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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL — FEBRUARY 13, 2023 7 from Councilmember Holden stated taxes would be increased by $1,000 if affordable housing units were built on TCAAP. She reported she investigated this further and it was not true, and that she would happily pay $10 more each year so seniors and workers have a place to live in Arden Hills. She stated the Council's behavior at the last meeting was appalling and made both major newspapers. She indicated she was ashamed of her City and she believed conspiracy theories and innuendo have no place in City proceedings. She stated she understood why the Council refused to meet with the City and why the City needed new Councilmembers on the JDA. She believed it was inconsiderate of the Council to cancel three of the first Council meetings without discussing this with the new Councilmembers. She questioned if this was common practice as the Mayor said. She was of the opinion the actions of the new Council were appropriate to comply with State Statute. She believed the new appointments made sense given the lack of progress that had been made in the past. She stated she believed the JDA Chair appointment of Gregg Larson was logical given his qualifications and noted he spent nine years on the City Council and worried the City would not find someone more qualified. She encouraged the Council to fight for the City's residents and not against each other. Christy Jacob, 1492 Arden Place, explained she watched all five hours of the January Council meeting. She stated she felt grateful for the civic engagement from the City's residents, noting she appreciated hearing from all members of the public even if they did not share her viewpoint. She indicated some of the comments also made her sad and disappointed. She indicated she appreciated how the Mayor started the meeting asking all present at the meeting to be neighborly, but noted this did not last once the new Councilmembers were accused of being a coup. She questioned why the Mayor did not ask for the comments between the Council to be respectful. She reported the decisions made by the majority of the Council are not a coup or a cabal. Rather they are the bedrock of democracy. She understood Mayor Grant had a wealth of knowledge and encouraged him to uphold respectful boundaries during this time of transition. She expressed concern with Councilmember Holden's lack of decorum at the January meeting. She believed Councilmember Holden was unwelcoming, condescending and rude. She reviewed the words Councilmember used at the meeting. She was of the opinion the Arden Hills residents deserved more than what Councilmember Holden displayed last month. She encouraged Councilmember Holden to display herself in accordance with the honor of the elected position. She stated Arden Hills was a City that was engaged and represented by a Council that had a wide range of expertise and life experience. She understood the City had much to do and had an incredible opportunity with TCAAP. She urged the Council to bring the best of themselves in order to move the City forward. Kathy Sukke, 1286 Karth Lake Circle, stated last month she tried to point out something important. She noted 305 senior housing units are going to be built by North Heights and 668 units were proposed for Snail Lake. She explained 9,000 cars would be coming out of the road north of North Heights. She estimated another 3,600 people would be living in TCAAP. She feared how an additional 2,500 units would impact Highway 96. She clarified for the record Ramsey County did not show up for mediation after a judge ruled in 2019 that the term agreement should stand. She explained Commissioner Frethem and Commissioner Reinhardt suddenly appeared at a JDA meeting. She discussed how the JDA opted to form a subcommittee and the residents of Arden Hills would not be privy to the information discussed by this subcommittee. She reiterated that the addition of this many people in the northern area of Arden Hills was dangerous. 3. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC INQUIRIES A. Public Inquiry Response from January 17, 2023 City Council Work Session