Agenda Date: 05/27/2025
Subject:
Title
Citizen Initiative Charter Amendment Discussion
Body
From:
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager
Prepared by:
Reid Betzing, City Attorney
Presentations:
Reid Betzing, City Attorney
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this item is to discuss the citizen initiative aimed at amending the City's Charter that would place restrictions on the City's ability to change existing land uses within many of its residential zoning districts and to further discuss those legal and logistical concerns and options moving forward
BACKGROUND:
On January 7, 2025, City Council considered making changes to some of the zoning districts in the City of Littleton to allow for different types of residential units such as duplexes to be allowed uses. After consideration, City Council decided to postpone the ordinance indefinitely, which essentially had the effect of killing the ordinance.
Based on this consideration a citizen group became interested in placing a question on the ballot and opted to propose a charter amendment rather than an ordinance. Section 8 of the City of Littleton's Charter states that all amendments to the city's charter may be drafted and submitted to the registered electors through petitioning the Council or be drafted and submitted to the registered electors by Council on its own initiative, in accordance with the provisions of Article XX of the Constitution of the State of Colorado.
On May 5, the City Clerk received an intent to circulate a petition to place a charter amendment on the ballot in November. After review, the petition was approved with a final due date of signatures to the City Clerk's office of August 5, 2025. The total number of verified signatures required for this petition to be deemed sufficient is 1,827. Charter amendments intended for a regular election, as this one is, require only 5% of the registered electors for the City of Littleton (all three counties combined) as of the date of intent to circulate. On...
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