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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-22-2004 Charter Review CommissionCHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION -..- 'R44 Agendafor11 -1 CR45 Minutes of October 26 CR46 Minutes of October 27 CR47 Memorandum from City Attorney and City Clerk re Pending Issues CR48 Community Process Letter - DRAFT CR49 Community Process Letter - NOVICK DRAFT CR50 Memorandum from City Clerk regarding distribution of community process letter (attached list) November 8 & November 9, 2004 PACKET CR51 Agenda for 11 -8 & 11 -9 CR52 Minutes of November 1 CR53 Community Process Letter —DRAFT 11 -08 -04 CR54 Memorandum from City Attorney re 11 -3 -04 Red -Lined Charter Jovember 16, 2004 PACKET CR55 Agenda for 11 -16 CR56 Minutes of November 8 CR57 Memorandum from City Clerk re community process letter November 22 2004 PACKET CR58 Agendafor11 -22 CR59 Minutes of November 16 CR60 Posters on City buses (42) and Cambus (36) CR61 Handouts (250) CR62 Press Release CR63 Guest Editorial /Letter to the Editor CR64 City Website "R65 Facilitator information CR66 Gazette Article CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA Monday, November 22, 2004 8:00 -9:30 PM /I`11k City Hall, Harvat Hall 410 East Washington Street 1. Approve Minutes 2. Public Comment 3. December 1 Community Process Session A. Update Publicity 1) Posters on City buses (42) and Cambus (36) 2) Handouts (250)' City Hall & Public Library Information desks Senior Center Parks & Recreation 3) Press Release " 4) Guest Editorial /Letter to the Editor Press Citizen (Sueppel) Daily Iowan (Green) Gazette (Novick) 5) City Website 6) Cable television 7) Radio programs WSUI (Kubby) KXIC (Lei s g)Ve44rr -Gr% B. Facilitator information Meeting Schedule December 1 (Community Discussion session; 5:30 PM; Library) December 8 (7:00 -9:00 AM; Harvat Hall) December 13 (7:00 -9:30 AM; Harvat Hall) January 20 (7:00 PM; Harvat Hall; televised) 5. Review Charter Old Business / Adjournment (9:300) " Done 11/18 i4 8 MINUTES CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1G, 2004 — 3:00 PM HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL C R59 DRAFT Members Present: Kevin Werner, Andy Chappell, Karen Kubby, Penny Davidson (on speakerphone), Nate Green, Naomi Novick, William Sueppel, Chair; and Vicki Lensing (arrived at 3:07 PM); Lynn Rowat (arrived at 3:10 PM) Staff Present: Marian Karr, Eleanor Dilkes CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Sueppel called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM. APPROVE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 8,200 Davidson noted that on page 4, under "Old Business," at the end of the first paragraph, she would like to add something to the effect of, "Hereatler she will be contacted via telephone conference." The members agreed. Novick noted that on page 2, under "Direct Mail ", 5`1' line down, the "is" after Doser needs to be eliminated; 7 "' line down, "manger" should be "manager"; and under "Publicity ", 3`d line, "handouts" should be "posters." The members agreed with these corrections, as well. MOTION: Novick moved to accept the minutes of November 8, 2004, as amended above; seconded by Chappell. Motion carried 8 -0 (Rowat absent). PUBLIC COMMENT Sueppel asked if everyone had received the letter from Jay Honohan, via email. Some members had not; Karr made copies for the members. Sueppel noted that Davidson would need to have copies mailed to her. MOTION: Kubby moved to accept the correspondence from Jay Honohan of the Senior Center; seconded by Green. Motion carried 9 -0. DECEMBER 1 COMMUNITY PROCESS SESSION Publicity — Sueppel stated he would go through the list to see what the status of each item is. Posters on City buses — Karr noted they are working on this at the present time. Handouts at City Hall and Public Library Information desks — Karr stated these would be available tomorrow (Wednesday, 11/17/04). Davidson asked if Karr would mail her this information, as well. Press Release — Karr noted that this would be prepared once they have all the material needed. Guest Editorial — members discussed the draft they received on this. Kubby noted that she has one suggestion. In the 3`d paragraph, where it talks about district candidates and the primary, she would like this to be more explicit. Her suggestion is: (insert the following words) Voted on by district voters (in the first sentence); Our district candidates are winnowed down to two per district at a primary election, voted on by district voters, if more than two seek a specific district seat. She also noted that perhaps the tern "city election" could be changed to "general