02-18-25 Charter Commissoin Regular MeetingHOPKINS CHARTER COMMISSION
AGENDA
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
5:30 p.m.
RASPBERRY ROOM AT HOPKINS CITY HALL
1010 1ST ST. S., HOPKINS, MN
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING
a. November 20, 2024, Charter Commission Regular Meeting Proceedings
3. OLD BUSINESS
1. Next Steps for the 2025 Charter Amendments: Chapters 2 and 4
4. ADJOURNMENT
1
Minutes of the Hopkins Charter Commission
November 20, 2024
CALL TO ORDER
The Hopkins Charter Commission met on November 20, 2024, in the Raspberry Room
at City Hall, 1010 1st St. S., Hopkins. Chair Lenz called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
Present were Commission Members Dunn, Gadd, Halverson, Hanneman, Hugh,
Johnson, Maurer, Schady, Shirley and White. Also present was City Clerk Domeier and
City Attorney Riggs.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
Motion by Gadd. Second by Hanneman.
Motion to Adopt Agenda and Approve July 31, 2024, Charter Commission
Regular Meeting Proceedings.
Ayes: 11.
Nays: 0. Absent: None. Motion carried.
OLD BUSINESS
3.1. Next Steps for the 2024 Charter Amendments: Chapters 2 and 4
Chair Lenz provided a recap of the process and a summary of the City Council meeting.
City Attorney Riggs provided the next steps and options in the Charter Amendment
process following the City Council action in October. After debate, the Charter
Commission decided they wanted the opportunity to again ask the City Council to move
forward with the amendments before having the initiatives placed on a ballot. They
believed with more data that the City Council would have a unanimous vote to move
forward.
Motion by White. Second by Hanneman.
Motion to draft a Resolution to Amend the City Charter by Ordinance so that
candidate filing would follow state statute.
Ayes: 11.
Nays: 0. Absent: None. Motion carried.
Motion by Gadd. Second by Shirley.
Motion to draft a Resolution to Amend the City Charter by Ordinance to move
municipal elections from odd years to even years.
Ayes: 11.
Nays: 0. Absent: None. Motion carried.
2
Motion by Halverson. Second by Schady.
Motion to draft a resolution to Amend the City Charter by Ordinance to include a
process for tallying write-in votes.
Ayes: 11.
Nays: 0. Absent: None. Motion carried.
Motion by Hanneman. Second by Dunn.
Motion to draft a resolution to Amend the City Charter by Ordinance to change
the Mayor’s term from two-years to four-years.
Ayes: Dunn, Gadd, Hanneman, Johnson, Maurer, Schady, White.
Nays: Halverson, Hugh, Lenz, Shirley. Absent: None. Motion carried.
Chair Lenz stated that staff need to send a letter to the Chief Judge summarizing the
Commission’s work in 2024.
Motion by White. Second by Hugh.
Motion to authorize staff to draft a letter to the Chief Judge to be signed by the
Hopkins Charter Commission Chair.
Ayes: 11.
Nays: 0. Absent: None. Motion carried.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion by Halverson. Second by Hanneman.
Motion to Adjourn the meeting at 6:39 p.m.
Ayes: 11.
Nays: 0. Absent: None. Motion carried.
Respectfully Submitted,
Amy Domeier, City Clerk
CITY OF HOPKINS Memorandum
To: Hopkins Charter Commission Members
From: Amy Domeier, City Clerk
Date: February 18, 2025
Subject: Next Steps: 2025 Charter Amendments for Chapters 2 and 4
On January 21, the City Council held the required public hearings for both ordinances. The
summary of votes was as follows:
• Ordinance Amending Chapter 2 – Changing the Mayor’s term from two-years
to four-years
o Failed on a 4-1 vote.
o Ayes: Garrido, Hanlon, Hunke, Kuznia
o Nays: Goodlund
• Ordinance Amending Chapter 4 – Moving from odd-year to even-year
elections
o Failed on a 4-1 vote.
o Ayes: Garrido, Hanlon, Hunke, Kuznia
o Nays: Goodlund
The City Attorney will be in attendance to discuss the next steps and options in the Charter
Amendment process.
City Clerk