05-15-23-WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — MAY 15, 2023 12 Councilmember Monson said the game was that Councilmember Holden put on an item that hadn't been discussed by the Council, and put it on as some kind of political stunt to try to make them vote it down and show they don't like the public which has been her game for a while. They had a lot of ideas to add to it but the work session is the perfect place to have a discussion and if they decided on a scope and wanted to vote on it that would have been fine. A discussion to discuss timing and how to pull it in with the JDA should have been at a work session rather than wasting time and resources of staff and taxpayers to talk about it at a regular meeting. She didn't want to get into a discussion of this game or that game. Councilmember Holden stated she has brought it up because there are people contacting them wanting to know what is going on. She has brought it up three times and it's been thrown off. She contacted the City Administrator well in advance, gave him a list to pick several items from and wanted to see if anyone was interested in having an open house. Mayor Grant suggested they try to not make this a discussion about that item, but about adding items. He noted there are actually not that many items that are added by Council. He felt councilmember items should be added to the agenda even if it were just for discussion. Time at a work session that is being televised with staff in attendance is arguably not more or less costly, but there is nothing to say that anyone shouldn't have their item on the agenda if they think it is an important item. Councilmember Holden said she wanted an open house on the agenda because there are so many people with questions. Councilmember Monson is looking at it as a dig on her. Councilmember Fabel suggested that if someone wanted to discuss something it should be put on a work session as they are discussion sessions. Council meetings should be those items that they need to make a decision, and put on the agenda well in advance. So things on the agenda are either coming from staff or have advance notice, or an item approved to be on at the meeting. But if they want a discussion item put it on the work session. Mayor Grant noted that he has always asked if there were any corrections or additions to the agenda at the beginning of a meeting. He's never said are there corrections or additions where we can get three votes and have a discussion on the item just to add it to the agenda. They have had Council meetings go 30 minutes just on agenda approval and he'd like that to end. He thought that adding items the day of would probably be a mayoral decision, but he is permissive so would probably allow anybody to request it. Councilmember Fabel stated there are at least three people saying they'd like a more formal process and he can put a proposal together and bring it to the next meeting for a vote. Mayor Grant suggested he put that together himself. Councilmember Fabel said he might have one too. Mayor Grant said that would warrant a discussion that should be had rather than have competing proposals. Councilmember Fabel said we are the ones who are bringing the motion to make a change.