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City of Duluth Ordinance Modernization Task Force opens recommendations to public for comment

[DULUTH, MN] The City of Duluth’s Ordinance Modernization Task Force opens its recommendations today to the public for comment. The public comment period is open August 24 for 30 days to gather feedback from the public on its findings before the Task Force finalizes its recommendations and presents them to City Council.

The Ordinance Modernization Task Force (OMTF) was established to review the Duluth City Code and recommend updates to antiquated language and outdated references. The city code is comprised of the City Charter and Legislative Chapters 1 – 51 which establish the authority, responsibilities, structures, and processes for the City of Duluth to operate. “Duluth City Code has grown and evolved over the last 150 years reflecting the legal, social, and economic priorities of our community. While many of the chapters have been revised and updated in part over the years; the city had not undertaken a full review and revision of the city code in recent decades,” said Duluth City Councilor Noah Hobbs, who established and led the task force this year. The goal of the modernization process is to benefit all community members by having a Duluth City Code that is clear, consistent, and understandable.

The OMTF has completed the initial review of five chapters, including City Code Chapters 1, 4, 4A, 6, and 15, of the Legislative Code and developed recommendations to modernize them. The Ordinance Modernization Task Force uses the following five lenses during review:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Strive to have fair processes and applicability; identify and eliminate potentially exclusionary components.
• Clarity: Provide a code that is clear, consistent, and without contradiction.
• Efficient and Enforceable: Ensure organizational capacity to efficiently administer and enforce.
• Forward-Looking: Reinforce sustainability and embrace changing technology and societal shifts.
• Viable Community: Sustain a viable community and the vision outlined in Imagine Duluth 2035.

A 30-day comment period will be held from August 24, 2023 through September 24, 2023. While just five chapters are currently available for review and comment, the remaining chapter recommendations will be available in the coming days. Everyone is encouraged to review the proposed revisions and provide comments and additional revisions for consideration. Comments will be considered before finalizing the recommendations to City Council. Draft revisions of each chapter are available for review here: https://duluthmn.gov/city-clerk/ordinance-modernization-task-force/. To receive updates each time new chapter recommendations are added, please sign up for them here: https://duluthmn.gov/web-subscriptions/

The community is encouraged to submit comments and suggestions through the website form linked above. Please be advised that information submitted to the City of Duluth may be public data subject to the Minnesota Data Practices Act.

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