Charter Review Committee

MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE AUGUST 9, 2010 - 10:00 A.M. OLD LAWTON HIGH SCHOOL – MAYOR’S CONFERENCE ROOM The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room at the Old Lawton High School. Meeting notice and agenda were posted on the City Hall bulletin board as required by State Law. 1. Roll Call: PRESENT: Steve Barnes, Rick Sinnreich, John Purcell, Jr., Minnette Page, John Cameron, Albert Johnson, Sr., Emil Vyhlidal, Ernest Godlove. ABSENT: Ken Easton. ALSO PRESENT: Frank V. Jensen - City Attorney, Traci Hushbeck - City Clerk, Kim McConnell - Lawton Constitution. ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Approve minutes of August 2, 2010. MOVED by Godlove, SECOND by Page, to approve the minutes of August 2, 2010. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. 3. Review of the City Charter and take appropriate action if necessary. The committee reviewed the following items: C-1-3 - Planning and zoning—General grant of power. b. The scope of the planning function shall include, but shall not be limited to, the development and administration of a comprehensive land-use plan which will provide for the careful and thoughtful integration of residential, commercial, industrial, public, and other elements to achieve and preserve social purposes, economic values, and aesthetic quality of the neighborhoods and of other areas that compose the city. -City Planner will attend the August 16th meeting to explain other “elements”. Minutes of Charter Review Committee Meeting of August 9, 2010 Page 2 C-2-9 - Mayor and councilmembers—Removal. The mayor or any councilmember may be removed from office for any cause specified by applicable state law for the removal of officers, and by the method or methods prescribed thereby, and by recall as provided in this Charter. Committee agreed to no changes. C-2-11 - Council—Quorum, rules, roll call votes. A majority of all of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day or from time to time. The council may determine its own rules. The vote on any question shall be by roll call, and shall be entered in the journal. A councilmember may abstain from voting in which case the abstention shall constitute neither a negative nor affirmative vote. The passage of an ordinance or resolution shall require at least five (5) affirmative votes. Discuss at a later time. C-3-3 - City manager—Powers and duties. The city manager shall be chief administrative officer and head of the administrative branch of the city government. He shall execute the laws and ordinances and administer the government of the city, and shall be responsible therefor to the council. He shall: (1) Appoint, and when deemed necessary for the good of the service, lay off, suspend, demote, or remove all directors, or heads, of administrative departments and all other administrative officers and employees of the city except as he may authorize the head of a department, or an agency to appoint, lay off, suspend, demote, and remove subordinates in such department, office, or agency. MOVED by Godlove, SECOND by Johnson, to leave the words “good of the service”. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. C-4-3 - Sale of property valued at more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00). Does this amount need to be increased? MOVED by Johnson, SECOND by Godlove, to increase the dollar amount to $250,000 and add the words “adjusted for inflation”. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. Minutes of Charter Review Committee Meeting of August 9, 2010 Page 3 C-6-2 - Wards—Redistricting commission—Adjustment of wards. c. On or before December 31, 1992, and on or before December 31st of every fifth tenth year thereafter, and at other times it deems desirable, the redistricting commission shall pass and file with the city clerk a resolution readjusting the wards and their boundaries to comply with the following requirements: MOVED by Sinnreich, SECOND by Vyhlidal, to change from every five years to every ten years. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. C-7-1 - Recall authorized. The mayor or any councilmember may be recalled from office by the electors qualified to vote for the election of a successor to the incumbent, in the manner provided in this article. Committee agreed to no changes regarding recall. C-8-1 - Merit system created—Appointments, removals, etc.—Personnel rules. A merit system is hereby established for personnel in the city service. Appointments and promotions in the service of the city shall be made solely on the basis of merit and fitness; and removals, demotions, suspensions, and layoffs shall be made solely for the good of the service. The council, consistent with this Charter, by ordinance or personnel rules, may regulate personnel matters and provide for proper personnel administration. Committee agreed to no changes. C-6-1 - Nomination and election—Terms—Nonpartisan elections, etc. b. Thereafter, the mayor and each councilmember shall be elected for a term of three years. MOVED by Sinnreich, SECOND by Vyhlidal, to continue with three year terms. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. C-6-4 - Primary election—Time, etc. A primary election shall be held on the second fourth Tuesday in December July of every year to nominate candidates for mayor and councilmembers to succeed those whose terms are expiring in March January of the following year, as the case may be. If only one person is a candidate for an office to be filled, he shall be not only nominated, but also elected ipso facto; and his name shall not appear on the primary or general election ballot. Every qualified elector of the Minutes of Charter Review Committee Meeting of August 9, 2010 Page 4 city shall be entitled to vote for one candidate for mayor and one candidate for councilmember from his ward. C-6-6 - General election—Time, who elected. A general election shall be held as needed in the city on the second first Tuesday in February November every year to elect the mayor and councilmembers to succeed those whose terms are expiring in the respective year, as the case may be. An elector may vote for one of the two candidates for an office to be filled, but may not vote for any other person. Every qualified elector of the city shall be entitled to vote for one of the two candidates for mayor. Every qualified elector of a ward shall be entitled to vote for one of the two candidates for councilmember from his ward. The candidate for each office receiving the greater number of votes, shall be elected. In case of failure to elect because of a tie, the election shall be determined from among those tying, fairly by lot, by the county election board in a public meeting. MOVED by Godlove SECOND by Sinnreich, to set primary in July and general in November to correspond with state and federal elections. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. MOVED by Godlove SECOND by Sinnreich, to continue with run off election. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. Term Limits: MOVED by Godlove SECOND by Barnes, to set term limits of three terms (9 years). AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: Cameron. MOTION CARRIED. At Large vs Ward voting: MOVED by Godlove SECOND by Barnes, to continue to elect council members from wards. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. Number of wards: MOVED by Sinnreich, SECOND by Godlove, to leave number of wards at eight. AYE: Barnes, Sinnreich, Purcell, Page, Cameron, Johnson, Vyhlidal, Godlove. NAY: None. MOTION CARRIED. The next meeting will be held on Monday, August 16th @ 10:00 a.m. at Old Lawton High/New City Hall. 4. Adjournment There was no further business to consider and upon motion, second and roll call vote the committee adjourned at 11:48 a.m.