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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992-02-18 CRC MINS . . . MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 18, 1992 February 18, 1992 council Conference Room 6:00 p.m. ----------------------------------------------------------------- MEMBERS PRESENT: John Dorso, Susan Fuller, Jack Blakely, Sharon Reid, Ted Hillock Bob Campbell and Vickie Turner (both excused) MEMBERS ABSENT: STAFF PRESENT: Assistant City Attorney Rudolf The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairperson John Dorso at 6:07 p.m. The roll was called and all members were present except Members Campbell and Turner. MSUC (Reid/Fuller) to excuse Chairperson Campbell for surgery recovery and Member Turner for maternity, having delivered a baby one week after our last meeting. MSUC (Reid/Fuller) to approve the minutes of the January 21, 1992 meeting. There were no comments from members of the public. Aqenda Item 4A: Mr. Rudolf reported that the staff report provided two options to meet the directions of the Committee from its last meeting with regard to the conduct of a runoff election and/or a mail ballot, along with information regarding the cost of elections and the history of the prohibition against mail ballots for elections relating to the Mayor and City Council. Staff reviewed each of the enclosures in the Committee's members packets and reported on Mayor Nader's preferential voting option and the City Attorney's personal recommendation for an option which would allow a winner with a 40% plurality vote rather than a majority vote. Member Fuller requested clarification regarding the proposed amendment to section 900 in Option 1, because the proposal did not seem to require extension of terms, but the language in proposed Section 900 appeared to be changing with regard to extension of terms. Mr. Rudolf clarified that Member Fuller was correct that Option 1 would not require any extension of terms, but that the language was a technical clean up of the existing language which could be omitted from the package. Effectuation of the runoff election by mail in January following the consolidated general election in November could be accomplished by the changes in sections 300 and 902 only. Member Fuller expressed her preference for Option No. 1 because of the short lame duck period and the short amount of time for campaigning and spending in the event that a runoff election by mail was required. Member Blakely also did not want to extend the term by any action providing for a runoff election. Member Reid . . . Charter Review Minutes February 18, 1992 Page 2 liked the idea of the Option No. 2 mail ballot preceding the consolidated general election in November, except for the high cost involved in a September mail ballot. Member Hillock preferred Option No. 1 because it might not be necessary to have a runoff election by mail. MSUC (Blakely/Hillock) to recommend Option No. 1 to the Council for placement on the June ballot with authority in the City Attorney's office to add appropriate language regarding the death or withdrawal of a runoff candidate after changing the last sentence in the proposed addition to set up a runoff election rather than requiring candidates to run in the special runoff election. Aqenda Item 5: The Commi ttee then reviewed the previously Committee approved Charter changes to be recommended to the Council. MSUC (Reid/Hillock) that all six recommended Charter changes be forwarded to the Council at this time so that the Council could have the option of picking some or all proposed changes to add to the ballot at this time or save them for the November ballot, as the Council so chose. Aqenda Item 6: Members Comments: The members discussed the possibility of an extraordinary meeting on March 3 to review any of the recommended Charter changes approved by the Council to consider assignment of or preparation of ballot arguments in favor of the items. The meeting was adjourned at 7:10 p.m. to potentially meet again at the call of the Acting Chair. Respectfully submitted, ~-.L~ \\-7. D. Richard ~ Secretary C:\CRC\1121 minutes