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DRAFT -ARQEN_HILLS Approved: May 22, 2023 CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION APRIL 17, 2023 5:00 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Pursuant to due call and notice thereof, Mayor Grant called to order the City Council Work Session at 5:00 p.m. Present: Mayor David Grant, Councilmembers Brenda Holden, Emily Rousseau, Tena Monson and Tom Fabel Absent: None Also present: City Administrator Dave Perrault, Public Works Director/City Engineer David Swearingen, Community Development Director Jessica Jagoe, and Deputy Clerk Jolene Trauba 1. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL Linda Swanson, 1124 Ingerson Road, stated based upon an April 13 JDA advisory committee meeting, it became obvious the only reason that committee was formed was to keep information a secret from the Arden Hills residents. She said it is known that because the JDA advisory committee doesn't constitute a quorum they're not obligated to follow open meeting requirements. She said during the April 10 Council meeting Mayor Grant asked the City Attorney if the JDA advisory committee could make the meetings open and the City Attorney said the JDA advisory committee could conduct open meetings. On April 13 a few Arden Hills residents and the Mayor met at the Arden Hills office intending to attend the JDA advisory committee meeting. She was told that the advisory committee members refused to open the meeting. After the meeting, the minutes from the April 13 meeting summaries as well as other advisory summaries were posted. She explained when the County sued the City, the number of units stood at 1460 units. Although the meeting summaries don't provide all information, discussion about the number of units was contemplated to be 1,700 to 2,200 units. She questioned where this number of units came from. She noted this number did not come from a City Council or JDA meeting. She asked if the JDA advisory committee was discussing things with JDA committee members outside of scheduled meetings behind closed doors? Was the JDA advisory committee withholding pertinent and relevant information, and are they making decisions they should not be making? She questioned if this was why the JDA advisory committee meetings were being held under the cloak of darkness. She believed it was appalling that this information was being withheld. She explained she sent an email to Councilmember Fabel and encouraged him to remember he represents all Arden Hills