HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 06/17/2025 - Memorandum from Carrie Daggett re June 3 Work Session Summary: Council Priority to Update and Modernize the Charter – Council Vacancy Amendment an Order of Charter Ballot Questions
Work Session Memorandum
Date: June 11, 2025
To: Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Carrie Daggett, City Attorney
Subject: June 3 Work Session Summary: Council Priority to Update and Modernize the
Charter – Council Vacancy Amendment and Order of Charter Ballot Questions
On June 3, Council met after the regular Council meeting for a special Work Session to discuss
two remaining topics regarding the Council Priority to Update and Modernize the Charter:
1. Council Vacancy Amendment; and
2. Order of Charter Ballot Questions
The purpose of this memo is to document the summary of discussions during the June 3 Work
Session. All Councilmembers were present, with Councilmember Gutowsky attending remotely.
Bottom Line Summary
The first item considered was the proposed amendment of the Charter provisions regarding
Council vacancies. Council discussed various aspects of the proposed changes and there was
broad support for bringing forward a related ordinance for consideration. Councilmembers:
• expressed concern about eliminating the time limit on Council action to appoint a
replacement to fill a Council vacancy and generally suggested 35 business days as
an appropriate timeframe for Council to act;
• were not interested in adding a requirement for nominating petitions;
• were concerned about the potential for a seat to remain vacant and about waiting
until after an upcoming election to refill a vacated position;
• were interested in having a vacant office appear on the next ballot that the timing
would allow, and simplifying the language and process;
• expressed concern about the number of ballot questions and optimism that the
publication of a “blue book” to explain the ballot would help avoid confusion.
City Attorney’s Office
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The second item was about the order in which the Charter Amendment ballot questions should
appear on the November 4, 2025, ballot. The discussion of this item was brief, and there was
general support expressed by Councilmembers for presenting the ballot questions in the
following order:
1. Corrections Conforming to the November 2024 Charter amendments (Ord. No. 063);
2. Overall formatting and language modernization (Ord. No. 067);
3. Updating ordinance adoption and publication requirements (Ord. No. 065);
4. Conforming the Charter to federal and state law (Ord. No. 064);
5. Updating Conflicts of Interest provisions (Ord. No. 066); and
6. (If adopted) Updating Council Vacancy Process (Ord. No. 108).
It was noted this order makes sense because the first two items are essentially editorial. The
importance of a “blue book” to explain the several items was again noted as important in moving
this many items forward.
Next Steps
An ordinance to submit a ballot question regarding the Council Vacancy Charter Amendment
and an ordinance setting the order of the Charter Amendment ballot questions will be presented
for Council consideration as discussion items at the June 17 Council meeting.
CC: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Rupa Venkatesh, Assistant City Manager
Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk
Sara Arfmann, Assistant City Attorney