City Council Meeting Date: July 22, 2025
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Ben Martig, City Administrator
Title
Consider Resolution Receiving Charter Amendment to Section 3.5 of the City Charter and Calling for a Public Hearing on Charter Amendment Proposed to be Adopted by Ordinance.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council is asked to consider the attached resolution receiving the Charter Commission's proposed amendment as submitted and calling for a public hearing.
Summary Report:
The Northfield Charter Commission adopted the attached proposed changes to Northfield Charter Section 3.5 at their May 8, 2025 meeting and reaffirmed at their July 10, 2025 meeting. Charter Commission Chair Lance Heisler submitted the amendment to the City Administrator via email on July 14, 2025. Heisler requested that staff initiate the posting, publication requirements for consideration of this ordinance and put it on the City Council agenda.
The Charter Commission began reviewing section 3.5 at their November 10, 2022 meeting. The issue in review was how section 3.5 addressed the timing of a vacancy on the City Council. The current wording of section 3.5 may cause confusion regarding the process as it relates to filling vacancies on the City Council in a year in which a regular election for one or more city council seats is pending. This issue came to light after the 2022 resignation of a former Council Member when staff realized that only a few days difference in the resignation notification from that Council Member could have drastic differences in how the vacancy was handled.
A Charter Commission Committee was formed to gather data and history of this section and develop a recommendation for clearer language. The Charter Commission previously sent proposed changes to the City Council on November 24, 2023. However, after discussion with the Council during that meeting and in subsequent meetings with a committee comprised of members of the City...
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