The City of St. Helens City Council will conduct two informational public forums to discuss the proposed amendments to the City's Charter which will be on your May 18, 2010 Election Ballot. Both forums will provide the same information regarding the ballot measure. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend either session.

The City Council of St. Helens appointed a Charter Review Committee to conduct a review of the City's current Charter, and the Committee proposed a revised Charter.

Public meetings were held on the proposed revision, and the revision was approved by the City Council by Resolution No. 1531 for referral to the voters. This ballot measure, if passed, would adopt the Committee's proposed revised City Charter, known as the 2010 City of St. Helens Charter, as recommended by the Committee and approved by the City Council.

The proposed revised Charter contains numerous editorial changes designed to clarify ambiguities in the current Charter and to update certain city procedures. Such changes include revisions to clarify the duties and powers of elected officials, the election process for Councilors and the Mayor, the ordinance adoption process and resolution adoption process, appointed officer duties, and the appointed officer vacancy and selection processes. The office of city manager would be established as the administrative head of the city government.

A copy of Resolution No. 1531 and a document comparing the current text of the City Charter to the proposed text of the City Charter are available online at www.ci.sthelens.or.us. If you have any questions regarding the proposed amendments, please contact Chad Olsen, City Administrator, at St. Helens City Hall, (503)397-6272.

Both forums will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 265 Strand Street, Plaza Entrance, St. Helens, OR 97051. The facility is handicap accessible. If you need special accommodation, please contact City Hall at (503)397-6272, at least 48 hours before the meeting.