07/12/1976 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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. Mr. Murray suggested adding "upon recommendation of the City Manager" after "the compensation of other officers shall be prescribed by the Council". Mr. Williams wondered if Council could then have any action other than simply e accepting the recommendations. Mr. Etter responded that, in the Council-Manager form of government, that is already happening. Assistant Manager expressed a concern only as it relates to the power of the manager to negotiate on the Council's behalf. He said that staff would like to look at the language before any decision is made. Mr. Murray wondered if it would be of value to simply omit any reference to Council member compensation and have council adopt an ordinance saying whether it shall be paid. Mr. Etter said that the ball would be entirely in the hands of Council, subject to budgetary requirements, and Council could compensate itself. On Chapter VI, Section 20, Election of Officers, discussion was held on runoff elections should no candidate receive a majority. Mayor Anderson felt that officials should be elected by a majority. He does not feel the expense involved in a runoff election is prohibitive - too, the campaign process could be policed. Mr. Murray is concerned with the expense in electioneering, and Mrs. Beal was concerned that a runoff election would not produce much voter turnout. Too, the campaign time and hardship on candidates is greatly increased. She suggested that, perhaps if an election were held in September or October, with runoff in November, it would not involve such a long drawn out process. Mr. Etter explained that, under the Oregon constitution, city officials must be elected at the same time at which state and cowlty officials are elected. It was pointed out too that, if a candidate receives a majority at the primary, that is tantamount to electi01J; that name would be the only one appearing on the e November ballot. It was understood that Mr. Etter would prepare an amended section to Chapter 3, Sections 6 and 7, involving majority provisions. It was also understood the EWEB subconmuttee would discuss whether to include EWEB in the provision. ~ On Section 24, an issue has been raised as to how EWEB vacancies will be filled and the EWEB subcormnittee will be discussing it before any changes are made to the section. Section 25, Collective Bargaining, will also be discussed in s ubcommi. t tee and brought back to Co unci 1. Mrs. Beal raised a question on Section 26, Liability for Unauthorized Expendjtures, subparagraph (2), regarding the term "void" evidence of debt. Mr. Etter explained that it means any indebtedness that has been incurred in an illegal manner. "Void" means it was never valid in the first place, as opposed to a valid debt which has been paid and therefore canceled. Mrs. Beal wondered if the entire subsection could be eliminated; staff responded that the Finance Director has studied the matter and his response would be brolJqht back. ; Chapter VII, Ordinances, was reviewed. Section 28 on adoption of ordinances is a new section, and Mr. Etter said it is a central feature of most charters in Oregon. Discussion was held on the fact that many ordinances have emergency clauses at the beginning. It was pointed out that ordinances become effective after e 30 days without an emergency clause. Addition of the clause facilitates Council's actions and is the only way constitutionally to have an ordinance become effective immediately; to not do so would seriously hamper such matters as public works projects with regard to time element for legal notices. 7/12(76 - 11 ..35~,