election." Karr clarified the change: "regular" will be inserted before "City Charter Review Commission November 16, 2004 Page 2 election" in line 3 and line 4 of the 3`d paragraph. Kubby stated that by adding "November election" it would be even more clear for people. Karr asked if they wanted "primary" to also have "October." The members agreed to these changes. Kubby also suggested adding a final line that would really grab people's attention. She suggested: It's your charter. Let your voice be heard. Members discussed this, and questioned voice versus voices. They decided to go with the plural. Sueppel noted that the Daily Iowan would not be publishing during the entire week of Thanksgiving, so they need to keep this in mind when meeting deadlines. He also noted that they needed to decide which newspaper they would publish the guest editorial in, either the Gazette or the Press - Citizen. It was decided to publish in the Press - Citizen for the Sunday issue; and the Daily Iowan's Monday the 29d' issue. Novick stated that a couple of the members could submit letters to the editor to the other newspapers. It was decided that Novick would send a letter to the Gazette; and Green will take the Daily Iowan. They will use the above - mentioned guest editorial as their basis. Davidsen asked to have copies of these items, as well, and Karr will make sure she has copies of all the documents mentioned. It was noted that a picture needs to be taken of Sueppel, and Karr stated she would have the City photographer take this picture on Thursday, as Sueppel will be in his office. City Website — Karr noted that this has been updated with the latest redlined version of the Charter, and the December 1 letter and notice. Radio programs — Kubby reported that WSUI's Iowa Talks is now statewide, versus regional, so this piece would not work here. However, Kubby noted they would like to do a 5- minute news piece and a longer weekend item with a studio interview. Kubby noted that this interview can be done at any time, and then it will be aired on a particular weekend. She just needs to contact WSUI and finalize the plans. Kubby will work on this. Lensing stated that she would work with Kubby on this, and they will report back to the members. Kubby noted that their message will be based on the guest editorial. Lensing stated that she is to contact Brent about this at KXIC, but that the interview will be basically the same as the radio station, in that the interview can be done either live, or tape beforehand. She needs to contact him for further clarification. Werner stated that he would do the KXIC interview, and Rowat also volunteered to work with him. Werner stated he would contact Brent to set this up. They will let Karr know once these interviews are arranged so information can be shared with the Commission. Cable television — Karr noted that a decision has not been made on this yet. Facilitator information — Karr reported that the December I public session, being held at the Public Library, will be in Meeting Room A, which is large, and several smaller rooms around it, where they can have their smaller group sessions. She asked the members if they wanted a typed sheet with consistent information for each facilitator /scribe and their group. The members discussed this briefly, and Kubby stated she would work on coming up with a 1 -page sheet for the facilitators to use. Karr noted that if Kubby wants to get this in the packet for the next Charter Review meeting, then it will need to be done by Thursday morning. Kubby noted that she may not have it done by then, but will have it ready for the next meeting, which is November 22. Kubby's draft will be reviewed at the next meeting. Novick noted that she does have to leave at 7:30 PM from the December 1 public session, and wanted to remind the members of this. Charter Review Commission November 16, 2004 Page 3 (TAPE ENDS) MEETING SCHEDULE Lensing asked what the agenda was going to be at the November 22 "a meeting. Sueppel stated it would be an update on the publicity, and a review of the facilitator sheet that Kubby will be preparing. Discussion began on reducing the length of this next meeting as most issues have been cleared up. It was decided to start the meeting at 8:00 AM, instead of 7:00 AM. A brief discussion ensued, regarding the public session on December 1. It was decided that they would have the participants count off to form groups, and to have the same facilitator /scribe discuss all issues with their group, instead of changing groups. It was decided by the group to see how many people show up for the public session, before they make any specific recommendations on how the meeting and group