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HomeMy Public PortalAbout20030502 BB work sessionCOUNCIL WORK SESSION MAY 2, 2003 CALL TO ORDER 1 The Council Work Session of May 2, 2003, was convened at 12:00 P.M. by Mayor John Landwehr. ATTENDANCE The following Council Members were present: Present: Angle, Berry, Ferguson, Klindt, Olsen, Viessman, Vogel, and Weber Absent: Groner and Smith A quorum was declared present. DISCUSSION OF AGENDA ITEMS APPOINTMENTS BY THE MAYOR Mayor John Landwehr stated he had planned to appoint the following Council Members to the Appointment Review Committee and Environmental Services Committee at the Monday night Council Meeting unless he heard any objections from those Council Members: Appointment Review: Ferguson, Klindt, Viessman, Vogel, and Weber Environmental Services: Angle, Berry, Groner, Olsen, and Smith MISCELLANEOUS Mayor Landwehr distributed copies of the first draft of changes discussed to the Council Rules from the April 30 work session, and the unapproved draft of the minutes of that meeting. He stated he has asked the City Counselor to issue a legal opinion on the question about the ordinance pertaining to the appointment of special council committees, and that he intends to abide by the outcome of that opinion. Changes to agenda format: Mayor Landwehr explained a few changes to the agenda format as follows: "Consent Matters Referred for Individual Consideration" is a new category to be used when a Council Member wishes to remove an item from the Consent Agenda for any reason for separate consideration. Councilman Edith Vogel stated she would like to reserve the COUNCIL WORK SESSION MAY 2, 2003 2 right to ask of staff if the item being held over or removed is considered an "emergency" item which should not be held over. Mayor Landwehr stated the full Council still has the right to vote whether that item will be held over or not. City Counselor Allen Garner stated that all items on the Consent Agenda are "action items," so if they are pulled off, they have to be done so with an action to do something about it, i.e., a motion has to be made, seconded, and voted on to do something with the item, whether to approve it, send it back to staff or a committee, or hold it over for further information. BILLS INTRODUCED Bill 2003 -13: Councilman Michael Berry stated he has a conflict of interest on Bill 2003 -13 and stated he will be abstaining on that particular bill. Bill 2003 -15: Councilman Clyde Angle stated that City Administrator Rich Mays has told him he does not have a problem with the bill as drafted, and that he felt the staff recommendation of "disapprove" is probably an error on the bill summary. Councilman Dan Klindt stated he has a problem with the use of the word "private" in Section 16 -33(1) because he would not want to do anything contrary to the Sunshine Law. PENDING BILLS 2003 -4: Councilman Bob Weber stated he will be abstaining on this bill as he has a conflict of interest. Michelle Coleman stated that when Council Members have a conflict of interest with any item that they should not only abstain from discussion or voting, but they should actually leave the Council Chambers during the discussion and voting since the issue might be influenced merely by their presence. Mayor John Landwehr stated he would like to think about that before the Council begins following such a procedure because it could become disruptive to the meetings. Councilman Edith Vogel asked the Law Department for clarification of a conflict of interest in Bill 2003 -11 since she knows a lot of the affected parties. City Counselor Allen Garner stated that no conflict of interest exists simply because a Council Member is acquainted with parties involved if there is no direct interest in the issue itself. No official actions were taken since this was a work session only. The meeting adjourned at 12:55 p.m.