The City Council held its annual organizational meeting last night. The annual organizational meeting is typically a quick one, and last night’s meeting was no exception – 35 minutes. The Council uses its organizational meeting to make a number of decisions that are somewhat, but completely, perfunctory. For example, the Council adopts a policy that authorizes staff to use facsimile signatures on our accounts payable and payroll checks. The Council also designates the City’s official newspaper for the purpose of posting our official legal notices and designates the City’s official bank.
The Council also uses this organizational meeting to appoint Council Members to various boards and committees that are external to city government and the community, such as the National League of Cities, Municipal Legislative Commission and the Suburban Rate Authority. There are also several appointments that are to boards and commissions that are external to city government but internal to Eden Prairie, such as the Eden Prairie Foundation Board, Southwest Transit Board and the Joint City-School Facilities Task Force.
The Council approved a 2010 meeting schedule with nineteen meetings this year. The Council also approved the master meeting schedule for all the City’s citizens advisory commissions, such as the Planning Commission, Budget Advisory Commission, Arts & Culture Commission, etc.
It’s an election year this year. That can make for a complicated and busy year. It sure did in 2008, but I don’t think we’re anticipating something like that again. In any event, we’re off and running for 2010. It’s going to be an interesting year.
