04-001-O

ORDINANCE NO. __________

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 8 OF THE DULUTH CITY CHARTER TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY COUNCIL TO DELEGATE TO ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS THE POWER TO APPROVE CONTRACTS.

BY COUNCILOR NESS:

The city of Duluth does ordain:

Section 1. That Section 8 of the 1912 Charter of the city of Duluth, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:

Sec. 8. Ordinances--required for all legislation and appropriations; recordation of votes.

Except as in this Charter otherwise provided, all legislation and appropriations of money shall be by ordinance, save that where obligations have been incurred by ordinance, payment thereof may be ordered by resolution, and save also that licenses may be granted, flow of traffic regulated, and the powers conferred by Chapter IX hereof exercised, by resolution. The council may by ordinance authorize executive and administrative officers of the city to issue licenses and permits, except when statutes require licenses to be granted by the council, and to make contracts which are not subject to the competitive bidding requirements of Section 31 of this Charter and which involve less than $5,000 $10,000, pursuant to appropriations made by ordinance. Every ordinance and resolution shall be in writing and read in full at a council meeting before a vote is taken, except (i) every ordinance or resolution, copies of which, together with a brief description of the purpose of said ordinance or resolution, are presented to each member of the council at least 12 hours prior to the time of the introduction of such ordinance or resolution, or (ii) every resolution awarding the sale of bonds, certificates of indebtedness, capital notes, lease purchase agreements, certificates of participation, and installment purchase agreements shall not be required to be read in full at each reading before the council, but may be read by title and such description. Ordinances and resolutions may be passed upon a voice vote of the council, but if such voice vote is not unanimous, the yeas and nays shall then be called and recorded.

Except for emergency ordinances or emergency resolutions or resolutions awarding the sale of bonds, certificates of indebtedness, capital notes, lease purchase agreements, certificates of participation, and installment purchase agreements, every ordinance and resolution shall be filed with the city clerk at least 24 hours prior to the introduction of the same.

Section 2. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force 90 days from and after its passage and publication.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:  This proposed ordinance amends Section 8 of the Charter to provide that the city council may, by ordinance, authorize executive and administrative officers of the city to make contracts of up to $10,000 if competitive bidding is not required for the contract. The present level is $5,000, and the increase to $10,000 puts Duluth more in line with procedures used by other governments in the state.