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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL — JUNE 24, 2024 <br />2 <br />3. PUBLIC INQUIRIES/INFORMATIONAL <br />Mark Kelliher, 3712 Chatham Court, stated on his last visit to the City Council meeting he <br />mentioned the fact that Councilmember Fabel sent him an email threatening to pursue action <br />against him if he didn't stop asking questions that annoyed him. He explained he was at this <br />meeting to again ask questions. He commented on actions that should have been taken by <br />Councilmember Rousseau but weren't. He reported as the PTRC liaison, Councilmember <br />Rousseau was overseeing the visit by the goats to Chatham trails to mitigate buckthorn growth. <br />He indicated this project was authorized by Council last year and at that time, the Council also <br />authorized the expense of sowing grass seed during the goats' second visit. He commented the <br />rationale was that the goats would trample in the grass seed as they ate and the grasses would <br />mitigate buckthorn resurgence. He reported sowing grass seed was recommended by Great River <br />Greening and the PTRC. He questioned why Councilmember Rousseau did not follow Council <br />directive and plant the grass seed now that the goats are in the City. He noted he posed this <br />question to Councilmember Rousseau in an email and has not received a response. He understood <br />Councilmember Rousseau does not respond to matters when the answer will embarrass her. <br />Therefore, he was unlikely to get Councilmember Rousseau to respond to him directly. Instead, <br />he is calling on Councilmembers Holden, Monson and Mayor Grant to seek a response from <br />Councilmember Rousseau on why she did not follow through with the agreed upon plan. Without <br />the benefit of the grass seed, the $5,000 to $6,000 that was spent for the goats will have no long- <br />term benefits and was money wasted. He understood $5,000 to $6,000 was not a lot of money and <br />for this reason he was not requesting Councilmember Fabel be asked for a response as <br />Councilmember Fabel has demonstrated that spending City funding prudently was not one of his <br />concerns. He indicated there could have been sloppy execution on Councilmember Rousseau's <br />part, but he feared she secretly wanted the project to fail. <br />John Kysylyezyn, Executive Director for Garbage Haulers for Citizen Choice, 30831 Victoria <br />Street, provided the Council with a handout. He explained Mounds View Mayor Zach Lindstrom <br />likes to slander him every month at meetings and on social media posts. He reported as a former <br />elected official and now as a lobbyist, he has met a lot of government officials. He was of the <br />opinion the Mounds View City Council was one of the most ignorant and unprofessional groups <br />he has ever met. He indicated it was a fact Mayor Lindstrom was too lazy to attend a single <br />negotiation session with the trash haulers. He stated it was also a fact Mayor Lindstrom <br />approached two competitive haulers and told them a joint bid would be looked upon favorably by <br />the city, which smacks of government corruption. He indicated the Council now has a copy of <br />Mayor Lindstrom's fake claim that he threatened to bribe a City Council candidate. He reported <br />this made absolutely no sense, because 83% of Mounds View voters stripped the Council of their <br />power to institute organized trash collection. He commented on the interactions he had with <br />newly elected Councilmember Julie Clark and noted the haulers committee could not donate to <br />any council committee. He stated in closing, he was available to discuss government managed <br />trash collection with the Council. <br />Kris Lillemo, 5132 Long Lake Road in Mounds View, explained he attended the joint <br />worksession that was held between the Arden Hills and Mounds View City Council's. He stated <br />he was a huge fan of Mayor Zach Lindstrom. He indicated the residents of Mounds View do not <br />want organized trash collection and have shown this repeatedly. He explained residents want the <br />freedom to choose their own hauler. He cautioned the Arden Hills City Council from moving in <br />this direction because there are residents that will be on both sides of this issue. <br />