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minutes 03-11-00Page 6 of 17
<br />round of meetings with the different departments early on last Spring. The County Council has been conspicuously absent
<br />from this discussion. We’ve had little, or no, input. There’ve been a couple of exceptions to that, but very little input from the
<br />County Council. We’ve made presentations to them. We’ve tried to encourage them to input since that’s probably the body
<br />that works most closely with the Commission.
<br />And then one other reminder. While this is probably the most significant tool to make Charter changes, there are two other
<br />processes to make Charter Amendments. The general public can petition for a Charter change and the Administration via the
<br />County Council can propose a Charter change at any time. That just requires six members of the Council to vote for a Charter
<br />change to be put on the election. In fact, I proposed, and had, a Charter Amendment on the last election that I proposed when
<br />I was on the County Council. So, that’s not all that difficult a process. And it does happen on a frequent basis, usually more
<br />of a housekeeping nature. A department will realize they’re out of compliance with State law, or something that changes
<br />there. But, the one I proposed was pretty significant, going back to Council four-year terms, so that was on the last election.
<br />Anyway, this isn’t the only shot. It’s not like every ten years or nothing. If there’s a huge outcry for something then if the
<br />County Council members are responsive to that, or the general public, to some change, then there are vehicles to propose
<br />amendments. And in any case, anything that’s proposed goes on to the following election, as voted on by the general public,
<br />which this will be.
<br />Our schedule. We’re hoping to have our final votes in the next couple of months, and get our proposed language. A big part
<br />of the amendments is the proposed language that goes on the ballot, which can be really difficult to say what you want to say.
<br />Not only to say what you want to say, but to be most understandable in terms of the public, in terms of what they’re voting
<br />on. And that’s been a real controversial issue in the past. I don’t know if so much for the Charter Commission as other, more
<br />controversial things that have been on the ballot, but anyway, that’s something that will take a fair amount of time. So
<br />anyway, we hope to have all that wrapped up June or July. And basically from there to the election, we’ll be employing a
<br />strategy to publicize, as much as possible, through printed matter, through different Commission members being available to
<br />talk to the general public in different forums, explaining what the amendments are.
<br />HOLSCHUH: Could I ask a question? Maybe you just answered it, but once it’s all finished and wrapped up in June or July,
<br />there will be opportunity for community associations to ask for representatives to explain issues?
<br />RAY: Sure, and I think the only thing to be sensitive to is we’re all volunteers. We will have met 30 something times by then
<br />so as the time allows, but I’m sure everybody is -
<br />HOLSCHUH: Or maybe, if I may, I happen to be president of our community association. I wouldn’t begin to want to try to
<br />explain this with the expertise you did, but maybe you could prepare a packet of how to explain it for those of us who are in
<br />associations. Then we wouldn’t have to bother you folks.
<br />RAY: Yes, sure. And understand that it is, like I said, very much a work in progress so there are lots of things on here already
<br />that we’re rethinking just how’s that going to work. And I think I can say that of all the things that we’re getting input from
<br />right now in regard to other changes, I think we’ve looked at everything that everybody’s discussing, so probably the most
<br />likely things we’d be likely to consider, and include, is things that we haven’t thought of, and I’m sure there are lots of things
<br />that we probably haven’t thought of, or ways to approach it. So we’re very open to that.
<br />HERKES: Can I just add to that? Fred, when you were talking about community associations, you were talking from August
<br />to November, to the election. I would encourage you to get your community associations to this month’s meetings because
<br />this is when it’s in transition. After August, the Elections Office, the County Clerk, has told us we’re going to have to have
<br />something ready to go. So, at that time, it will be explaining what’s on the ballot, rather than having an opportunity of input.
<br />So the input might be better come at this time than later. And I think the document that Chris prepared which is over on the
<br />table, you can take as many copies as you like, is fairly well explanatory. The big one.
<br />RAY: Just make sure you explain to people, like I say, that it’s a work in progress and to regard it that way.
<br />Now, Statements from the Public. We have two folks signed up. First, Bill Graham. And Bill, use the mike please.
<br />GRAHAM: Thanks for the very straight forward explanation, John and the rest of you. It does feel like the candor that you’re
<br />bringing to the process is real welcome and I’m sorry there’s not more people that are aware of that.
<br />I had two little, what I would call, very minor issues I wanted to just bring up because they’re clear and straight forward, first.
<br />One is that this just occurred to me today when you were talking about the Department of Environmental Services, to me that
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