CITY OF COON RAPIDS, MINNESOTA
CHAPTER 1-200
FORM OF GOVERNMENT

1-201 Form of Government. The form of government established by this Charter is the “Council-Manager Plan.” The Council shall exercise the legislative power of the City and determine all matters of policy. The City Manager shall be the head of the administrative branch of the City government and shall be responsible to the Council for the proper administration of all affairs relating to the City.

1-202 Boards and Commissions. There shall be no separate administrative board of health, library board, park board, or any other administrative board or commission, except for the administration of a function jointly with another political subdivision. The Council shall itself be and perform the duties and exercise the powers of such boards and commissions. The Council may, however, establish boards or commissions to advise the Council with respect to any municipal function or activity to investigate any subject of interest to the City or to perform quasi-judicial functions.

1-203 Elective Officers and Ward Boundaries. The Council shall consist of a Mayor and six (6) Councilmembers who shall be registered voters in the City of Coon Rapids. The Mayor and one (1) Councilmember shall be elected at large, and except as otherwise provided in this section, shall be elected for four (4) years. [Revised 02/23/93, Ordinance 1439][Revised 04/27/93, Ordinance 1449] [Revised 1/3/95, Ordinance 1516]

Except as otherwise provided in this section five (5) Councilmembers shall be elected for terms of four (4) years each from five (5) separate wards of the City. [Revised 02/23/93, Ordinance 1439] [Revised 1/3/95, Ordinance 1516]

For the sole purpose of providing for the transition to even year elections and to terms of four (4) years, the following schedule shall apply:

(a) The Mayor shall be elected in 1995 to a term of three (3) years commencing in January, 1996, and thereafter to terms of four (4) years each beginning with the 1998 election for a term commencing in January, 1999.
(b) The Councilmember at Large, shall be elected to terms of four (4) years each beginning with the 1996 election for a term commencing in January, 1997.
(c) The Ward 1 Councilmember shall be elected in 1997 to a term of three (3) years commencing in January, 1998, and thereafter to terms of four (4) years each beginning with the year 2000 election for a term commencing in January, 2001.
(d) The Ward 2 Councilmember shall be elected to terms of four (4) years each beginning with the 1996 election for a term commencing in January, 1997.
(e) The Ward 3 Councilmember shall be elected in 1995 to a term of three (3) years commencing in January, 1996, and thereafter to terms of four (4) years each beginning with the 1998 election for a term beginning in January, 1999.
(f) The Ward 4 Councilmember shall be elected to terms of four (4) years each beginning with the 1996 election for a term commencing in January, 1997.
(g) The Ward 5 Councilmember shall be elected in 1995 to a term of three (3) years commencing in January, 1996, and thereafter to terms of four (4) years each beginning with the 1998 election for a term commencing in January, 1999. [Revised 1/3/95, Ordinance 1516]

The Council shall, by ordinance, establish the boundaries of each ward. Ward boundaries established by ordinance at the time of the adoption of this amendment shall continue in effect until changed as herein provided.

The Councilmember elected from a ward must be a resident of such ward and a member ceasing to be a resident of such ward thereof shall cause a vacancy in the office of councilmember from such ward; provided that a change in ward boundaries during the member’s term of office shall not disqualify the member from serving out the member's term. [Revised 02/23/93, Ordinance 1439]

Within six (6) months following the official certification of any census conducted by the United States Government and the filing with the City Clerk of a census list of a City Census duly adopted by the Council, the Council shall, by ordinance, redetermine ward boundaries so as to make said wards as nearly equal in population as practicable. In no event shall there be a deviation of more than five percent (5%) in the population of the ward having the largest population and that ward having the smallest population.

The Council shall, by ordinance, adopt standards to be used to redetermine appropriate ward boundaries in years between the taking of a Federal decennial census. Such redetermination shall be made whenever the Council has determined that a deviation of more than five percent (5%) in the population of the wards having the largest and smallest population exists. Such determination shall be based upon the standards adopted by the Council.

The term “population” as used in this Section shall mean the population as defined by the last preceding Federal census, or the population as determined by the Council as herein provided.

1-204 Incompatible Offices. No member of the Council shall be appointed City Manager; no member of the Council shall hold any paid municipal office or employment under the City; and until one (1) year after expiration of a member’s term as Mayor or Councilmember no former member of the Council shall be appointed to any paid appointive office or employment under the City.[Revised 04/27/93, Ordinance 1449]

1-205 Vacancies in the Council.

(1) A vacancy in the membership of the Council shall be deemed to exist if a person elected thereto:

(a) Fails to qualify on or before the date of the second regular meeting of the new Council.
(b) Dies before completing the term of office to which elected.
(c) Resigns from the office.
(d) Is removed from the office by a court of competent jurisdiction.
(e) Removes from the City or removes from the Ward to which elected.
(f) Attends no regular, special or emergency meetings of the City Council during any period of seventy (70) consecutive calendar days.
(g) Is convicted of a felony, whether before or after qualifying. [Revised 1/3/95, Ordinance 1517]

(2) In each such case, the Council shall, by resolution, declare such vacancy to exist and the Council shall, by resolution, within 30 days thereafter, either:

(a) Appoint an eligible person to fill the office until the next regular municipal election when the office shall be filled for the unexpired term, unless the unexpired term is in its final two years in which case the person appointed shall serve until the term expires, or [Revised 4/19/05, Ordinance 1887]
(b) Order a special municipal election to fill such vacancy for the unexpired term. The Council shall set times for filings for such office provided filings shall close not sooner than seven (7) days after the adoption of the resolution. Such election shall be held no less than 45 nor more than 60 days after the adoption of such resolution. If more than two candidates file for such office, a special primary election shall be held two weeks prior to the special municipal election. [Revised 04/27/93, Ordinance 1449]

1-206 The Mayor. The Mayor shall be the presiding officer of the Council, except that the Council shall designate from its members, in accordance with City Code, a Mayor Pro-Tem who shall hold office at the pleasure of the Council and shall serve as Mayor Pro-Tem in case of the Mayor’s disability or absence from the City. The Mayor shall have a vote as a member of the Council. The Mayor shall exercise all powers and perform all duties conferred and imposed upon the Mayor by this Charter, the ordinances of the City, and the laws of the State. The Mayor shall be recognized as the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes, by the courts for the purpose of serving civil process, and by the Governor for the purposes of martial law.[Revised 04/27/93, Ordinance 1449][Revised 8/19/03, Ordinance 1809]

1-207 Expenses. The Mayor and Councilmembers shall be paid their reasonable expenses incurred while traveling outside the City on the City’s business.

1-208 Investigation of City Affairs. The Council and City Manager, or either of them, and any officer or officers formally authorized by them, or either of them, shall have power to make investigations into the City’s affairs, to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and compel the production of books and papers. The Council shall provide an audit of the City’s accounts at least once a year. The Council may at any time provide for an examination or audit of the accounts of any officer or department of the City government and it may cause to be made any survey or research study of any subject of municipal concern.

1-209 Interferences with Administration. The Council may, by ordinance, establish the merit system in all or part of the City administration, but neither the Council nor any of its members shall dictate the appointment of any person to office or employment by the City Manager, or in any manner interfere with the City Manager or prevent the City Manager from exercising judgment in the appointment of officers and employees in the administrative service. Except for the purpose of inquiry, the Council and its members shall deal with and control the administrative service solely through the City Manager, and neither the Council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any of the subordinates of the City Manager, either publicly or privately. [Revised 04/27/93, Ordinance 1449]