HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-10-2025 Charter Commission Minutes
Call to Order
Roll Call/Status of Membership
Members present: Matt Abel, Kathy Ahlers, Wolid Ahmed, Larry Betzhold, Ben Harris, Bill Hugo,
Leo James, Veronica Johnson, Carolyn Laine, Julie Rose, Frost Simula, Marsha Stroik, Susan
Wiseman
Members absent: Excused: Gregory Sloat Unexcused: Christine Brown
Also Present: Council Liaison Justice Spriggs, City Attorney Scott Lepak
Approval of Agenda
Motion by Abel to approve as amended, second by Wiseman. Motion passes.
1. Approval of January 16, 2025 Meeting Minutes
Correction: Christine Brown was absent.
Motion to approve as amended by Abel, Second by Betzhold. Motion passes.
Correspondence
Old Business
2. Changes to Recall elections Sections 47 -52
Section 52. Form of Recall Ballot.
President Laine pointed out that there is a tabled motion to adopt language from Makato’s
charter which provides for both a recall and a replacement to occur in the same election.
President Laine also pointed out that most charters define a recall occurring in one election and
a replacement occurring in a separate, special election.
Motion by Harris, second by Johnson to remove from the table the motion to adopt language
from Mankato’s charter to add “and shall be ineligible under any circumstances to hold the
office from which they were recalled until the next general election for such office.”
Roll call vote:
Ayes(5): James, Rose, Simula, Stroik, Wiseman
Nays(8): Abel, Ahlers, Ahmed, Betzhold, Harris, Hugo, Johnson, Laine
Motion fails.
New Business
CHARTER COMMISSION
Columbia Heights City Hall, 3989 Central Ave NE, Shared Vision
Thursday, April 10, 2025
7:00 PM
MINUTES
Summary
Changes to Chapter 5 Initiative, Referendum and Recall
New section, first hearing on October 17, 2024.
“Section [#]. Right of Recall. The people of the City of Columbia Heights hereby reserve
to themselves the right and power to remove from office at any time any or all of the
elected officers of the City for malfeasance or nonfeasance in office in accordance with
state law. For this purpose, the word ‘malfeasance’ means the performance of an act in
their official capacity that is unlawful or wrongful, and the word ‘nonfeasance’ means
the failure to act where there was a duty to act. The exercise of this power shall be
designated as “the recall”.”
Section 41, first hearing on January 16, 2025.
“If the council shall fail to pass the proposed ordinance, or shall pass it on in a form
different from that set forth in the petition and unsatisfactory to the petitioners, the
proposed ordinance shall be submitted by the council to vote of the electorate at the
next election occurring not more than three months after the date of the final action by
the council, and if no otherwise scheduled election is to be held within three months
from such date, then the council shall call a special election to be held not less than
thirty nor more than forty-five days from such date soonest date that conforms with
state law.”
Section 44, first hearing on January 16, 2025.
“In the latter case the council shall immediately order a special municipal election to be
held thereon within not less than thirty nor more than forty-five days from the action of
the council calling it at the soonest date that conforms with state law.”
Section 48, first hearing on January 16, 2025.
“Signatures must be from eligible voters who are on active status on the Statewide
Voter Registration System at the time of the petition verification.”
Section 50, first hearing on January 16, 2025.
“The council shall at its next meeting, by motion, provide for the holding of a special
recall election not less than thirty nor more than forty-five days thereafter, provided
that if any other municipal election is to occur within sixty days after such meeting, the
council may in its discretion provide for the holding of the recall election at that time at
the soonest date that conforms with state law.”
ADJOURNMENT
Motion: Abel, second by Johnson. Motion passes. Meeting adjourned at 7:56pm.
Next meeting is July 17, 2025 at 7pm.
Minutes approved July 17, 2025