Council agrees to begin Charter Review Committee process; staff to bring resolution and timeline

City staff briefed Littleton City Council on the process to convene a periodic Charter Review Committee required by the city charter. Council directed staff to prepare a resolution to establish the committee and asked that each councilmember submit at least two nominees; council and staff discussed timeline and whether any charter changes should be referred to voters in 2025 or 2026.

Staff explained the charter calls for periodic review and recommended a 14‑member committee of registered electors, appointed by council. The last review was completed in 2015; staff described a typical committee process — monthly meetings for about eight months, public outreach, and a final report with referral recommendations to council. Council may also add charter changes to the ballot without the committee, but the committee serves as a community review and a public education channel.

Council discussed likely topics and timing. Staff and council identified three recurring items: (1) reconciling charter language with state elections law, (2) reviewing the charter’s debt‑limit provisions (references to the city’s bonding cap) and (3) other housekeeping or modernizing edits (for example, gender‑neutral language or office/title cleanups). Council debated whether to put any changes on the 2025 ballot; some council members expressed concern about crowding the ballot and preferred to use the 2026 cycle so there is time for voter education and to avoid competing measures.

Council consensus at the study session was to proceed with the committee process this year. Staff said it would prepare a draft resolution for the next meeting (April 15) to create the review committee and then return with a proposed appointment resolution once councilmembers provided nominees. Council members agreed to provide at least two nominees each; staff (City Clerk’s office) will check for duplicates and confirm availability.

On ballot timing, the group discussed placing a change to the charter’s debt limit before voters to increase future bonding flexibility; council members were split on whether to refer that for 2025 or to develop a fuller education campaign for 2026. Staff noted deadlines for ballot referral and recommended scheduling outreach and a community education program in the year before a ballot measure is placed.

Next steps: staff will prepare a resolution to create the Charter Review Committee for council consideration at the regular meeting, the clerk will collect nominations from councilmembers (two each), and staff will return with a timeline and recommended public‑education steps for any ballot measures the committee or council wishes to refer to voters.