HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-09 11-03 CCO CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER
ORDINANCE NO. 80 -9
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE BROOKLYN CENTER CITY CHARTER
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12 of the
Brooklyn Center City Charter are hereby amended as follows:
Section 2.04a. INCOMPATIBLE OFFICES. No member of the
Council shall be appointed City Manager, nor shall any member
hold any other paid municipal office or employment for the City;
and until one (1) year after the expiration of [his] the member's
term or the member's resignation as Mayor or [Councilman] Council-
member, no former member shall be appointed to any paid appointive
office or employment for the City [which office or employment was
created or the emoluments of which were increased during his
term as Councilman.] except as provided in Section 2.05.
Section 2.04b. PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT'. No former Mayor or
Councilmember may, within one (1) year after leaving the position,
appear or participate in proceedings before the Council except to
represent the former member's own personal interests as a private
citizen of the City of Brooklyn Center.
Section 3.01. COUNCIL MEETINGS. On the first business
day of January following a regular municipal election, the Council
shall meet at the usual place and time for the holding of Council
meetings. At this time, the newly elected members of the Council
shall assume their duties. Thereafter, the Council shall meet
at such times each month as may be prescribed by ordinance or
resolution. The Mayor or any two members of the Council may call
special meetings of the Council upon at least [twelve hour's]
twenty -four (24) hour's written notice to each member of the
Council. Such notice shall be delivered personally to each member
or shall be left at his usual place of residence with some respon-
sible person. All meetings of the Council shall be [public] in
compliance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law, and any records
thereof shall be made available at all reasonable times.
Section 3.04. ORDINANCES, RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS.
Except as otherwise provided in this charter, all legislation
shall be by ordinance. The aye and no vote and abstentions on
ordinances, resolutions and motions shall be recorded. An
affirmative vote of a majority of all the members of the Council
shall be required for the passage of all ordinances and resolutions,
except as otherwise provided in this charter.
ORDINANCE NO. gp_g
Section 3.05. PROCEDURE ON ORDINANCES. The enacting
clause of all ordinances shall be in the words "City of Brooklyn
Center does ordain Every ordinance shall be presented in writing.
No ordinance except an emergency ordinance shall be passed at the
meeting at which it is introduced, and at least seven (7) days
shall elapse between its introduction and its final passage. Every
ordinance, other than an emergency ordinance, shall be published
in the [legal] official newspaper at least one week prior to the
final passage.
Section 4.01. THE REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION. A regular
municipal election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the
first 14onday in November of each year at such place or places as
the City Council may designate. The City Clerk shall give at
least two (2) weeks' previous notice of the time and place of
holding such election and of the officers to be elected and such
other matters to be voted upon by posting in at least one public
place in each voting precinct and by publication at least once
in the official newspaper, but failure to give such notice shall
not invalidate such election.
Section 4.03. SPECIAL ELECTIONS. The Council may by
resolution order a special election and provide all ,means for
holding it. At least three (3) weeks of weekly published notice
of a special election shall be given in the official newspaper.
The procedure at such election shall conform as nearly as possible
to that prescribed for other municipal elections.
Section 5.02. EXPENDITURES BY PETITIONERS. No member
of any initiative, or referendum committee, no circulator of a
signature paper, and no signer of any such paper, or any other
person, shall accept or offer any reward, pecuniary, or otherwise,
for service rendered in connection with the circulation thereof,
but this shall not prevent the committee from incurring expenses
for legal advice, stationery, copying, printing, advertising and
notaries' fees. The committee, at least five (5) days before
the election, shall file with the City Manager a financial state-
ment verified by a member of the committee, which shall show in
itemized detail, all receipts, with t1e source thereof, and all
disbursements and all obligations to make disbursements. Any
violation of the provisions of this [section] paragraph shall
constitute a misdemeanor.
Section 5.09. INITIATION OF CHARTER AMENDMENTS. Nothing
in this charter shall be construed as in any way affecting the right
of the registered voters, under the constitution and statutes of
Minnesota, to propose amendments to this charter.
MINNESOTA STATUTES ANNOTATED
Section [410.31] 410.12 Subdivision 7
Charter Amendment by Ordinance
[Subdivision 1. As an alternative to the amend-
ment methods provided in section 410.12, a home
rule charter may be amended as provided in this
section.
