I will call the dark 1st 2025 park commission meeting to order. First order business is the roll call. All right, I'm going to call roll. Uh Rod Axel, are you here? Present. Present.
Barnes, are you here? Here. Present. Tahir, are you here? He has an excused absence. Uh Mr. Eagle, are you here? I am here. Uh Kathy Gustoson resigned her seat. Uh Cynthia Hunt, are you here? I
am here. Here. Ron Lindell, are you here? Right over here. Here. Karen Lungquist, are you here? Yep, I'm here. Here. J Masuja, are you here? Here. Here. McGovern, are you here? I'm here.
Here. Emily Melby, are you here? Here. Here. Uh Lola Oro, are you here? Present. Present. Chair Peterson, are you here? I am here. Michael Ramirez, are you here?
Absent. Thorson, are you here? Here. Thank you. Um, so uh tonight's uh the organizational meeting commission, which means we'll be electing a couple roles and officers. So that's really section
three here. So start out by call item 3.1 which is appointing a recording secretary. Um that we have one. Adrien is currently secretary. I would have a motion to appoint someone as the secretary of the
commission. So move. Second. Okay. And were you thinking Adrian as if he's willing? It's been seconded by the recording secretary. Any discussion? We'll move to a vote. All
those in favor say I. I I oppose the motion unanimously. Next up is the attorney uh the attorney represents us. Uh and uh while we have uh recently used the services of the city attorney for this
role, um I want to remind people that we have the ability to pick from and that job. And so if there's great satisfaction with what Melissa has been doing, that now would be the time to kind of tough that out and send her on her way. Um I personally have been very happy with the work that she's been
doing, but if you know I want to make sure that people understand we do have we do have a choice and who we so with that I will open the floor to nominations for attorney for the charter commission or a motion. I move that we appoint Melissa. Okay.
Attorney motion by Lindell. Seconded by you seconded it. Yep. Um any discussion? None. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I.
Next up is item 3.3, electing the chair. Um I will open the floor to motions on this item. Mr. Chair, I make a motion to uh reappoint you as chair. There a second. I second. I would be happy to do it
again. Oh, nice. There any discussion? hearing none. We'll come to a vote. All those in favor say I. I. Those opposed carries unanimous. And finally, we have the vice chair. Emily Melby is currently the vice
chair. Um I would open the floor to a motion regarding the vice chair position. I would nominate Emily Melby. There a second move and seconded that Emily be reappointed as vice chair of the charter commission. Are you willing to do that?
Yes. Okay. Thank you. Uh any discussions hearing? None. We'll come to a vote. All those in favor say I. I. Opposed. The motion carries unanimous. Next item up is item 4.1, approving the meeting minutes. And we are approving
the minutes of May 2nd, 2024 regular meeting, the July 10th 24- 24 meeting, and then the January 9th to um to those minutes before I hear a motion.
If I may also um pursuant to the bylaws that we recently updated last year, um they're provided there's they're sent out to I believe uh the chair and the vice chair u within a couple of days after the meeting um and any clarifications are made and then they're
sent out by Adrian to the entire commission. So, um, these should be ones that would have already have been received by you with the exception of perhaps I don't know, did you get the April 10th ones out to the whole group? I think I did. Okay. If not, I know that they were in the packet. So, they're in here. Wanted to make sure that you all
that they have been circulating for a while. Yes. And and while I do look at them before they go out, um, I'm not perfect. And so, if you you know, if people find things, happy to happy to make changes. So, anybody have any
modific? Motion carries unanimously. I wasn't clear on the July 10th meeting. So, that's noted. Yep. Uh, nothing under five unfinished business. So, we'll move on to new
business. So, one followup from the 2020. So, um, just a reminder for the and as part of the charter review, we had a couple changes that we were interested in doing. There are I think they fell into two
categories. Ones that require stepping and ones that I think we were ready to kind of forward only related to the uh change of titles and the city offices and so um the ones that came forward at
this one were really primarily focused on the changes. So Melissa, I'll hand it off to you to kind of walk through the Thank you, chair. Um, we have a PowerPoint presentation here. Adrien, next slide. So, as a reminder, there are several different ways to amend the charter. And as part of your request to
