HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-25-2023 Council Work Session PacketCouncil Work Session
Monday, September 25, 2023
5:00 P.M.
Orono Council Chambers,
2780 Kelley Parkway, Orono, MN 55356
WORK SESSION
AGENDA
1. Recodification Update
Prepared By: JVE Reviewed By: Approved By:
CITY OF ORONO MEMORANDUM
DATE: September 25, 2023
TO: City Council Members
FROM: City Clerk
RE: Recodification Update
1. Purpose. The purpose of this item is to provide an update to the City Council on the
Implementation and Recodification project of the Orono Municipal Code.
2. Background. In January 2022 staff was authorized to have Municode conduct a legal review
or the City’s code. The legal review was completed in July of 2022. In October 2022 staff was
authorized to proceed with the assistance of Municode to initiate the Implementation and
Republication project for Orono Municipal Code.
Staff and the City Attorney have been reviewing the entire code, by title and making updates as
needed to bring the Code up to date with legislation, current practices, and grammatical
corrections. There are a few Zoning sections that are currently still being evaluated, however,
the project is approaching the next steps in the process, which is City Council and Planning
Commission review.
Recodification Project
City of Orono
What is recodification?
•Recodification is a collaborative process that includes a full legal and
thorough review of the City’s municipal code that helps ensure that
provisions are comprehensive, lawful and enforceable.
•Systematic review of every chapter of the Code
•It is recommended that a legal review be conducted every 10-15 years for
municipal codes.
•Orono’s last legal review took place in 2003.
Are we Authorized?
•The creation and maintenance of the Orono City Code is pursuant to
Minnesota Statute §415.021
A statutory or home rule charter city, or town, may revise and codify and print in book,
pamphlet or newspaper form, any ordinances, resolutions, and rules of the city or town
and may include therein for reference any applicable general or special laws. Such
codification shall be a sufficient publication of any ordinance included in it and not
previously published in a newspaper if a substantial quantity of the codification is
printed for general distribution to the public.
Completed Steps: Process
Municode conducts
Legal Review of code
and provides
recommendations to
staff
Staff/Attorney review
recommendations and
sections of code for
further updates
Staff/Attorney work
together to prepare
drafts/proofs of
proposed changes/edits
Next Steps: Process
Proposed changes to
Code will be reviewed by
Title at multiple City
Council Meetings and
Planning Commission
meetings (as necessary)
Complete any additional
revisions to the proposed
changes, if needed
Once all Six Titles have
been reviewed, staff will
send to Municode for
preparation of the
updated code
Final Steps: Process
Municode will include
any necessary
corrections and process
the tables and index and
perform final quality
control (3-5 months)
The new Code will be
sent to the city including
a suggested ordinance
adopting the updated
Code.
City Code will be
adopted and republished
Where we are at?
•City Staff and Attorney have discussed legal review, completed edits, and finalized
drafts
•A few Zoning docs are currently being reviewed, once complete will be brought
forward at a Planning Commission meeting for recommendations/input
•We have created a webpage and posted all completed Drafts that show all
strikethroughs and edits
•We have provided a feedback form for residents to submit any questions or input
related to the City Code drafts shown.
How will Council know what changes have
been made?
•All drafts are posted to the website and are available 24 hours a day, they
may take notes and direct questions to staff throughout entire process.
•We intend to present brief highlights of changes by title/chapter/sections at
meetings prior to sending our finalized edits to Municode.
•If council needs to take any type of formal action for approval like a
resolution or motion, staff will relay. Also, we would break each
presentation up by title for each agenda they appear on and highlight any
substantial changes as necessary.
Next Steps
•Begin reviewing drafts on the webpage. Visit: https://www.oronomn.gov/631/Recodification-Project•Start making notes and defining questions as needed•Staff to prepare presentations, by Title, for Council consideration•Zoning ordinances will go to Planning Commission for recommendations and review and then will be presented at a future Council Meeting for final review•Send to Municode
Thank you!
•Note: These steps may be modified as the project progresses