SF 1945

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to local government; requiring a city council
to vote on charter commission recommendations for
charter amendments by ordinance; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2004, section 410.12, subdivision 7.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 410.12,
subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Amendment by ordinance.

Upon recommendation of
the charter commission the city council may enact a charter
amendment by ordinance. deleted text begin Such an deleted text end new text begin Within one month of receiving a
recommendation to amend the charter by ordinance, the city must
publish notice of a public hearing on the proposal and the
notice must contain the text of the proposed amendment. The
city council must hold the public hearing on the proposed
charter amendment at least two weeks but not more than one month
after the notice is published. Within one month of the public
hearing, the city council must vote on the proposed charter
amendment ordinance. The new text end ordinance deleted text begin , if deleted text end new text begin is new text end enacted deleted text begin , shall be
adopted by the council by deleted text end new text begin if it receives new text end an affirmative vote of
all deleted text begin its deleted text end members deleted text begin after a public hearing upon two weeks' published
notice containing the text of the proposed amendment deleted text end new text begin of the city
council new text end and deleted text begin shall be deleted text end new text begin is new text end approved by the mayor and published as
in the case of other ordinances. An ordinance amending a city
charter shall not become effective until 90 days after passage
and publication or at such later date as is fixed in the
ordinance. Within 60 days after passage and publication of such
an ordinance, a petition requesting a referendum on the
ordinance may be filed with the city clerk. Such petition shall
be signed by qualified voters equal in number to two percent of
the total number of votes cast in the city at the last state
general election or 2,000, whichever is less. If the city has a
system of permanent registration of voters, only registered
voters are eligible to sign the petition. If the requisite
petition is filed within the prescribed period, the ordinance
shall not become effective until it is approved by the voters as
in the case of charter amendments submitted by the charter
commission, the council, or by petition of the voters, except
that the council may submit the ordinance at any general or
special election held at least 60 days after submission of the
petition, or it may reconsider its action in adopting the
ordinance. As far as practicable the requirements of
subdivisions 1 to 3 apply to petitions submitted under this
section, to an ordinance amending a charter, and to the filing
of such ordinance when approved by the voters.