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Home My WebLink About2019-03-28 Charter Commission Agenda Packet CITY OF CORCORAN *Includes Materials - Materials relating to these agenda items can be found in the House Agenda Packet by Door. Corcoran Charter Commission Annual Meeting Agenda March 28, 2019 - 6:00pm 1. Call to Order / Roll Call 2. Pledge of Allegiance 3. Agenda Approval 4. Open Forum 5. Approval of Minutes a. Draft Minutes of the November 13, 2018 Meeting* 6. Unfinished Business a. Discussion on Implementing a Ward System* 7. New Business 8. Adjournment CITY OF CORCORAN Charter Commission Minutes Thursday, November 13, 2018 – 6:00pm 1 The Corcoran Charter Commission met on November 13, 2018, at City Hall in Corcoran, Minnesota. Present were Commissioners Asleson, Lother, Theis, and Tilbury. Excused were Commissioner Christenson and Commissioner Gmach. Also present were City Administrator Martens and City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator Beise. 1.Call to Order Commission Chair Lother called the meeting to order at 6:17 pm. 2.Pledge of Allegiance Commission Chair Lother invited all in attendance to rise and join in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3.Election of Officers a.Chair b.Vice Chair c.Secretary MOTION: made by Asleson, seconded by Tilbury to appoint Brian Lother as Chair, George Gmach as Vice Chair, and Dorothy Theis as Secretary for a term expiring December 31, 2019. Voting Aye: Asleson, Lother, Theis, and Tilbury (Motion carried 4:0) 4.Approval of Agenda MOTION: made by Theis, seconded by Tilbury to approve the agenda as presented. Voting Aye: Asleson, Lother, Theis, and Tilbury (Motion carried 4:0) 5.Open Forum No persons were present for Open Forum. 6.Approval of Minutes a. Draft Minutes of October 27, 2016 meeting City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator Beise apologized for the minutes not being included in the packet but noted the commissioners were sent copies of the minutes following the meeting in November 2017. MOTION: made by Asleson, seconded by Theis to approve the November 9, 2017 Draft Minutes as presented. Voting Aye: Asleson, Lother, Theis, and Tilbury (Motion carried 4:0) 7.Chair Update a. Introduction of New Member – Phil Christenson City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator Beise noted she’d follow up with Mr. Christenson on the date for the next Charter Commission meeting. b. Council Appointment Recommendation – Ken Guenthner Chair Lother thanked Mr. Guenthner for his interest in serving on the Charter Commission. 8. Unfinished Business No unfinished business was presented. 9.New Business 5a. CITY OF CORCORAN Charter Commission Minutes Thursday, November 13, 2018 – 6:00pm 2 a. Review of Correspondence No correspondence was received. b. Commissioner Term Update City Administrator Martens noted no terms are required for officer elections. The Commission discussed electing officers through the following year. The Commission reviewed the terms of the commissioners. c. Discussion on Implementing a Ward System City Administrator Martens presented the report outlining the process for creating wards. The Commission inquired about which process would be the most streamlined for creating a ward system. City Administrator Martens noted an ordinance amendment would be the easiest process but would be subject to a referendum. City Administrator Martens reviewed the pros and cons for the ward system. The Commission discussed creating a ward system. City Administrator Martens noted the staff time administering the program. The Commission discussed the involvement of community members. The Commission discussed population growth and development in regarding to creating a ward system. Per consensus, the charter commission directed staff to have a work session to discuss wards further. d. Annual Report to District Court Judge MOTION: made by Tilbury, seconded by Alseson to approve the annual report to the chief judge of the district. Voting Aye: Asleson, Lother, Theis, and Tilbury (Motion carried 4:0) e. 2018 Charter Commission Annual Meeting Date Council reviewed the date and noted on calendars the proposed date. 10. Adjournment MOTION: made by Asleson, seconded by Theis to adjourn. Voting Aye: Asleson, Lother, Theis, and Tilbury (Motion carried 4:0) Meeting adjourned at 7:01 pm. ________________________________ Jessica Beise – City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator Agenda Item 6a. CITY OF CORCORAN 8200 County Road 116, Corcoran, MN 55340 763.420.2288 – Office 763.420.6056 – Fax E-mail - general@ci.corcoran.mn.us / Web Site - www.ci.corcoran.mn.us MEMO Meeting Date: March 28, 2019 To: Charter Commission From: Jessica Beise, City