This charter shall be submitted to a vote of the electors of
the City of Kirkwood at the general election to be held on the first
Tuesday of April, 1983. The election shall be administered by the
officials now charged with the responsibility for the conduct of city
elections.
At the time of its adoption, this charter shall be in effect
to the extent necessary in order that the first election of members
to the city council may be conducted in accordance with the provisions
of this charter. The election to be held shall be held the first Tuesday
in April, 1984. At the first election under this charter, a Mayor
and six Council Members shall be elected. The three persons elected
Council Members who shall receive the highest number of votes shall
serve for a term of four years. The other three persons elected Council
Members shall serve for a term of two years. In the event that there
is a tie vote which is significant to this determination, the persons
who receive the same number of votes shall determine by lot who shall
serve four and two-year terms.
This charter shall be in full effect for all purposes on and
after the date and time of the first meeting of the newly elected
city council.
All members of the city council in office at the date this charter
is adopted shall continue in office until after the election held
on the first Tuesday in April, 1984, and shall within one week thereafter,
canvass the returns of said election, declare the results thereof,
and induct into office the Council Members and Mayor elected. Thereupon
the newly elected members of the council shall forthwith become the
official governing body of the city and shall conduct the first meeting
of the newly elected city council.
Upon the effective date of this charter, the person then holding
the office of Administrative Director/City Clerk shall be designated
the Acting Chief Administrative Officer and shall have all of the
powers and duties of such office until the council acting under this
charter shall appoint a person to such office.
At its first meeting or at any meeting held within 60 days thereafter,
the city council may adopt temporary ordinances to deal with cases
in which there is an urgent need for prompt action in connection with
the transition of government and in which the delay incident to the
appropriate ordinance procedure would likely cause serious hardship
or impairment of effective city government. Every temporary ordinance
shall be plainly labeled as such but shall be introduced in a form
and manner prescribed for ordinances generally. A temporary ordinance
may be considered and may be adopted with or without amendment or
rejected at the meeting at which it is introduced. A temporary ordinance
shall become effective upon adoption or at such later time preceding
its automatic repeal under this section as it may specify, and the
referendum power shall not extend to any such ordinance. Each temporary
ordinance, including any amendments made thereto after adoption, shall
automatically stand repealed as of the 91st day following the date
on which it was adopted, and it shall not be readopted, renewed, or
otherwise continued except by adoption in the manner prescribed in
this charter for permanent ordinances of such type.
The purpose of the foregoing provisions is to provide a transition
from the present government of the City of Kirkwood, Missouri to the
new government provided for in this charter and to inaugurate the
new government under the provisions of this charter. These provisions
shall constitute a part of this charter only to the extent and for
the time required to accomplish such result.