discussions should be run. ADJOURNMENT Kubby motioned to adjourn the meeting at 4:00 PM; seconded by Chappell. Motion carried 9 -0. City Buses FlIKOF93TOITWIDWNTITIM 5:30 PM IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY ROOM A QUESTIONS: citycharter @iowa- city.org ��A G� '•1 Cambus 5:30 PM IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY ROOM A (Accessible to people with special needs.) QUESTIONS: citycharter @iowa- city.org 11-4 '05 City or 4L k'A C� Community Discussion: Possible amendments to Iowa City's Charter Wednesday, December 1, 2004 5:30 P.M. Iowa City Public Library — Room A 123 S. Linn Street C R61 The Iowa City Charter Review Commission has been appointed by the City Council to review the Iowa City Charter. Pursuant to the existing Charter, any amendments recommended by the Commission must either be adopted by the City Council or placed on a ballot for consideration by Iowa City voters. The issues to be discussed by the community on December 1 include: (1) Election of Mayor - The Mayor is currently selected for a two - year term by a majority vote of the City Council members. The Mayor is the figurative head and a voting member of the City Council and has the responsibility to lead Council meetings. Assuming the Mayor's powers and responsibilities remain the same, should the Mayor instead be selected for a four -year term by a majority vote of the citizens? This would require one of the at- large council positions to be designated as the Mayor's slot and other possible administrative changes to the Charter. (2) District Representation - Currently 3 of 7 Council Members are nominated within their district and a primary is held in the district if needed. The November city election has district Council Members elected by voters citywide. Should the number of districts be increased? Should the district Council Members be "pure" i.e. general election held in the districts only? The Charter Review Commission invites °czs -I everyone to be a part of this public discussion. CITY OF IOWA CITY 2004 -2005 CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION BOARD CONTACTS William Sueppel, Chair Meardon, Sueppel & Downer P.L.C. 122 S. Linn St 52240 (w) 338 -9222 e -mail: billfs(aDmeardonlaw.com Andy Chappell 911 Rider St 52246 (w)339 -6100 (h) 354 -7073 e -mail: achappell a().iowabar.org Penny Davidsen 13668 N. Lobelia Way Tuscon, AZ 85737 (h) 520- 825 -6949 e -mail: pkd317Paol.com (or) omd618paol.com Karen Kubby 7282 nd Ave 52245 (w) 337 -2112 (h) 338 -1321 e -mail: kubby(a.pobox.com Naomi Novick 306 Mullin Ave 52246 (h) 337 -4649 Marian Karr, City Clerk 410 E Washington St 52240 (w) 356 -5041 e -mail: marian- karr(a)iowa -city org As of 11108104 Vicki Lensing 2408 Mayfield Rd 52245 (w) 338 -8171 e -mail: vickilensino(aa)iuno.com Kevin Werner 3020 Wayne Ave 52240 (w) 356 -5989 (h) 354 -5873 e -mail: kwerner(@isbt.com Lynn Rowat 514 Stuart Ct 52245 -3531 (w) 351 -4121 (h) 351 -0661 e -mail: rowatle(@mchsi.com Nate Green 231 Woodside Dr 52246 (h) 354 -1139 (c) 630 - 532 -9587 e -mail: nate- green(o)uiowa.edu STAFF CONTACTS Eleanor Dilkes, City Attorney 410 E Washington St 52240 (w) 356 -5030 e -mail: eleanor- dilkes(a)iowa- city.org ICGov.Org Email Release Marian Karr From: web @icgov.org Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 3:02 PM To: marian - karr @iowa - city.org Subject: ICGov.org Media Release : General City News 4ci uur Jink to �dtiy 87x11 Title : COMMENTS SOUGHT ON POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS OT IOWA CITY'S CHARTER Release Date : Thursday, November 18, 2004 Release Time : 2:58:00 PM Originating Department : City Clerk Contact Person : Marian K. Karr Contact Number : 356 -5041 The Iowa City Charter Review Commission has been appointed by the City Council to review the Iowa City Charter. Pursuant to the existing Charter, any amendments recommended by the Commission must either be adopted by the City Council or placed on a ballot for consideration by Iowa City voters. A community discussion on potential Charter amendments will be held December 1, 2004, 5:30 p.m., in Room A of the Iowa City Public Library (123 S. Linn St.). The issues to be discussed by the community on December 1 include: (1) Election of Mayor - The Mayor is currently selected for a two -year term by a majority vote of the City Council members. The Mayor is the figurative head and a voting member of the City Council and has the responsibility to lead Council meetings. Assuming the Mayor's powers and responsibilities remain the same, should the Mayor instead be selected for a four -year term by a majority vote of the citizens? This would require one of the at -large council positions to be