Mayor and City Council

The City of Ham Lake operates under the Council-Administrator form of government in accordance with the City of Ham Lake Charter. Legislative authority is vested in a five-member City Council consisting of a Mayor and four Council Members elected at large for a term of four years. The Mayor and Council appoint the City Administrator and such other officers deemed necessary and proper for the orderly government and administration of the affairs of the City, as prescribed by the charter and applicable laws and ordinances.

Meetings

Regular City Council meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 6:00 pm at the Ham Lake City Hall. If these days fall on a holiday, the meeting is then held the following night at 6:00 pm. Persons wishing to be on the agenda should contact City Hall by 4:00 pm the Monday of the week prior to the meeting.

You can watch meetings live on Cable Channel 16. It is also rebroadcasted on Cable Channel 16, every day the week of the meeting at 8:00 am and 7:00 pm. Special meetings are broadcast live and replayed every day the week of the meeting immediately following other regular broadcast meetings or if there is none at 8:00 am and 7:00 pm.

A block of time, called Public Comment, is reserved at the beginning of each meeting for those persons who would like to address the Council but who are not on the agenda. Individuals are limited to five minutes during Public Comment. We encourage all citizens of Ham Lake to come out and participate in the City Council Meetings.

Council Agenda Items and Actions

There are two types of agenda items presented to the City Council. First are items for informational use only. Second are requests for appropriate action. Appropriate actions include: no action, postponing action, taking action as recommended by staff, taking action as proposed by any Councilmember. All actions require a majority vote of Council members present or, in some instances, a four-fifths (or 80 percent) majority. A minimum of three Council Members must be present for Council to transact City business. Some Council actions require formal documentation beyond inclusion in Council meeting minutes.

Resolutions: A resolution grants authority to perform an action, such as enter into a contract with a vendor or authorize the budget for the coming year.

Ordinances: An ordinance is an amendment, deletion, or addition to the Ham Lake City Code. In other words, it is a City law or statute.

City Council Profiles

• Mayor Brian Kirkham
• Councilmember Jim Doyle
• Councilmember Gary Kirkeide
• Councilmember Jesse Wilken
• Councilmember Al Parranto

Qualifications for Candidacy

To run for a seat on the City Council, you must:

• Be an eligible voter in Minnesota
• Be at least 21 years of age
• Have not filed for any other office for the upcoming election.
• Have maintained residence in this city for at least 30 days before the general election

Term and Members

The Mayor and four City Councilmembers have four-year terms.