me, following the the review of charter se charter chapters four, five, and six over the past uh couple of months, um, I'm proposing uh that we do it by uh city council amendment uh by ordinance,
which requires a unanimous vote. And by unanimous, it means all seven members of the of the city council have to vote in favor. Um, all right. As a reminder, um, we're moving forward or for your request, we're moving forward with amendments to chapter 5, which were
discussed at the last April 10th meeting, and then chapter six, which were discussed at the April 10th meeting and the one before that. Um there were um other amendments that were discussed related to percentages and how often we had um we had receipts and processed
petitions in the past. Also amendments to 6 6.06 and 6.07 related to readability and we discussed those at the last meeting. Um given the tight time frame between it was about 10 days between our meeting and um getting the
packet out for this meeting pursuant to our roles. Um we didn't have enough time to do a thorough job uh required to to bring that to you for this meeting. But we certainly can do that at the next time that we that we meet um probably for our periodic review um sessions next
whenever you want them to be but probably next year. Um, and we can do some more research on that. We have to go into the to the to the dark storage areas of the clerk's office to get that information. Uh, and and then also um we
wanted to um take a little bit more time and have more people involved um in the discussion of 6.06 and 6.07 um because we um some folks that were very interested in that weren't present. So, we wanted to make sure everybody got to
be here. All right, with that as an introduction, we'll start with chapter five. Um, as you recall, there was a request uh two different kinds of amend amendments going on here in these three sections. The first type, they're all clerical um clarifying I should say. Uh
it's largely clerical in nature. Um so there was a request in the title um of each of them to match because each of these petition um sections had a different cadence in the naming of them. Uh and then also there was a request to
change the petition um form to add email and telephone to make the confirmation and communication process easier for the city clerk during the during the back and forth. um that the process that's required by each of these um initiative,
referendum, and recall. So the orange is language that is that is I'm proposing be struck and the blue underlined is language I'm proposing to be added. Um that's not the actual way that we have to do it in our city ordinance um proposals, but I just
thought for ease of seeing it, I thought I would do it like this for you. Any um and thank you, Adrian. So that's the next one. same kind of thing going on. And then the next one is the same. Uh any questions on on those edits to
chapter 5? Go ahead, Rob. Yeah. Uh I just have one question on the on the last um petition work that was done with the signatures. Was there enough did the form itself get kind of crowded with all the stuff we're looking to make sure
that is added to it? for example, the name, address, printed name, signature, email, telephone. Is there enough room in there where someone can actually read it and someone's not using a, you know, a miniature writing to fill in the the line? So, chair and members, um, I think
that's a great question. I'm glad you asked it. This is only for those five committee members. It's not for everyone that's signing. Okay. So, there I think there there should be enough room and usually that information is typed, okay? because it's submitted to the city clerk on the petition. So, I think it should
be readable one and small enough to still have enough room. Sir, um I I just have a question whether or not uh in the recall recall or that says referendum uh referendum I'm sorry. Go
back one, Adrian. Yep. um the in the in the as I'm in the petition figuring out where it is relative to anyway it's it's a question of the
referendum can be a repeal or a vote and box it doesn't say that it just says for the vote. Oh, I see what you're saying. Um, and I think I understand the question that you're asking. Um, it's a little bit subtle here, but I
think that Yeah, I think that like appeal and submission to the vote are like the same thing. Well, except that in a repeal the council can do it itself and for
so it seems like you shouldn't it would be consistent the upper paragraph which says proposing the repeal uh or the uh proposing Well, there are two ways to
repeal it, I guess. One by council and one by voter. I'm not sure it's necessary. I'm just raising that question as the inconsistency. So, chair,
um extremely happy to to take a look, you know, to bring this back again if you'd like. I'm just comparing the different um petition um boxes here. Uh and the the
referendum and the pet and the recall talk about submitting it to the voters registered in Bloomington of an election and that is consistent with the petition as well.