designated as the Mayor's slot and other possible administrative changes to the Charter. (2) District Representation - Currently 3 of 7 Council Members are nominated within their district and a primary is held in the district if needed. The November city election has district Council Members elected by voters citywide. Should the number of districts be increased? Should the district Council Members be "pure" Le, general election held in the districts only? The Charter Review Commission invites everyone to be a part of this public discussion. Additional information can be found on the City website citycharter @iowa- city.org To subscribe and unsubscribe from ICGov email releases click here: http : / /www.icgov.orq /subscribe.asp Click here to go to the City Jobs page 11/18/2004 Page 1 of 2 MJ_ WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THE IOWA CITY CHARTER? M Our Mayor is currently chosen by the seven members of the council. Do you want the Mayor to be elected directly by the citizens? Or do you prefer the current method? Our Council is currently comprised of 4 at -large members and 3 district members. Do you want this to change to 3 at large and 4 by district? Or do you prefer the current composition? Our district candidates are winnowed down to 2 per district at the October primary election if more than 2 seek a specific district seat. Only the voters in that district select the final two candidates in the primary election. That district member is chosen by the voters citywide in the regular November city election. Do you want district members to be chosen only by district voters in the regular November city election? Or do you prefer the current method? Are there any other changes that you believe should be made to the City Charter? Here is your opportunity to speak out on these matters with your fellow citizens and with the members of the Review Commission. Come to the Iowa City Public Library, Room A, 123 S. Linn Street, at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 1, 2004. We want to discuss these issues with you. Historically, on November 15, 1973, the citizens of Iowa City approved a Home Rule Charter creating a new form of city government. That charter provided that a Charter Review Commission be established to review the charter 1 once every ten years and recommend any amendments that it deems fit. That process was followed in 1984 -1985 and in 1994 -1995. This past spring, the Iowa City Council appointed nine citizens to commence the decennial review and update. An organization meeting was held on May 19, 2004, and the Commission has met 15 times since then. The existing charter provides that a recommendation by the Review Commission must either (1) be adopted by the City Council; or (2) submitted by the council to the Iowa City voters for their consideration. While the nine members of the Review Commission are the ones who make the recommendations, it is essential that these members hear from the community. The format of this community discussion will be informal and interactive. Those attending will be divided into groups, which will discuss each of the issues specifically set out above. At the conclusion of the group discussions, all participants will gather to summarize the group discussions. Any additional charter issues may be raised and discussed at that time. The Review Commission hopes that this format will engender meaningful discussion and benefit the review of the Charter. This meeting is open to the public. The members of the Review Commission hope you will attend and participate in this timely and important discussion. It's your Charter — let your voices be heard. William F. Sueppel, Chair Iowa City Charter Review Commission 2 City of Iowa City, Iowa - Official Web Site your !40 to1ilr ilrr /► Page 1 of 2 ,welcome ; 8ervlce8 ° i dnsiness o calelndai 1 news 31058 degairtment8 t +�18itOr5 I city services I city facts I council I documents I city code I non-city links III Good Morninq! Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004 III COMMUNITY DISCUSSION: POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS TO IOWA CITY'S CHARTER December 1, 2004; 5:30 PM Iowa City Public Library, Room A 123 S. Linn Street Public meeting open to all The Iowa City Charter Review Commission has been appointed by the City Council to review the Iowa City Charter. Pursuant to the existing Charter, any amendments recommended by the.Commission must either be adopted by the City Council or placed on a ballot for consideration by Iowa City voters. The Commission has been meeting regularly since May and has received public input through letters, e- mails, telephone calls, visitors to meetings, and