Laserfiche WebLink
RELEVANT LINKS: <br />League of Minnesota Cities Handbook for Minnesota Cities 6/8/2022 <br />Elected Officials and Council Structure and Role Chapter 6 | Page 16 <br /> A. Role of the individual council member <br /> Council members’ statutory duties are to be performed, almost without <br />exception, by the council as a whole. For example, it is the council and not <br />individual council members that must supervise administrative officers, <br />formulate policies, and exercise city powers. <br /> Council members should devote their official time to problems of basic <br />policy and act as liaisons between the city and the general public. Council <br />members should be concerned, not only with the conduct of daily affairs, <br />but also with the future development of the city. <br /> The most important single responsibility of a council member is <br />participation at council meetings. In statutory cities, each council member, <br />including the mayor, has full authority to make and second motions, <br />participate in discussions, and vote on every matter before the council. <br />Minn. Stat. § 412.191, subd. <br />2. Minn. Stat. § 13D.04. In a statutory city, the mayor or any two council members of a five- <br />member council or any three council members of a seven-member council <br />may call a special meeting. Care should be exercised to give proper notice, <br />however. <br /> As individuals, council members have no administrative authority. They <br />cannot give orders to or otherwise supervise city employees unless <br />specifically directed to do so by the council. The council, however, has <br />complete authority over all administrative affairs in the city. In Plan B <br />cities, this authority is generally restricted to conducting investigations and <br />establishing policies to be performed by the manager. <br />Minn. Stat. § 412.101 <br />(repealed by Laws 2001, ch. <br />135, sec. 3). <br /> <br />Under state law that was repealed in 2001, all members of the council, <br />including mayors, were “peace officers.” Council members were <br />authorized to suppress any “riotous or disorderly conduct” in the streets or <br />public places of the city. The mayor and individual council members no <br />longer have peace-officer authority. <br /> B. The council’s authority <br />Van Cleve v. Wallace, 216 <br />Minn. 500, 13 N.W.2d 467 <br />(1944). <br />The city council is a continuing body. New members have no effect on the <br />body except to change its membership. This means that all ordinances and <br />resolutions remain in effect until the council alters or rescinds them, or <br />until they expire through their own terms. <br /> At any time, the council can change any resolution, ordinance, or <br />administrative order whether or not the individuals presently on the <br />council are the same as those serving when the council originally took <br />action. <br />19