Um petition with the council repeal repeal or that at this point the council has a choice. It seems to me petition the council for repeal or for
submission to the voters. So once the petition has got is validated and all the signatures are submitted and so forth, the council could just say, "Okay, we're going to repeal it." Yeah. So So thinking about your proposal here,
what you're really proposing perhaps is at the end of the line that starts with the undersigned petitioners and it ends with petition the city council. You're saying that it should say or repeal or repeal. It's ad submission. Yeah, I
think I see what you're talking about there. Any other thoughts on that? That it's confusing as written. Yeah, that's all I just It could be so much easier
for sort of a theme. That's that's sort of a theme in the charter. Sure. But I I again, as I said, I don't think it it's right when these are for people who want to do a petition and they should be able to read it and understand what they have to do without
having someone translate it. What grade level did you say? We would mention a grade level. Uh chair, members, when we write ballot questions and ballot education, we we strive for a uh 12th grade um level.
Um so in looking in looking at the subsequent sections of the referendum section, so once the petition is complete, uh the council can reconsider the ordinance, which is why they believe what you're getting to. So the council
could take action. and it doesn't automatically go to the voters. So, yeah. So, theoretically, if the council takes action, then the petition itself is moved. There's no point in it. Well, the petition
operates through the council's action. Petitions are prompts the council forces the council to reconsider if it wants to. Mhm. Yes.
Petition the council for repeal or it's I like that. Petition the council. So it would say here petition the council for repeal or its submission to the vote. that's more technically accurate and that's what's going you
know person to person but so you think it would be saying petition the council for repeal or its submission to a vote is that what you're thinking repeal or ore strike or
you can strike it could be petition the conflict to repeal or for repeal is for me to technically they're reconsidering it technically
what's happening a consideration right of the ordinance I think they're asking in in kind of natural terms they're asking council to repeal it that's what ordinary I think that's what ordinary people want right so they they would do it the appropriate way I'm
Yeah. And if you look at the beginning of 5.11, a petition for the repeal or submission. So would be repeating that language for repeal or submission. I almost think maybe would read here in that section
that I was pointing to before, petition the council for repeal or submission. Right. Yeah. That's that would mimic the language at the top. Sure. Up there. repeal or submission. You can strike it. Keep it remove it. But if it's submitted to a vote, isn't the submission to vote
to repeal it or it can be like you can also submit it to I want this adopted, right? So is it to have an ordinance adopted or to repeal it? So this is this is just the referendum which is solely about repeal. It is that's my question
is about repealing. Right. Right. That's what a referendum is. a petition for the repeal of an ordinance, the repeal by the voters of an ordinance. Why repeal or submission
of a vote? Because they go together. So the repeal, you're asking the council, the council can repeal it. So you're asking for two things. Oh, first thing you're asking is you're asking city council, please repeal this. Okay. And if they don't do that, then it goes then you can get then it goes to Yeah. Yeah,
why not adopt language from the position chair members? The reason I think that that language doesn't work is because initiative is adopting new language. So they're petitioning the council to say please adopt this ordinance. And if they
don't and if the council doesn't adopt it, then it goes to the voters. It's like for example some adoption for be call trying to previous recall it's different in in recall
recall the council is doesn't have any action it has to go to the voters yeah it goes the voters unless the person resigns of an elected official referendum so I think I is that if you go back to the initiative
petition page here, for example, if you read the text down there, I think what you're proposing is that we we lift that changing one word saying petition the council for it
repeal repeal. Lift that lift that full sentence changing that one word and and and yeah changing adoption. Yeah. To repeal. Yep. And then at the end you have to say
approval or disapproval in order to kind of make that clear or in lie thereof it's submission to the voters for their approval or disapproval. Yeah. Yeah. Well, no, because the voters can only approve. Well, this is we're talking about the
lifted stuff brought over to the to the referendum section. Oh, I see. So, we can have those petitions similar. Yes. Karen, that address is kind of you're trying to kind of make it be similar. Yeah.
So, but that would that would remove the language about it being detrimental to the welfare of the city. Is that also your desire, members? So right now if you go to referendum the next one says understanding the nature of the ordinance attached and believing it to
be detrimental that would that would go away as well. Does that really change anything though if you take that out? Somebody's going through all the work of repealing it. They must think it's done. It's an effort to sell it.
Yeah. There's no there's no finding by anyone that it's actually detrimental. It's just the voter is deciding whether to keep it or not. Right. Mhm. So, I can go into this PowerPoint and edit it live.