an October 12th public hearing. As a result of these meetings and public input, several potential changes have been discussed by the Commission. Proposed changes to the City Charter will be the topic of a public meeting scheduled for 5:30 PM, December 1, 2004. Proposed changes include: 1. Election of Mayor - The Mayor is currently selected for a two -year term by a majority vote of the City Council members. The Mayor is the figurative head and a voting member of the City Council and has the responsibility to lead Council meetings. Assuming the Mayor's powers and responsibilities remain the same, should the Mayor instead be selected for a four -year term by a majority vote of the citizens? This would require one of the at -large council positions to be designated as the Mayor's slot and other possible administrative changes to the Charter. 2. District Representation - Currently 3 of 7 Council Members are nominated within their district and a primary is held in the district if needed. The November city election has district Council Members elected by voters citywide. Should the number of districts be increased? Should the district Council Members be "pure" i.e. general election held in the districts only? The format of this Community Discussion will be informal and interactive. Depending on the number of participants, those attending will be divided into groups. Each group will spend up to twenty -five minutes discussing each issue. At the conclusion of the group discussions all participants will gather. Commission members will briefly summarize the group discussions and allow time for a general discussion of any additional Charter issues raised by the citizens participating. If you cannot attend this meeting, the public is welcome at any of the Commission's regular meetings and written comments will be accepted at any time by mail to Charter Review, Attn: City Clerk, 410 E. Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240 or by e -mail at citycharter @iowa - city.org LhJ Proposed Amended Charter - 11/9/04 << Return to City Charter http:// www. icgov. org /cotincil/charteramendmeiit.litm 11/17/2004 City of Iowa City, Iowa - Official Web Site Page I of 2 Charter Review Process Underway The duties of the Charter Review Commission will be to review the existing City Charter and within twelve months recommend any charter amendments that it deems fit. The Commission's recommendations are binding on the Council. The Council must submit the Commission's recommendations to the voters unless, on the Commission's recommendations, the Council amends the Charter by Ordinance. Meeting Scheduled for 12/01/04 to Receive Input Click here for more information What is the City Charter? The Iowa City Charter is a document that determines how the government of Iowa City is organized. The 19 page document provides the legal basis for: • Composition of the City Council - number of members; district and at -large members; • How the Council is elected and Mayor is chosen; • Employment and duties of the City Manager; • Relationship with City Boards and Commissions; • Restrictions on campaign contributions; • Procedures for citizen initiatives and referenda. • Other administrative and organizational elements Questions about the Iowa City Charter Review Commission should be directed to Marian Karr, City Clerk at 356 -5041 or citycharter@iowa- city.org. Proposed Amended Charter - 11/9/04 Present City Charter Charter Review Commission Agendas /Minutes Charter Review Commission Membership Written comments can be addressed to: Marian Karr, City Clerk Attn: Charter Review City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 E -mail comments may also be submitted electronically to: citycharter@iowa-city.org. Please include name and address with all correspondence. t home I services I business I calendar I news I jobs I departments http:/h vww. icgov .org/council/charterroview.htm 11/17/2004 From Karen Kubby Suggested Timefriwie for December 1, 2004 Public Discussion 5:30pm Welcome and introductions by William Sueppel, Sr., Chair Explain format of meeting Count off by 4's 5:45pm Break into first set of small groups —Mayor election process discussion 6:1Opm End first small group discussion 6:15pm Begin second small group discussion District discussion: number/how elected 6:40pm End small group discussion 6:50pm Small groups report back to large group If many groups, maybe the top three issues of each topic are reported If few groups, could report more 7:05pm Large group discussion about any issue participants bring up 8:00pm Closing remarks by the Chair Kim Facilitator Tips 1. Check in to see if everyone understands the format of the next 25 minutes. 