Could changes to the city's charter be on the horizon?
"The current charter was the product of lengthy review by a blue ribbon panel committee appointed by city council and approved by voters in 1990," Councilman Jim Foreman told The Log in an email. "Much has changed in 25 years and I think it's time for an independent review. Maybe it can be improved, maybe not."
Foreman, who served on the blue ribbon panel tasked with drafting the charter, brought up the idea for a review during the June 1 City Council meeting.
The city's charter is a comprehensive document outlining how the city operates and the rules and regulations it must follow.
When the city's charter was originally drafted, Foreman said there was quite the debate about various parts of the charter such as districts, term limits and millage caps, just to name a few.
At the time, the council was chaired by a president and not the mayor, Foreman said. Ultimately, the council rejected the committee's proposed charter.
"The committee chair, Bill Bradley, lead a successful petition drive to place the charter on the November 1990 ballot," Foreman said. "It passed."
Whether or not anything would be changed is still up for debate as a definitive meeting date has yet to be scheduled.
"We can look at other cities; draw on the resources of the
For any changes to be made to the city's charter, the city council would first have to approve an ordinance on two readings, then the changes would go before the city's voters as a referendum.
To read the current city charter, CLICK HERE.