Agenda Date: 08/07/2018
Subject:
Title
An ordinance on second reading amending city charter section 23 regarding qualifications of council members and deleting section 29 regarding council membership rules
Body
Presented By: |
Steve Kemp, City Attorney |
REQUESTED COUNCIL ACTION:
Does city council support amending city charter section 23 regarding qualifications of council members and deleting section 29 regarding council membership rules?
BACKGROUND:
The Littleton City Charter was adopted in 1959. Amendments were made in 1969, 1975, 1987, 1991, 1997, 2004, 2013, and 2015. The Charter Review Committee of 2015 recommended ten amendments be placed on the ballot, seven of which were approved by the voters. There were an additional 20 amendments recommended to city council that were not placed on the ballot.
On May 22, 2018, city council held a study session to consider additional charter amendments, most of which are "housekeeping" in nature, designed to make the charter more usable and to reflect current practices.
PRIOR ACTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS:
Study session on May 22, 2018. Ordinance passed on first reading at the July 17, 2018 regular meeting of the city council.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
The proposed ordinance amending city charter section 23 would combine two separate sections in the charter on qualification of council members into a single section and remove language pertaining to judicial review, which is a right that independently exists pursuant to court rules. The sections in question are current sections 23 and 29. If the council adopts the proposed ordinance and the voters approve the question in November, both sections would be moved to section 23 and the reference to judicial review would be removed.
OPTIONS/ALTERNATIVES:
A. Approve the proposed ordinance on second reading amending city charter section 23 and deleting section 29 and referring the matter to the voters at the November 6, 2018 election.
B. Don’t approve the proposed ordinance on second reading amending city charter section 23 and deleting section 29.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
While the merits of a charter change are a council policy decision, staff recommends changes that make the charter, which is the foundational document of city government, a more effective document.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve the ordinance on second reading amending city charter section 23 regarding qualifications of council members and deleting section 29 regarding council membership rules, and referring the amendment to the voters of the City of Littleton at the November 6, 2018 election.