It's on SharePoint. It's on C drive. That's where you grabbed it from. Yes. Mhm. I'll have to close it and open it again. Yeah. There. That would that be something that would like? Okay. It's a sense of group that
we'd like to see that. Okay. Adrian, common common common uh no common projects that charter Maybe. While we're waiting on this, does anybody else have anything else they want to suggest? What was that? Any anybody have any
other changes they want to suggest here while? No. I don't anything else in the agenda? I guess we could go through six. That one's real
simple. Do you want me to pop over to that? Um, while you're at it, why don't we edit this and kind of get this done? Okay, fine. Well, no pressure. No pressure. It's not a problem. The resolutions get signed. Proposed
that we change it to the undersigned voters registered in Bloomington or leave the undersigned petitioners. Were we lifting? We were just going to take the understand voters register to vote language and just for flipped it over changing
the act to repeal disapproval to the end of the change that was being discused. Okay. The alternative for this is to come back to it, right? Find five more minutes.
So, I'm committed. All right. Do you have a dad joke you can sell share with us? Dad joke. You know the nice thing about at my age I forgot all of them. I'm looking at 5.05 where there's that
language and I don't think I missed it on which one was it? by the other one for the repeal where there's that language where it says the underside voters registered in Bloomington understanding the terms and the nature of the petition the council for its
adoption. This is on 5.05. Yeah. Or in lie thereof for commission to voters registered in Blooming for their approval. I don't see that language on the one for the I think the idea is that we're going to bring that over to the Oh, was that it?
Oh, okay. The idea is that I was reading 5.05 language. Okay. Sorry that I missed that. I was reading trying to figure out going between them. Somebody make edits to after this. I can also do it. I made I made a fresh
version a fresh PowerPoint. So it's slide six. There we go. There you got it. Yeah. So we're talking about this blue here. It's in the nature of the artist. Okay. Let me show the screen again. It's appeal or in
l of or it submission to the voters. Yes. So the orange is the text that used to that's currently there and then the blue is carried over. So the one thing on here that we discussed that I'm not seeing is at the
end. At the end approval or disapproval. Okay. That now um I'm getting right here. I'll do it right here. Agree in term of the detrimental language from this one. Yeah. And so that it just kind of gets rid of that
detrimental language which at least from my perspective doesn't doesn't mean anything. just extra words in there. So, okay. So, now take out I think we get it closer to the 12th grade understanding.
Yeah. Yeah. Now, if you do a spell check, how many errors comes? Not going to do that now. Russ, I'm just trying to make more work. Does it chair? Do you think it adds value to say the voters registered in
Bloomington? I'm just curious. I'm not saying that it doesn't. I'm just It feels like words. I don't I think it does because um a lot of times when you're circulating petitions like people go to the farmers market and circulate a petition and it's random people.
I think there's a certain there's a certain set of people who read it and say I'm not a registered voter sign. So it's like you have to be a registered voter, right? I just asked language and the other one didn't it didn't used to that just said petitioners. So I I think it actually improves things that to put
it in that other one too. Probably increases the likelihood that the number of valid get are actually useful. And they check them anyway. Yeah. Just a curiosity, why is uh why isn't it
limited to those voters who actually voted in the last election? That's a political question. members there. It just isn't required because I don't think you could it just isn't it isn't required. I think
it would be terribly challenging to administer that as well. Plus, arguably the people that the people that are in that are coming up to vote on this didn't necessarily vote in the last election because it was an ordinance that was
adopted by the council. So it doesn't I mean if you're speaking of recall I guess perhaps that's that would apply there but with regard to referendum or or initial initiative they're seeking to
undo or to do something that the council did. I think more or didn't more fundamentally um in order to get seven votes for what we're doing here what we have to propose is not have to be not
controversial. Okay. So I think we could have a conversation around that but I personally would oppose including it in this because I think it converts this from being something that will likely just kind of slide right through the council to something that probably would pick up at least I'm not suggesting we do it.
Just curious as to why it isn't. Yeah, I think it because it because it is I think is probably the somebody decided it the model charter in 1960 model charter. Yeah. So it could probably have that other way that's done. Yeah. A lot of things that are in here that are just
right just like that other place. That'd be a challenge administratively be very hard would Yeah. I think it makes sense. Yeah. So hey you sorry. Is there another version? No.
