may decline or accept reduced compensation. Each Councilmember and the Mayor shall publicly report their council related activities. Agenda Item 21 Item # 21 Page 2 CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS Adding an item to the existing election will not add any noticeable cost to the election. ATTACHMENTS 1. Statement of Petition Sufficiency (PDF) ATTACHMENT 1 -1- ORDINANCE NO. 173, 2018 OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS SUBMITTING A CITIZEN-INITIATED CHARTER AMENDMENT RELATING TO COUNCIL COMPENSATION TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY AT THE REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION ON APRIL 2, 2019 WHEREAS, Article V, Section 8 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (“Charter”) provides that the Charter may be amended as provided by the laws of the State of Colorado; and WHEREAS, Section 31-2-210, C.R.S., provides that Charter amendments may be initiated by registered electors of the municipality; and WHEREAS, a petition proposing to amend the Charter has been submitted to the City; and WHEREAS, the amendment proposed by said petition would repeal and replace Article 2, Section 3 of the Charter relating to compensation of Council members; and WHEREAS, the City Clerk has certified said petition as sufficient for submission of the initiated Charter amendment to a vote of the people at the next regular municipal election; and WHEREAS, the City Clerk has heretofore certified the validity and sufficiency of said petition to the City Council as provided in Section 31-2-210(3), C.R.S.; and WHEREAS, under Section 31-2-210(3), C.R.S., upon presentation of a petition certified as sufficient by the City Clerk, the Council must set a ballot title for the proposed amendment at its next meeting. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS as follows: Section 1. That there is hereby submitted to the registered electors of the City as “Proposed Charter Amendment No. (number to be determined)” at the regular municipal election to be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2019: ARTICLE II CITY COUNCIL Section 3. Compensation [and reporting requirements]. Commencing on April 2, 2019 compensation shall be offered to all Councilmembers and the Mayor equal to the Fort Collins Area Median Household Income, in accordance with the U.S. Census ACS five-year estimates plus benefits afforded to full-time, exempt city employees. The Mayor or any -2- Councilmember may decline or accept reduced compensation. Each Councilmember and the Mayor shall publicly report their council related activities. Section 2. That the foregoing proposed Charter amendment is hereby submitted to the registered electors of the City of Fort Collins in substantially the following form: CITIZEN-INITIATED PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. [tbd] Shall Section 3 of Article II of the City of Fort Collins Charter be repealed and replaced with a new Section 3 offering the Mayor and all Councilmembers compensation equal to the Fort Collins Area Median Household Income, in accordance with the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) five-year estimates, plus benefits afforded to full-time, exempt city employees; allowing the Mayor or any Councilmember to decline or accept reduced compensation; and requiring them to publicly report their Council-related activities, commencing on April 2, 2019? ________ Yes/For ________ No/Against Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 18th day of December, A.D. 2018, and to be presented for final passage on the 2nd day of January, A.D. 2019. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk -3- Passed and adopted on final reading on the 2nd day of January, A.D. 2019. __________________________________ Mayor ATTEST: _______________________________ City Clerk