Annual Report 2001 CHCMANNUAL, REPORT
OF THE HUTCHINSON CHARTER COMMISSION
FOR THE YEAR 2001
The Charter Comm ission received a letter from Gary Plotz, Citv
Administrater, on May 7., 2001 stating that the Hutchinson City Council
and administrative staff had reviewed the contents of the City Charter
at a special workshop session. The purpose of the review was to
identifv current language that should be reviewed for amendment or
deletion as well as langauage recommended to be added to the document.
The letter also requested. that the Charter Commission officially review
these recommendations and that we meet in the near future to begin our
considerations. Our first meetir:ca was held on Monday May 21 , 2001 and we
have met it times since that date to consider their recommendations and
those of the cornmission members as well. At our first meeting, the City
attorney Mr. Marc Sebora as well as Mayor Marlin Torgers on, and Cit v
Adminiszrator Gary Plotz met with us. Since that first meeting, City
Attorney Richard Scheaffer has met with us at each meeting and provided
invaluable assistance to us regarding legal language and wording as well
aE any effect of state statues on wording used. in addition City
Administrator, Gary Plotz and City Financial Officer, Ken Merrill have
met frequently with us to keep us informed on existing city policies and
procedures. We also invited Mr. Clarence Kadramas, head of the
Hutchinson Utilt ies, to meet with us and discuss changes to chapter 11
of the Charter as regards to the utilities.
we also set up three sub - committees of the commission to work on
individual areas- One committee prepared a new chapter for the
Hutchinson Area Health Care enterprise. one reviewed the chapter on the
Hutchinson Utili'ies, and one reviewed the status of "agencies" such as
HRA and EDA and what if any controls by the city were appropriate.
It was the hope of the City Council that we could complete our work by
August of this year so that the revised Charter could be placed on the
ba_lot for the special election to be held in Novemner. We were unable
to schedule enough meetings and tire to meet this deadline.
It is now our plan to invite the public who may be interested, to p i ck
up copies of the draft of the revised Charter at City hall and give
careful consideration to the changes that have been made. Deletions
will be struck through and all proposed language will be shaded . Af ter
some time has elapsed, the Charter Commission will hold an evening
session for any city resident to have limited time to give constructive
comments for or against any proposed changes. Following this meeting
the Charter Commission will schedule another meeting to address any and
all comments.
The next step will be for the
draft to the City Council. if
it will then be up to the City
special election should be set
should be changed as proposed.
be published, with the changes
Charter Commission to present our final
there are no further changes to be made,
Council to determine when and if a
for the voters to decide if the Charter
At that time the proposed charter would
noted.
The members of the Charter Commission. * Denotes 2 year terms.
Others are 4 year terms
Charles D. Carlson )
Walter S. Clay Members of the 1956 -1957 Charter Commission
Phillip G. Graves
M . Jean Peterson. '� )
Steven A. Auger
Michael- Cannon ) Participants in the week long Blandin roundaticr,
Linda Remucal ) leadership training program in the summer of 2000.
Dr, Virgil Voigt *`
Dr. Carl O.Bretzke *)
Donald Glas ) Volunteers at larc_e
Ronald J. McGraw )
Roger Petersen ;
On December 3, 2001, the Hutchinson City Charter Commission met to
discuss the last draft of the revised charter prepared by city attorney
Mr. Richard Schiefer and to approve this annual report for the year
2001.
Therefore, upon the affirmative vote of the majority of those member's
constituting a quorum of the Hutchinson City Charter Commission, the
foregoing report was approved on this date of December 3, 2001.
HUTCHINSON CITY CHARTER COMMISSION
By: Charles D. Carlson
Q
Its:Chairman
page 2 of 2