×
×
homepage logo

No changes to Charter in Blue Earth

Amendments fail to pass during the latest City Council meeting

By Fiona Green - Staff Writer | Mar 13, 2022

The fate of two proposed amendments to the Blue Earth City Charter came to an anticlimactic close at a Blue Earth City Council meeting held on March 7.

After some lengthy discussion, the council declined to take action on either amendment.

The first proposed amendment would have allowed city-owned properties to be conveyed by the authority of a resolution adopted by the City Council, rather than through the lengthy ordinance passage process.

In certain circumstances, property could also have been conveyed via a resolution passed by a governing board, such as the Economic Development Authority (EDA) or Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA). This process would not require council approval.

“It would amend the Charter so we don’t have to sell real estate within the city by ordinance. We could do it by resolution,” mayor Rick Scholtes summarized.

He explained the advantage of altering the system would be to streamline property sales within the city.

Scholtes noted the first and second readings required to pass an ordinance add 60 days to a process which could be concluded with a single meeting if it were done by resolution instead.

Some council members, however, had qualms about the portion of the proposed Charter amendment allowing boards such as the EDA and HRA to convey property without seeking council approval.

Scholtes noted the EDA and HRA already possess the authority to conduct business separately from the council.

“Those two boards have their own authorities,” Scholtes explained. “The only thing those boards need to come to you for is to bond, or borrow funds.”

He noted that the current system requires EDA and HRA purchases to pass through the council for approval, however.

Council member Glenn Gaylord opposed changing the system, stating, “They (the EDA and HRA) are just a committee.”

Scholtes countered that Minnesota State Statute gives both boards the authority to handle their own properties without city interference.

“That doesn’t make it right,” Gaylord responded.

The council first voted on a motion to pass an ordinance amending the Charter. For the ordinance to go into effect, however, the motion needed to pass 7-0.

The motion failed 6-1, with Gaylord voting in dissent.

The council then considered an ordinance which would submit the suggested amendment to voters in November.

“I had trouble understanding this, and it’s right in front of me. I don’t know how you would put it on a ballot,” council member Ann Hanna noted.

The ordinance to send the amendment to the public for a vote died for lack of a motion and a second.

The second proposed amendment would have clarified language in an existing section of the Blue Earth City Charter which dictates the circumstances under which qualified voters may bring about the recall of an elected official.

The primary change to the Charter constitutes the terms under which voters may seek an elected official’s removal from office, specifically stating it should be due to “nonfeasance or malfeasance in office by said official.”

Any five qualified voters would be able to form a committee for the purpose of seeking the recall of an official, and, according to the proposed Charter amendment, would need to receive more than 250 signatures on a petition for the council member’s recall, or 10 percent of the total number of qualified voters who cast their vote in the last election.

Scholtes noted the primary purpose of the amendment was to “clean up the language to match the State Constitution.”

Council member John Huisman expressed concern regarding the specific numbers referenced in the amendment.

Though the amendment currently lists 250 signatures, or 10 percent of total number of qualified voters needed to recall an elected official, city attorney David Frundt noted he is still confirming those numbers.

“I’m checking to see if it is a statutory requirement for the numbers to be higher,” Frundt said.

“Are we ready to vote on it if we don’t have the information?” Huisman inquired.

A motion put forth by council member Marty Cassem to amend the missing language in the Charter failed in a 4-3 vote, with Gaylord, Huisman and council member Russ Erichsrud voting in dissent.

An ordinance which would send the amendment to the public for a vote died for lack of a motion and a second.

Accordingly, the failed amendments will go back to the Charter Commission for its consideration.

While discussing the proposed amendments, some council members expressed frustration at a perceived lack of information from the city’s committees and boards, particularly the EDA.

“We want more updated reports,” Hanna said.

Later on in the meeting, the council discussed the matter further.

“I want to know when decisions are made,” Huisman said. “If a decision is made by the EDA or HRA, we don’t know. It could be weeks before we hear.”

Frundt suggested it would be possible for unapproved board meeting minutes to be sent to council members. Through this method, council members would not have to wait for the minutes to go through the approval process before learning what had been discussed in the meetings.

“If you have concerns, you can invite someone from the EDA or HRA to come forward,” Frundt added.

Council member Wendy Cole inquired whether all city boards and commissions would be expected to submit their unapproved meeting minutes.

The council was in agreement that each group should be held to the same expectations.

Huisman made a motion to require all unapproved minutes from Blue Earth’s boards and commissions to be produced and sent to City Council members within 48 hours of when their meetings are held.

Scholtes responded, “For the record, I don’t want those minutes emailed to me. We put people on these boards, and they’re doing their jobs.”  

The council passed Huisman’s motion with one dissenting vote from Scholtes.