WatkinsCOLUMBIA, 1/3/10 (Beat Byte) -- In addition to the city manager's hiring powers, the Columbia City Council will also consider five so-called "housekeeping amendments" to the city's Home Rule Charter at its meeting Monday night.
Columbia city manager Bill Watkins has prepared, introduced, and recommended the housekeeping amendments.Ostensibly designed to streamline city management, the proposed charter changes may head en masse to the April 6, 2010 ballot, an issue that has critics concerned with so-called "ballot stacking." Council members have their own priorities for charter changes -- including a new role in the hiring of senior level city administrators -- that supporters worry may be lost in the charter change crowd.Editorial note: At least three of the City Manager's proposed changes (starred below) -- including #4, which has such vague language it almost seems comical -- can and should wait for a future ballot.The City Manager's five proposed charter changes are:1) Allow the city manager to designate an assistant city manager as acting city manager in the event of the city manager’s absence or disability.*2) Eliminate the restriction on transfer of funds within the first six months of a fiscal year.3) Remove the requirement that the director of the Water and Light Department be a registered engineer.*4) Clarify what constitutes a valid signature, eliminate the maximum number of signatures on a candidate petition, and "slightly adjust" the wording of candidate petitions for clarity; "slightly alter" the filing period for candidate petitions; and provide additional time to process council candidate, initiative, referendum, and recall petitions.*5) Allow city funds in any city depository to be secured by the same kinds of securities that secure state funds in state depositories.See Staff report at end:Section V. Items B382-9 to B386-9
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