Charter Review Committee pushes for gender-neutral amendments

The Charter Review Committee convened to discuss potential amendments to the city charter, which has remained unchanged for nearly a century. The meeting, led by City Clerk and Committee Chair, highlighted the need for updates to reflect contemporary standards and practices.

Committee members reviewed various sections of the charter, focusing on local issues rather than those superseded by state or federal law. A significant point of discussion was the use of gender-specific pronouns throughout the document. The committee expressed a strong desire to amend these to be more gender-neutral, proposing a single amendment to address all instances rather than itemizing each change, which would be cumbersome.

The committee clarified that while they could propose small amendments, a complete revision of the charter would require a citywide election to elect a charter revision commission. This commission would be tasked with a comprehensive review and would present a revised document for public vote.

Concerns were raised about the logistics of presenting multiple amendments on a ballot, with recommendations to limit the number of changes to avoid overwhelming voters. The committee emphasized that the goal of these amendments is to modernize the charter and ensure it aligns with current societal values.