I
ORDINANCE NO. 80 -9
Subd. 2. Upon recommendation of the charter
commission the city council may enact a charter
amendment by ordinance. Such an ordinance, if
enacted, shall be adopted by the council by an
affirmative vote of all its members after a
public hearing upon two weeks' published notice
containing the text of the proposed amendment
and shall be approved by the mayor and published
as in the case of other ordinances
Subd. 3. An ordinance amending a city charter
shall not become effective until 90 days after
passage and publication or at such later date
as is fixed in the ordinance. Within 60 days
after passage and publication of such an ordinance,
a petition requesting a referendum on the ordinance
may be filed with the city clerk. Such petition
shall be signed by qualified voters equal in
number to two per cent of the total number of
voters cast in the city at the last state general
election or 2000, whichever is less. If the city
has a system of permanent registration of voters,
only registered voters are eligible to sign the
petition. If the requisite petition is filed
within the prescribed period, the ordinance shall
not become effective until it is approved by the
voters as in the case of charter amendments sub-
mitted by the charter commission, the council, or
by petition of the voters, except that the council
may submit the ordinance at any general or special
election held at least 60 days after submission
of the petition, or it may reconsider its action
in adopting the ordinance.
Subd. 4. As far as practicable the requirements
of section 410.12 apply to petitions submitted
under this section, to an ordinance amending a
charter, and to the filing of such ordinance when
approved by the voters.
Laws 1967, Ex.Sess.,c. 33, sec. 3, eff. July 1, 1967.1
Subd. 7. Amendment by ordinance. Upon recommen-
dation of the charter commission the city council
may enact a charter amendment by ordinance. Such
an ordinance, if enacted, shall be adopted by the
council by an affirmative vote of all its members
after a public hearing upon two weeks' published
notice containing the text of the proposed amend-
ment and shall be approved by the mayor and published
as in the case of other ordinances. An ordinance
amending a city charter shall not become effective
until 90 days after passage and publication or at
such later date as is fixed in the ordinance.
ORDINANCE NO. 80 9
Within 60 days after passage and publication of such
an ordinance, a petition requesting a referendum on
the ordinance may be filed with the city clerk.
Such petition shall be signed by qualified voters
equal in number to two percent of the total number
of votes cast in the city at the last state general
election or 2,000, whichever is less. If the city
has a system of permanent registration of voters,
only registered voters are eligible to sign the
petition. If the requisite petition is filed within
the prescribed period, the ordinance shall not become
effective until it is approved by the voters as in
the case of charter amendments submitted by the
charter commission, the council, or by petition of
the voters, except that the council may submit the
ordinance at any general or special election held
at least 60 days after submission of the petition,
or it may reconsider its action in adopting the
ordinance. As far as practicable the requirements
of (Minnesota Statutes 410.12) subdivisions l through
3 apply to petitions submitted under this section,
to an ordinance amending a charter, and to filing
of such ordinance when approved by the voters.
Section 6.05. PURCHASES AND CONTRACTS. [The City
Manager may make or let contracts for the purchase of merchan-
dise, materials or equipment, or any kind of construction work
when the amount of such contract does not exceed one thousand
dollars ($1,000.00). If such contract exceed the last stated
amount but is less than twenty -five hundred dollars ($2,500.00),
same may be made or let by the City Manager after first obtaining
the approval of the City Council. All other purchases shall be
made and all other contracts let by the Council after the recom-
mendation of the City Manager has first been obtained.] The City
Council shall by resolution, establish and maintain a purchasing
policy for the City of Brooklyn Center. All contracts, bonds,
and instruments of any kind to which the City is a party shall be
signed by the Mayor and the City Manager on behalf of the City
and shall be executed in the name of the City.
Section 6.06. CONTRACTS: HOW LET. Every contract for
the purchase of [merchandise] supplies, materials, equipment or
the rental thereof, or [for any kind of construction work where the
amount involved is more than twenty -five hundred dollars ($2,500.00)
shall be let only by the Council upon the recommendation of the City
Manager to the lowest responsible bidder, unless the Council shall
otherwise provide by resolution adopted by a vote of a majority of
the Council and published once in the official legal newspaper of
the City. The Council may, however, reject any and all bids. Nothing
contained'in this section shall prevent the Council from contracting
by a four fifths (4/5) vote for the doing of work with patented
processes, or from the purchasing of patented appliances by the
same majority.] the construction, alteration, repair or maintenance
of real or personal property shall be in accordance with the
ORDINANCE NO. 80 -9
Uniform Municipal Contracting Law, M.S.A. Section 471.345. Subject
to the provisions of this charter, the Council may by [ordinance]
resolution adopt further regulations for the making of bids and
the letting of contracts.