2. Remind the group what topic this group is discussing, reminding them they will have a chance to talk about the other topic in small group, as well as anything else they have in mind during the large group time. 3. Ask if anyone needs any clarification about how the current charter works in this area and what the suggestion for change was. Answer concisely to clarify. This allows everyone to have the same information and understanding about what is being proposed. 4. Some suggested questions: a. How do you feel about this potential change? b. No matter how you feel about the change, what might be some benefits to this change for the community? c. No matter how you feel about the change, what might be some negative consequences of this change for the community? 5. Keep the group focused on the task at hand within the above timeframe. 6. If someone wants to bring up another topic during small group discussion, ask them to write down their topic and that around 7pm, the floor will be opened up for other areas within the charter. 7. If someone dominates the conversation, ask the group if anyone else has anything to contribute or add to the conversation. If not, that person is allowed to go on. 8. If not everyone is contributing, ask if anyone who hasn't spoken would like to add something. Look around the group equally for response, so as not to "pick" on anyone in particular. 9. Near the end of the time, you can do a "round robin" to see if anyone wants to add anything before the discussion ends. This allows one last chance for people to contribute. Some Pros and Cons of Major Charter Review Topics At December 1, 2004 Public Discussion Mayor Election Process Elected by City Council Pro 1. Is working well now. 2. Good working relationship with council. 3. No seat left open if council member moves over to Mayor's seat, resulting in a special election. Con 1. Leadership could be stronger. 2. Process is not public — mostly behind the scenes. 3. Original charter commission could have gone either way with the Mayor selection process. 4. Person who can get 4 votes is not always the best leader. Elected by Voter Pro 1. Mayor is community leader and should be elected by the connnunity. 2. More public process. 3. Is a representative gov't — direct election is is more representative. Would allow use of other voting systems and eliminate cost of a primary for candidate and public. Pro Coll 1. Could result in an inexperienced Mayor. 2. If a council member moves over to the Mayor's seat, it would trigger an appointment or special election. 3. More expensive election process. District Seats 4 vs 3 Districts Con 1. City has grown —need more distribution of where in 1. Current system works well. the city council members lives. 2. Would have to redraw districts. 2. Smaller districts allow for more grassroots campaign strategies during the primary. Consistent with other charter communities. True Districts Pro 1. Relieve voter confusion. 2. Smaller districts allow for more grassroots campaign strategies for the primary and general election. This could result in a wider variety of candidates. 3. Would allow use of other voting systems and eliminate expense of a primary for both candidate and public. 4. Consistent with most communities in the US. Con Current system works well. District reps might work hardest on Issues effecting their district and not have the interests of the entire city in mind when making policy. Gazette, Monday, November 15, 2004 CITY GOVERNMENT Public meeting set Dec. 1 to discuss possible changes By Mark Quitter The Gazette IOWA CITY — For those who want a say in the struc- ture of Iowa City government, your day is near. A nine - member commis- sion, appointed by the City Council, is re- examining the Iowa City Charter, the docu- ment that establishes the structure of city government. A public meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1 in 3m A at the Iowa City . ,tblic Library for residents to comment on the commis- sion's decisions. Now, the council has four at -large members and three district members. District candidates are selected by residents in their respective district and then elected by the entire city. Council mem- hers choose the mayor, who votes on issues, acts as the city's official representative and policy spokesman and presides over the council. The commission is consid- ering three major changes: • Electing the mayor. • Creating "true districts," where council members are elected only by their district and not the entire city. •Increasing the number of district council members from three to four, leaving three at -large represenatives. In the 1970s, Iowa law al- lowed cities to choose their form of