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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL — JANUARY 9, 2023 20 A roll call vote was taken. The motion to approve the Ramsey County Cooperative Agreement for Right of Way Acquisition and Design for Reconstruction of the Intersection of Old Snelling Avenue and County Road E carried 3-2 (Councilmember Holden and Mayor Grant opposed). 9. PUBLIC HEARINGS None. 10. NEW BUSINESS B. Mayoral Privilege City Administrator Perrault stated at the request of Councilmember Fabel, this item has been brought forward for consideration. Chapter 2 of City Code calls for the Mayor to make appointments to the City's Committees and Commissions pending the City Council's approval of the appointments (Code Sections 220.01 Subdivisions 4, 10, 13 and 14 and 220.03 Subd. 1). This action would suspend the requirement that appointments be made by the Mayor. The authority to suspend this privilege has been identified by Councilmember Fabel in Minn. Stat. Sec. 412.111; Arden Hills City Code Sections 210.03 Subd. 5 (D); 210.04 Subdivisions 1 and 2. Councilmember Fabel reviewed the motion with the Council, which was to temporarily suspend Mayoral privilege as it relates to the Mayor's authority to make appointments to City Committees and Commissions. MOTION: Councilmember Fabel moved and Councilmember Monson seconded a motion to temporarily suspend Mayoral Privilege as it relates to the Mayor's authority to make appointments to City Committees and Commissions as outlined in Chapter 2 of the City's Ordinance. Mayor Grant stated a motion has been made that would suspend his privilege as Mayor to organize the City. Councilmember Fabel reported the Mayor misstated his motion. He explained the motion has nothing to do with the Mayor's ability to organize the City. He noted the Mayor would have the same power as he had before. He stated Arden Hills was a statutory city and under statutory cities there was a weak Mayor system. He indicated a Mayor in a statutory city has the same power as every other member of the Council. Under State law, the only difference between the Mayor and every other member is that the Mayor presides over the meeting, signs City contracts and he appears for the City in public presentations. In terms of power to decide, or power to govern, the power is the same between the Mayor and all other Councilmembers in a statutory City. He commented further on how St. Paul and Minneapolis were charter cities. Mayor Grant asked the public to hold their comments at this time.