Section 11.01. ACQUISITION AND OPERATION OF UTILITIES.
The City may own and _operate any gas, water, heat, power, light,
telephone or other public utility for supplying its own needs for
utility service or for supplying utility service to private con-
sumers or both. It may construct all facilities reasonably needed
for that purpose and may acquire any existing utility properties
so needed; but such acquisition action may only be taken by an
ordinance, [which shall not be an emergency ordinance] approved
by a majority of the electors voting thereon, at a general or
special election. The operation of all public utilities owned
by the City shall be under the supervision of the Director of
Public Works.
Section 11.04. LEASE OF PLANT. The Council may, if
the public interests will be served thereby, contract with any
responsible person, co- partnership or corporation for the operation
of any utility owned by the City, upon such rentals and conditions
as it may deem necessary; but such contract shall be embodied in
and let only by an ordinance approved by [the Council and subject
to popular referendum] a majority of the electors voting thereon,
at a general or special.election. [Such ordinance shall not be
an emergency ordinance.] In no case shall such contract be for
a longer term than ten (10) years.
Section 2. The following amendments are gender and
housekeeping changes to the Brooklyn Center City Charter.
Section 2.03. ELECTIVE OFFICERS. The Council shall be
composed of a Mayor and four [Councilmen] Councilmembers who shall
be registered voters of Brooklyn Center, ana wno snail be elected
at large. Each [Councilman] Councilmember shall serve for a
term of three (3) years. The Mayor shall serve for a term of
two (2) years. the charter is ratified, the Mayor and
Councilmen who have been elected to office under the Village
form of government shall continue in office until their term
expires.] The Council shall be judges of the election of the
Mayor and the [Councilmen] Councilmembers.
Section 2.05. VACANCIES IN THE COUNCIL. The office of
Mayor or [Councilman] Councilmember shall become vacant upon [his]
death, resignation, removal from office in any manner authorized
by law or forfeiture of [his] the office. The Mayor or [Councilman]
Councilmember shall forfeit [his] the office [if he] for (1)[lacks]
lack at any time during [his] the term of office of any qualifi-
cation for the office prescribed by this charter or bylaw, (2)
[violates] violation of any express prohibition of this charter,
(3)[is convicted] conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude,
or (4) [fails] failure to attend three consecutive regular meetings
of the Council without being excused by the Council. A vacancy
ORDINANCE NO. 80-9
in the Council shall be filled temporarily by the Council and then
by the voters for the remainder of the term at the next regular
election unless that election occurs within one hundred (100) days
from the occurrence of the vacancy, this period being necessary to
allow time for candidates to file. The Council by a majority vote
of all its remaining members shall appoint a qualified person to
fill the vacancy until the person elected to serve the remainder
of the unexpired term takes office. If the Council fails to fill
a vacancy within thirty (30) days, the election authorities shall
call a special election to fill the vacancy. The election will
be held not sooner than ninety (90) days and not later than one
hundred and twenty (120) days following the occurrence of the
vacancy and to be otherwise governed by the provisions of Section
4.03, special elections. The quorum of the Council consists of
three (3) members; if at any time the membership of the Council
is reduced to less than three (3) the remaining members may by
unanimous action appoint additional members to raise the member-
ship to three (3).
Section 2.06.. THE MAYOR. The Mayor shall be the
presiding officer of the Council, except that the Council shall
choose from its members a president pro tem who shall hold office
at the pleasure.of the Council and shall serve as president in
the Mayor's absence and as Mayor in case,,of the Mayor's disability
or absence from the City. The Mayor shall have a vote as a member
of the Council [.He] and shall exercise all powers and perform all
duties conferred and imposed upon [him] the Mayor by this charter,
the ordinances of the City, and the laws of the State. [He] The
Mayor shall be recognized as the official head of the City for
all ceremonial purposes, by the courts for the purpose of serving
civil process, and by the Governor for the purposes of martial
law. [He] The Mayor shall study the operations of the City
government and shall report to the Council any neglect, dereliction
of duty, or waste on the part of any office or department of the
City. In time of public danger or emergency [he] the Mayor may,
with the consent of the Council, take command of the police,
maintain order and enforce the law.