government, with re- strictions, said Eleanor Dilkes, Iowa City attorney. Iowa City decided on a home - rule charter, meaning the city chooses the structure instead of one mandated by the state. Only three other towns in Iowa have a home -rule char- ter, she said. When the charter was adopted in 1973, there was extreme division in the city, 99We have to make sure that our form of democracy is not stale' 5 Karen Kubby Charter commission member said Iowa City Clerk Marian Karr. To help ensure each section of Iowa City was represented in government, the city decid- ed to have three district rep- resentatives, who had to be elected by the entire city. The city also decided the charter would be reviewed every 10 years, with this be- ing the third such review. The commission has ap- proved a temporary charter but only slight wording changes were made, said Ka- ren Kubby, a charter commis- sion member. The public meeting will help determine Charter /Commission considers all sides ► FROM PAGE 10 things, she said. True districts also would make it possible for a wider range of people to be elected, she said. Under the present system, a candidate must be well -known throughout the city to be elected. With true districts, they only need to be well -known in their neighbor- hood, making it easier for their interests to be repre- sented. The four at -large council members could help temper parochialism from the district council members, Kubby said. University of Iowa law stu- dent and commission member Nate Green, 23, of Iowa City, said he is waiting for more input from the public before }re takes a stance on these issues. Although he sees both sides, Green said he is lean- ing toward keeping the may- or- selection process. The for- mer UI student body president said the system en- sures the mayor has experi- ence. By directly electing the mayor, it would change the face of elections in Iowa City, causing more campaign spending and fanfare, he said. Green said he is even more conflicted on whether or not to develop true districts. He likes the idea that districts the outcome of these impor- tant issues, she said. Kubby said while many be- lieve the current form of gov- ernment in Iowa City works fine, changing aspects of it could be quite beneficial. "We have to make sure that our form of democracy is not stale," she said. The commission is excited and open to new ideas, she said, and encourages the pub- lic to give input. Kubby said she supports an elected mayor, a position that would bring a different sense of leadership although the du- ties would remain the same. She said she also wants to keep the four at -large seats and three district seats, but wants to make the districts true districts. During every election, much time is spent educating the electorate about Iowa City's "funky" govern - ment system, Kubby said. This would help simplify ► CHARTER, PAGE 20 are represented by district council members, but thinks true districts may cause more lobbying for special interests by each district. Now, there is district representation, but the entire community still has a say in the entire coun- cil, he said. "It fosters more of a whole community outlook," Green said. For more information about the public meeting or for contact information on the charter members, call the city clerk at (319) 356 -5043. ■ contact the writer: (319) 339 -3161 or mark. quiner @gazeltecommunlcalions.com LETTER TO GAZETTE — IOWA CITY CHARTER (Please print this letter between Sunday, November 28 and Tuesday, November 30.) Naomi J. Novick 306 Mullin Ave Iowa City, IA 52246 (319) 337 -4649 November 19, 2004 Iowa City has a City Charter which describes in detail the government of our City. The Charter was written by a committee of citizen volunteers, and then was adopted by the voters in 1973. This Charter requires a formal review every 10 years, which is also done by a committee of citizen volunteers. The third Charter Review Commission is now meeting regularly, and we are also encouraging other city residents to tell us what they think about the City Charter. We will hold a public discussion of the Charter on December I" at 5:30 p.m. at the Iowa City Public Library. This discussion, in small groups, will include the election of the District Council members and the election of the Mayor. Other Charter topics that people wish to discuss may be brought up that evening. Copies of the Charter are available at City Hall and the Library, or you may read it at www.ic og v.org. Please take this opportunity to have your opinion of the Charter heard. Or, you may just come to listen and learn about your city and its government. Naomi J. Novick, Member Iowa City Charter Conunission