Clerk/Administrative Services Coordinator Re: Discussion of Implementing a Ward System ______________________________________________________________________ At the 2018 Charter Commission meeting, the commission discussed learning more information about the ward system. Currently the Mayor and all Councilmembers are elected “at large”. Staff has researched wards and spoken with a neighboring City to understand some of the considerations for creating a ward system. A ward is not defined by statute, but generally represents an election district within a city for council election. Each ward elects its own councilmember to represent the interests and concerns of that ward. State statute requires the following: • Population. Each ward must be as equal in population as practicable. • Territory. Each ward must be composed of compact, contiguous territory. • Residency of councilmembers. Each councilmember must be a resident of the ward for which elected. However, a change in boundaries may not disqualify a councilmember from serving the remainder of their term. Considerations for moving toward a ward system: Number of Wards The number of wards would be at the discretion of the Charter Commission and Council. At-Large Membership The Charter Commission and Council should consider if at-large membership would be considered with the creation of wards. In addition to the ward member, at -large Agenda Item 6a. membership would be a representative of the entire committee. The Mayor would serve as an at-large member. Availability of Interested Persons Another consideration is if the City has an adequate number of persons interested in serving on the City Council. With a ward system it could limit the number of persons who could serve in a given area. Limitations of Precinct Boundary Changes Beginning January 1, 2020, the City is not able to move precinct boundaries or establish wards until May of 2021. Additionally, the wards would have to be reestablished or adjusted following the legislative redistricting in 2022. These requirements are in place due to the census is being completed and redistricting is taking place. Population Growth With the growth of eastern Corcoran, the City will have to consider growth in creating wards. As the certain parts of the City grow, the population may inadvertently be larger than other ward due to growth. Administrative Considerations To create a ward system, the City Clerk will need to work with a mapping specialist to create options for wards that are contiguous and similarly sized. The City Clerk will have to present the options to the City Council and make ordinance and Charter amendments. The City Clerk will have to every ten years reexamine the population and make changes to the ward system. Additional election ballots would likely be created due to five school districts and ward boundaries not likely following the five school district boundaries. Geographical Considerations As the City’s population is growing, the City is developing from east to west. The City will have to consider if the boundaries will include agricultural areas and suburban development. Wards must be similar in population which may make for larger wards geographically if rural areas are in one ward. Political Considerations The City should consider concerns of individuals voting in favor of what is best for the ward over what is the greater good for the community. A ward system can limit the area in which a candidates needs to Process Considerations An ordinance establishing a ward system can be approved by the City Council and the Charter Commission after a public hearing is held. This does not require a vote of the public. However, it is subject to a referendum request within 60 days of approval. Other Agenda Item 6a. options to establish wards would be to amend the Charter or place on the ballot at a general or special election. According to the National League of Cities, at-large representation is more prevalent in smaller cities than ward only or a mixture of ward and at-large membership, see the below graph (Source: https://www.nlc.org/municipal-elections). With the many considerations, staff recommends that if the Charter Commission wants to move forward with considering wards further, input from the Council be sought. Additionally until the 2022 redistricting is done the City shouldn’t consider creating wards. Charter Commission action: Discuss the option of establishing a ward system. If supportive, the Charter Commission should also discuss their preference for timeline and process. Attachment: None Small (25,000- 69,999) Medium (70,000-199,999) Large (200,000 And Up) At-Large 48.9% 43.7% 16.4% Mixed-System 25.0% 25.4% 38.2% District (Ward) 26.1% 31.0% 45.5%