Section 3.02.. SECRETARY OF COUNCIL. The City Clerk
shall act as Secretary of the Council. [He] The Clerk shall
keep a journal of Council proceedings and such other records and
perform such other duties as may be required by this charter or
as the Council may require. The Council shall choose such other
officers and employees as may be necessary to serve at its meetings.
In the absence of the City Clerk, the Council may designate any
other official or employee of the City (except the City Manager
or a member of the Council) to act as Secretary of the Council.
Section 4.05. WITHDRAWAL OF CANDIDATE. Any person
whose name has been presented in the manner provided for in the
foregoing section as a candidate may, not later than twelve (12)
o'clock noon of the day after the last day for filing; cause [his]
such name to be withdrawn from nomination by filing with the City
Clerk a request to do so in writing, and no name so withdrawn
shall be printed upon the ballot.
ORDINANCE NO. 80 -9
Section 5.05. FILING OF PETITIOA AND ACTION THEREON.
All the signature papers shall be filed in the office of the City
Clerk as one instrument. Within five (5) days after the filing
of the petition, the City Clerk shall ascertain by examination,
the number of registered voters whose signatures are appended
thereto and whether this number is at least five percent (50) of
the total number of registered voters at the time of the last
regular municipal election. If [he] the Clerk finds the petition
insufficient or irregular, [he] the Clerk shall at once notify
one or more of the committee of sponsors of that fact, certifying
the reasons for [his] such finding. The committee shall then be
given thirty (30) days in which to file additional signature papers
and to correct the petition in all other particulars. If at the
end of that period the petition is found to be still insufficient
or irregular, the Clerk shall [file it in his office and shall] so
notify each member of the committee of that fact and file the
petition as an official City record. The final finding of the
insufficiency or irregularity of a petition shall not prejudice
the filing of a new petition for the same purpose, nor shall it
prevent the Council from referring the ordinance to the voters
at the next regular or special election.
Section 6.01. THE CITY MANAGER. The City Manager shall
be the Chief Administrative Officer of the City [.He] and shall be
chosen by the Council solely on the basis of [his] training,
experience, and administrative qualifications. The choice shall
not be limited to inhabitants of the City or State [but he] The
City Manager shall be a citizen of the United States and [The
City Manager] shall be appointed for an indefinite period [and
he] The City Manager shall be removable by the Council at will,
provided however, that if removed at any time after one year of
service, [he] the City Manager may within fifteen (15) days after
[his] such removal, demand written charges and a public hearing
on the same before the Council; but pending and during such hearing,
the Council may suspend [him] the City Manager from office with or
without pay. Such public hearing shall take place within thirty
(30) days after the demand for the same and the written charges
shall be furnished [him] to the City Manager by the Council at
least ten (10) days before the hearing. During the suspension,
absence or disability of the City Manager, or in case of a vacancy
in the office of the City Manager, the duties of [his] said office
shall be performed by some properly qualified person designated by
the Council as acting manager.
Section 6.02. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE CITY MANAGER.
Subdivision 1. Subject to the provisions of this
charter, any Council regulations consistent therewith,
and other applicable laws, the City Manager shall control
and direct the administration of the City's affairs. [He]
The City Manager shall have the powers and duties set
forth in the following subdivisions:
Subdivision 2. [He] The City Manager shall see that
this charter and the laws, and resolutions of the City
are enforced.
ORDINANCE NO. 80 -9
Subdivision 4. [He] The City Manager shall exercise
control over all departments and divisions of the City
administration created by this charter or by the Council.
Subdivision 5. [He] The City Manager shall attend all
meetings of the Council with the right to take part in
the discussion, but not to vote; but the Council may in
its discretion exclude [him] the City Manager from any
meeting at which [his] the removal of the City Manager
is considered.
Subdivision 6. [He] The City Manager shall recommend
to the Council for adoption such measures as [he] the
City Manager may deem necessary for the welfare of the
people and the efficient administration of the City's
affairs.
