09-18-23-WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 6 Mayor Grant would like to make the ordinance clearer so there would be fewer questions about what is encroachment. He thought in this particular case by putting up a row of arborvitaes and mowing the other side of it, adverse possession could be argued. He asked what direction they would like to give the attorney in this case. Councilmember Fabel said the agreement should make it very clear that they are visitors on City property and we have the authority to place further conditions on the property. Councilmember Monson agreed. She would also like to know how much it would cost for the City to remove them if needed. Councilmember Holden didn't think anyone would have complained if it was just mowing. She thought it was the plantings to extend the yard that were the issue. She would like to see gaps in the arborvitaes and they be kept at a certain height. Mayor Grant directed staff to have the attorney work on an agreement and make changes to the ordinance. B. Newsletter SOP Discussion Senior Communications Coordinator Cardona stated that he would like to know what Council would like to have as an agreed upon standard operating procedure for creating the newsletter. The newsletter is published 10 times a year and has been running four to 10 pages, with six becoming minimum. He would like to know how much authority staff has to pick topics, approve items etc. Answers to the questions he is proposing will help him put an SOP together that he can present to the Council. Councilmember Fabel reported that as the current Council Liaison, he has attended one meeting for each issue where he has been presented with a draft of what staff has put together. There is some discussion on articles and location in the newsletter. Once revisions are made the draft is sent to the rest of the Council for objections or suggestions. He felt the process has been satisfactory and he was comfortable going forward the way it has been done. Senior Communications Coordinator Cardona explained that topics generally go by the existing editorial calendar and department heads provide ideas. Ideas also come from Council through the City Administrator, Council Liaison or himself, so a procedure would be helpful. They don't have hard deadlines now. He noted that during the meeting with the Council Liaison they also discuss a topics list for the next issue. Mayor Grant felt that now that there is a full-time communications person Council should back off and he wasn't sure they should even have a liaison at this point. Councilmember Holden said because Council hears from the residents they would bring hot issue items forward and that was important. She thought they had missed items this year, like the budget schedule. She has heard there is a lot of fluff in the newsletter instead of more information about things like developments and road construction. She also felt the benchmarks have changed and we're no longer telling people the cost of running the city. She thought certain topics don't need to be in the newsletter so often but residents always have questions on a topic like TCAAP.