Oh well I mean uh yes I did. Yes I did make that edit to six. There we go. Okay. So, the question here right now is regarding the 5.11
language, which is the referendum language, and we've made this change to it. Um, so, right, reflects our intent to I think it's an improvement. That was a good suggestion. Gold star for Ron Barnes.
Hope we we adopt that idea name. There you go. Put that on the refrigerator. Yeah. Okay. Uh any objection to including that in the final mot? Um so I think the question at this
point um this point one and the the resolutions there's two resolutions one for chapter 5 and one for chapter that's all travel separately we have talked about chapter five right
now so let's do the text chapter So on the page that's marked in the corner resolution uh making a recommendation that made by is there a seconded by Ron I saw around 10. Any
discussion? So this is with the change that's shown on the screen for 51. Any discussion, right? Hearing no further discussion, we will come to a vote. All those in favor signify by saying I.
Any opposed? Uh is adopted unanimously. Remission is adopted. We'll go on to the chapter six changes. Okay. This All righty. The only thing that's changing
here is deputy. Deputy, correct? Uh, chair and members, that is the only thing changing. Um, the title of this position um in the marketplace and um in the profession has changed. uh
and deputy is the more commonly used term. Uh and so there is desire to mod that language. It our financial management policies and in our compensation set uh compensation plan
and in our employment roles. And so the the hope and goal would be that we would time the adoption the the amendment of those documents as well to correspond the effective date of of this ordinance. Okay. any discussion on this one. One thing I
will mention is that uh just just to recall, there were some other language changes in here that we talked about doing. Um those didn't didn't get done in time for this and so was had a little bit of time urgency or not, but we're moving this forward and we'll circle
back on those other items. So with that, any other questions or comments about this change? Not hearing any. So on the page that's marked 28 on the right chart, there's a resolution in section 6 3 606 and 607 of
the charter. A motion to approve that would be in order. I'd so move the resolution. Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? No discussion. We'll come to a vote. by
saying unanimously I think in section 7 which may Can I finish the PowerPoint on so here's the statute I thought it'd be helpful just to what's happening here so with regard so here we are in the
orange right now this is you all are making recommendation to the city council and then and then there's a cadence of what has to happen within a month they have to um receive it. That's going to happen on Monday night.
Oh, member Vermier asked um we're going to we've asked we've put a placeholder in the agenda um so that we'll replace it with this information and update it and then that will be formally received. We want to do that because the timing of this is important.
So, we want to mark that date. Uh, and then we'll publish notice. The notice will contain the text of these actual the actual text of these amendments. And then there will be two public hearings, one on chapter 5 and one on chapter 6. And as I mentioned before, there needs to be a unanimous vote. And then within
one month, um, that vote has to happen. So, there are two meetings that it can happen at in June. And I've, um, worked with staff to pull the members and they understand the importance of everyone being there. And so we are optimistic that that will happen in no in in June
and then we publish it in the suncur uh in its in its totality uh and then if we don't get a petition uh requesting a referendum of it um then uh within 60 days it or excuse me within 90 days then
it's effective. All right. So the next here's the what that looks like. Okay. public hearing. It's June. So, the public hearing will either be on June 2nd. My my suggestion is that it'll
be on June 2nd. Um that's when we're going to publish it. Um there's a chance, I guess, that they would open it on p on June 2nd and continue it until June 30th. Um just uh in case they didn't have everyone there or or
whatever might have happened. Just to note for everybody that there is a meeting in between those two, but it's a study meeting. Uh the council has gone back to having study meetings and there's a desire to not have it at the study meeting. Um but it is possible.
It's a it's a regular meeting of the city council so they could move it to that as well, but this is this is the most likely scenario. All right, any questions? And that will be in traveling with the materials as well. All right.
We can edit this for edits. No edits to the no edits to the titles. No. All right. Okay. Let's move on to nine points in the report on page 51 of the agenda. So
the change uh any discussion regarding the report none I would receive A motion to adopt the annual report. That is our second do that one. Mark and J have the
second. Hearing none. We'll come to a vote. All those in favor signifies by saying I. I opposed unanimously. Is there any other business to come? I I would be willing to entertain a
motion to adjurnn. So move by Brona seconded by Michael. It's not debatable. So all those saying I the motion carries. We are