10.b Memo - Discussion and consideration of different City Council Work Session ArrangementsPage 1 of 2
City of Scandia
14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us
MEMORANDUM
DATE: January 4, 2021
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Ken Cammilleri, City Administrator
RE: Discussion and Consideration of different city models for arranging
future City Council work sessions
Three Primary Models
There are three general models that Minnesota cities have used with regard to arranging City
Council meetings. These types of arrangement can also slightly vary, but for the most part appear
to fit the following models:
Type A - The Flexible Model
In this model, cities notice and consider both business meetings and work session meetings as
regular meetings. This allows city councils to easily substitute work sessions with business
oriented meetings.
Most cities who adopt this model tend to avoid business decisions at these meetings when it is
noticed as “workshop meetings”, however that is not always the case.
The Scandia City Council has long since applied this model. The first meeting of the year is
typically used as their “organization meetings”. (These meetings include swearing in of newly
elected or reelected officials, decisions council member committee assignments or appointments,
appointment of “Acting Mayor”, official business designations such as naming depositories for
public funds and official newspaper of publication.)
The Scandia City Council has also traditionally held its final budget and levy at its first meeting
in December.
Regular business started to become a part of work session meetings around 2015. That practice
has been in place up until today.
Type B – The Preceding Meeting Model
Some city councils have opted to hold work sessions just in advance of their regular business
meeting times. This option offers flexibility to take action at regular meetings, but maintains the
informal quality of a work session meeting.
Page 2 of 2
City of Scandia
14727 209th St. N. PO Box 128, Scandia, Minnesota 55073
Phone (651) 433-2274 Fax (651) 433-5112 http://www.ci.scandia.mn.us
Type C – Completely Separate Meeting Model
Some city councils have adopted a practice of noticing work sessions and regular meetings
separately. These meetings remained noticed but maintained a clear separation.
Recommendation
I recommend that the City Council continue to maintain its current practice. Agendas that may
include decision making will be noticed as such and the meeting could be branded as both work
session and regular meeting.
Should the Council wish to make a change to an alternate model, the Council is requested to
clarify which procedures they wish to adopt so that an ordinance amendment can be prepared to
allow for the implementation of this change.
Please let me know if you have any questions.