Subdivision 7. [He] The City Manager shall keep the
Council fully advised as to the financial condition and
needs of the City, and [he] shall prepare and submit to
the Council the annual budget.
Subdivision 8. [He] The City Manager shall prepare and
submit to the Council for adoption an administrative code
incorporating the details of administrative procedure,
and shall, from time to time [he shall] suggest amend-
ments to such code.
Subdivision 9. [He] The City Manager shall perform
such other duties as may be prescribed by this charter or
by law or required of [him] the City Manager by ordinance
or resolutions adopted by the Council.
Section 7.05. PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL BUDGET. The
City Manager shall prepare the estimates for the annual budget.
The budget shall be by funds and shall include all the funds of the
City except the funds made up of proceeds of bond issues, public
service enterprise funds, and special assessments funds, and may
include any of such funds at the discretion of the Council. The
estimates of expenditures for each fund budgeted shall be arranged
for each department or division of the City. The budget shall show
the income and expenditures classified in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles. The City Manager shall submit with
the estimates such explanatory statements as [he] the City Manager
may deem necessary, and under this charter, [he] the City Manager
shall interpret this section as requiring comparisons of the City's
finances with the two previous budgets of this municipality.
Section 7.07. ENFORCEMENT OF THE BUDGET. It shall be the
duty of the City Manager to enforce the provisions of the budget
as specified in the budget resolution. [Hie] The City Manager shall
not authorize or approve any expenditure unless an appropriation
has been made in the budget resolution and there is an available
unencumbered balance of the appropriation sufficient to pay the
ORDINANCE NO. 80 -9
liability to be incurred. No officer or employee of the City shall
plane any orders or make any purchases except for the purposes
authorized in the budget. Any obligation incurred by any person
in the employ of the City for any purpose not in the approved budget
or for any amount in excess of the amount appropriated in the budget
resolution or in excess of the available monies in any fund of the
City may be considered 'a personal obligation upon the person incurring
the expenditure.
Section 7.12. ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS'. The City Manager
shall be the chief accounting officer of the City and of every
branch thereof, and the Council may prescribe and enforce proper
accounting methods, forms`, blanks, and other devices consistent
with the law, this charter, and the ordinances adopted in accord
therewith. [He] The City Manager shall submit to the Council a
statement each month showing the amount of money in the custody
of the City Treasurer, the status of all budgeted funds, and such
other information about the finances of the City as the Council may
require. Once each year, on or before the last day of June, the
City Manager shall submit an audited report to the Council covering
the entire financial operations of the City for the past year. Such
report, or summary thereof, shall be published in the official
City newspaper on or before July 31 of each year.
Section 12.02. OATH OF OFFICE. Every officer of the City
shall, before entering upon the duties of [his] the office, take
and subscribe an oath of office in substantially the following form:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) to support the Constitution of the
United States and of this State to discharge faithfully the duties
devolving upon me as (Mayor, [Councilman,] Councilmember, City
Manager, etc.) of the City of Brooklyn Center to the best of my
judgment and ability
Section 12.04. OFFICIAL BONDS. The City Manager, the
City Clerk, the City Treasurer, and such other officers or employees
of the City as may be provided for by ordinance shall each before
entering upon the duties of [his] such respective office or
employment, give a corporate surety bond to the City in such form
and in such amount as may be fixed by the Council as security for
the faithful performance of [his] prescribed official duties and
the safekeeping of the public funds. Such bonds may be either
individual or blanket bonds in the discretion of the Council. They
shall be approved by the City Council, and approved as to form by
the City Attorney, and filed with the City Clerk. The provisions
of the laws of the State relating to official bonds not inconsistent
with this charter shall be complied with. The premiums on such
bonds shall be paid by the City.
Section 3. This ordinance shall become effective after
publication and ninety (90) days following its adoption.
Adopted this 3rd day of November 19 80
ORDINANCE NO. 80 -9
May
ATTEST:
�Cl e k
Published in the official newspaper October 16. 1980
Effective Date February 1, 1981
(Brackets indicate matter to be deleted, underline indicates new
matter)
(Published in the Brooklyn Center Post September 18, 1980)
(Notice of Ordinance Adoption published in the Brooklyn Center Post
November 13, 1980)