Council adopts two charter amendments clarifying petition procedures and job titles
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Summary
The council adopted two City Charter amendments: housekeeping and procedural clarifications to Chapter 5 (initiative, referendum, recall) and a title change in Chapter 6 (assistant to deputy city manager). Both ordinances passed after required public hearings and recorded unanimous votes.
Bloomington’s City Council voted unanimously on Monday to adopt two charter amendments following public hearings: clerical and process clarifications to Chapter 5 governing initiative, referendum and recall procedures, and a title update in Chapter 6 changing the position name "assistant city manager" to "deputy city manager."
City Attorney Melissa Manderscheid told the council the Chapter 5 amendment standardizes naming across the charter’s petition sections, adds contact information fields to streamline communications with petition sponsors and clarifies petition form language used in referenda. She described the package as aimed at administrative clarity, not substantive change.
Steve Peterson, chair of the Charter Commission, said the commission had tried to limit the proposed amendments to noncontroversial changes so the council could move forward without triggering broader charter debates.
The council opened public hearings on both items; no members of the public spoke on either charter change. Council then adopted ordinances amending sections 5.05, 5.11 and 5.16 relating to initiative, referendum and recall and later amended sections 6.03, 6.06 and 6.07 to update the title to deputy city manager. Both adoption motions passed 7–0.
Manderscheid noted that the Chapter 5 amendment follows state statutory requirements for charter changes by ordinance, which include a published full ordinance and a delayed effective date (and a petition window during the publication period). The Chapter 6 change is a straightforward title change; staff indicated they will synchronize other administrative documents and policies with the charter amendment’s effective date.
The changes will be published as required; the Chapter 5 amendment carries a 90‑day delayed effective date to allow for required publication and potential petition activity under state law.
