Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Council - Individual Council Member <br />Taken From LMC Handbook <br /> <br />ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL COUNCil MEMBER <br />1. Council Members' statutory duties are to be performed, almost <br />without exception, by the council as a whole. <br />2. The council, not individual members, must supervise administrative <br />officers, formulate policies, and exercise city powers. <br />3. Even the duties of city employees are the direct or indirect <br />responsibility of the council. <br />4. Council Members should devote their official time to problems of <br />basic policy and act as liaisons between the city and the general <br />public. <br />5. Council Members should be concerned, not only with the conduct <br />of daily affairs, but also with the future development of the city. <br />Minn. Stat. & 412.191, subd. 2 <br />6. The most important single responsibility of a Council Member is <br />participation at council meetings. <br />7. Each Council Member, including the mayor in statutory cities, has <br />full authority to make and second motions, participate in <br />discussions, and vote on every matter before the council. In a <br />statutory city, any two Council Members of a five-member council <br />can call special meetings. <br />8. Three members of a seven-member council may call a special <br />~ meeting. <br />. As individuals, Council Members have no administrative authority. <br />They cannot give orders or otherwise supervise city employees <br />unless specifically directed to do so by the council. <br />10. As a council, however, Council Members have complete authority <br />over all administrative affairs in the city. Minn. Stat. & 412.101 See, <br />e.g., Minn. Stat. & 169.98, subd. 1a; Minn. Stat. & 626.862; Minn. <br />Stat. & 626.863. <br />11. In Standard Plan and Plan A statutory cities, all members of the <br />council, including mayors, are "peace officers." Council Members <br />are authorized to suppress any "riotous or disorderly conduct" in <br />the streets or public places of the city. Considerable care should be <br />taken in attempting to exercise this authority because of liability <br />issues. Other statutes preclude any person who is not a state- <br />licensed peace officer from carrying a firearm, operating marked <br />police squads, stopping other vehicles, or issuing citations. <br />Therefore, unless licensed as peace officers, Council Members <br />should refrain from exercising these powers, except in serious <br />emergencies, due to the potential criminal and civil liability <br />exposure. <br /> <br />2 <br />