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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 02/11/2025 - Memorandum from Jenny Lopez Filkins re January 28, 2025, Work Session Summary: Council Priority to Update and Modernize the City CharterCity Attorney’s Office 300 LaPorte Avenue PO Box 580, Fort Collins, CO 80522 CC: [list any additional recipients] WORK SESSION MEMORANDUM Date: February 6, 2025 To: Mayor and City Councilmembers Through: Carrie Daggett, City Attorney Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk From: Jenny Lopez Filkins, Sr. Deputy City Attorney Subject: January 28, 2025, Work Session Summary: Council Priority to Update and Modernize the City Charter BOTTOM LINE The purpose of this memo is to document the summary of discussions during the January 28, 2025, Work Session. All Councilmembers except Mayor Arndt and Kelly Ohlson were present. DISCUSSION SUMMARY Special Legal Counsel Geoff Wilson, Sara Arfmann and Jenny Lopez Filkins presented overview information and asked for Council feedback about: • Whether to bring forward reformatting and modernizing of Charter language to improve readability, replace outdated language for gender neutrality and eliminate unclear uses of the term “shall;” and • Proposed grouping and prioritization of Charter amendments included in the agenda item summary; and • Specific provisions identified for further discussion at the December 10, 2024, work session; and • The number of ordinances or groupings of ballot language ordinances to be presented at the Council’s April 1, 2025, meeting. Councilmembers discussed each of these topics and the following points were noted: • There is interest in considering a single ballot question ordinance that makes amendments throughout the Charter to reformat for ease of reading, replace outdated language, and eliminate unclear uses of the term “shall.” • There is interest in considering ballot question ordinances for Grouping One through Grouping Four of the groupings identified in the agenda item summary. These include amendments to address corrections; alignment with amended or further developed laws and removing inconsistencies; modernizing publication requirements; and modernizing conflicts of interest. • There is interest in addressing the items identified as group six as part of one of the other groupings, if permissible. Group six includes revisions to language that is obsolete and no longer needed. • After discussion about the various options related to Council meeting vacancies, a common theme emerged that this should be addressed by Council action at the time meetings are cancelled, one of the circumstances creating ambiguity, rather than Charter amendment or that this is a topic to address with future Charter amendments. • In general, there was support for considering a ballot question ordinance regarding campaign contributions like the first option viewed in the presentation slides. The option includes narrowing limits on employee campaign contributions to those employees who are confidential or policy-level employees and adding an exception for contributions the City is required to allow under the federal and state Constitutions. • In general, there was support for considering a ballot question ordinance that requires publication of ordinances and legal notices on the City website and physically posted at City Hall or the Poudre River Library. • It was noted that there is sufficient time after April 1, 2025, for other Charter amendments the Council may want to consider. NEXT STEPS Staff will address the question about adding group six to another ballot question and prepare ordinances with ballot language for the April 1, 2025, City Council meeting. FOLLOW-UP ITEMS Councilmember Pignataro asked about past proposed Charter amendments that did not receive voter approval. City Clerk Delynn Coldiron researched all Charter amendment ballot questions and compiled information shown on the attached spreadsheet. Of 45 Charter amendment ballot questions posed (some City-initiated and some citizen-initiated) since 1997, only 7 have failed. CHARTER AMENDMENTS NOT APPROVED CHARTER AMENDMENTS NOT APPROVED BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997 BALLOT ITEMS SINCE 1997