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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL—FEBRUARY 13, 2023 3 Mayor Grant encouraged the Council to get beyond this. He explained he did not see any harm in the Council having this discussion item on the agenda. MOTION: Mayor Grant moved and Councilmember Holden seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as amended, removing Items 7G and 7L for discussion as Items 8A and 8B. AMENDMENT: Councilmember Fabel moved and Councilmember Monson seconded a motion to approve the meeting agenda as amended, removing Items lOB and IOC and having these items placed on a future work session agenda. A roll call vote was taken. The amendment to remove Items 10B and 10C and place them on the work session agenda carried 3-2 (Councilmember Holden and Mayor Grant opposed). A roll call vote was taken. The amended motion carried 3-2 (Councilmember Holden and Mayor Grant opposed). 2. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL Gregg Larson, 3377 North Snelling Avenue, discussed the appointments to the City's committees and commissions. He explained Arden Hills is governed by majority rule and the Mayor presides over meetings and executes documents. Otherwise, the Mayor was an equal among the Council and has one vote. He indicated the City was a democracy and reported the City Council should make recommendations for committee and commission appointments and not the Mayor. He explained the Mayor protested that his appointment privileges were stripped in January, but he didn't have that privilege to begin with. He stated all neighboring communities vest appointment power in the entire Council and not the Mayor. While the Mayor can propose names, the Council has the final determination. He believed it was very undemocratic for the Council to approve appointments in December of 2022. Mr. Larson commented on the Arden Hills representation to the JDA. He stated Mayor Grant and Councilmember Holden have represented the City for the past six years and they have failed to resolve differences with the County despite litigation that cost the City. He indicated Mayor Grant and Councilmember Holden relieved the first two JDA chairs that were appointed and the third chair presided over only a single meeting in 2018. After this time, the County boycotted meetings citing the City was unwilling to compromise on housing density and type. He stated the JDA needed a full reset and this was accomplished and a successful JDA meeting was held for the first time in four years. He reported any significant JDA decisions will still require public notice and full Council action. Mr. Larson explained the behavior and comments by some public members at the January 9 City Council meeting were an embarrassment. He stated the Mayor choose a tactic that falsely labeled the newly elected Councilmembers a coup. He appreciated the fact that the newly elected Councilmembers did not engage in such behavior but rather based their actions on facts. He stated the inconvenient truth was that last fall, Arden Hills residents voted overwhelmingly for change by replacing three incumbents with three new Councilmembers. He understood change was hard and encouraged the Council and residents of Arden Hills to respect the vote of the residents.