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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL – JANUARY 9, 2023 24 <br /> <br />Mayor Grant discussed how valuable Brian Holmes has been to the City for the past four years. <br />He reported nine or ten individuals were interviewed and Brian Holmes was selected by the City <br />Council to serve as the JDA Chair. He explained he was a qualified neutral individual that wants <br />the best for the City. He believed Brian Holmes would serve the citizens of Arden Hills well. He <br />indicated he may not always agree with the City’s position, but that is not what the Council was <br />looking for. He was of the opinion Brian Holmes would be fair and balanced as the JDA Chair. <br />He discussed how Brian Holmes has waited for the past three years for the County to show up, but <br />this didn’t happen. He did not believe the community should turn their back on Brian Holmes just <br />because there was three new members on the City Council. He explained the bylaws for the JDA <br />state the City can determine at its discretion the length of terms it wants for its assignees at any <br />point during the year. He reported in December the Council reappointed Brian Holmes to the <br />JDA. He feared how the action before the Council was to allow the three new Councilmembers to <br />appoint their fourth slate-mate to the JDA, even after he was not elected. He discussed how <br />imbalanced this would be. He noted Councilmember Holden stepped down from the JDA in <br />order to allow a new Councilmember to serve on the JDA. He reported this was how to balance a <br />situation, which should be the spirit of Arden Hills. He discussed how the previous Council <br />worked together on behalf of the community. He stated the spirit of the motions before the <br />Council was not “working together”. <br /> <br />MOTION: Councilmember Fabel moved and Councilmember Monson seconded a motion <br />to rescind the current appointments of Brian Holmes (Chair) and David <br />Grant (Commissioner) to the Joint Development Authority. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant stated a majority vote of the City Council can remove someone from a Board, <br />Committee or Commission. <br /> <br />City Attorney Jamnik reported this was allowed per City Code 220.01 Subd. 8 noting the <br />language reads any member of a Board, Committee or Commission or other appointed body may <br />be removed by the majority vote of the entire City Council. <br /> <br />Mayor Grant stated while he understood this action was allowed per City Code, he did not <br />believe it should necessarily be done. <br /> <br />Councilmember Fabel indicated this action was also allowed per State law, which governs City <br />governments. <br /> <br />A roll call vote was taken. The motion to rescind the current appointments of <br />Brian Holmes (Chair) and David Grant (Commissioner) to the Joint <br />Development Authority carried 3-2 (Councilmember Holden and Mayor <br />Grant opposed). <br /> <br /> D. JDA Commissioner and Chair Appointments <br /> <br />City Administrator Perrault stated this item was brought forward by Councilmember Fabel. He <br />explained the Joint Powers Agreement between Ramsey County and the City of Arden Hills for <br />the development of Rice Creek Commons provides that the City shall appoint members to serve <br />on the Joint Development Authority. The City is to appoint the Chair and two Commissioners.