Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Review topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Astoria council opens broad charter-review discussion, targets November ballot
Summary
Councilors began a multi-part charter review conversation on Nov. 24, outlining scope (vacancy rules, appointed officers, committee appointments, council size), preferring public engagement, and expressing a shared preference to aim for a November general-election ballot, with staff to prepare timeline and draft items.
Director Dart McLean framed the charter-update agenda item as a staff presentation and timeline discussion tied to the elections calendar. He asked the council to identify which charter sections they want to review and what review process they prefer.
"What is being discussed, obviously, there's a wide range of information in the city's charter," McLean said, adding that an August 14 deadline would affect any November ballot timeline. Councilors agreed that the timeline should guide the review process and draft language.
Councilor Andy Davis presented four suggested charter changes to prioritize: vacancy/quorum language for replacing council members; consolidated language for appointed officers (including a clearer role for the city attorney); adding council consent for appointments to city committees; and potentially expanding the council to seven members, with options to add at-large seats or to consider a more substantial rework of the mayoral role.
Councilors discussed process questions — whether to appoint a review committee or have council author ballot items directly — and voiced support for engaging the public through listening sessions while noting the risk of conflicts if appointed committees review appointment rules. Several members said they preferred aiming for a November ballot to maximize turnout and allow time for community input and multiple work sessions.
Staff indicated that if the council aims for a November ballot the schedule would require working toward August deadlines and that the council should plan additional work sessions over the next three to five months to refine language and gauge public response.
