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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION – DECEMBER 9, 2024 15 Councilmember Monson likes the landscaping but thinks the money should go towards an actual barrier. She wants to make sure the barrier is effective. Mayor Grant likes the idea of landscaping but thinks a chain link fence would be effective. He wondered if our employees would install it. Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen said it would be a contract to install it. Mayor Grant said our people could install it, they have the skills to do that. He is basing that on the fact that he put in his own. That could bring down the cost. Councilmember Monson asked if it has to be six feet tall or would a four-foot fence create enough of a barrier. She said that could make the project cheaper. Councilmember Holden said it’s for the little kids running. She wondered if the correctional people could install the fence. That would save money. Mayor Grant agreed. He thinks an upgrade to vinyl is appropriate. Chain link gets rusty. Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen asked if the Council prefers vinyl over chain link. Councilmember Rousseau said get rid of the split rail fence and look at what a vinyl fence would cost vs. chain link. Mayor Grant stated when he talks about vinyl, he means a vinyl coated chain link fence. Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen said he has what he needs. D. JDA Chair Discussion Assistant to the City Administrator/City Clerk Hanson stated that Jonathan Wicklund is the current JDA Chair. His term expires at the end of this year. She asked if Council would like to go through a formal recruitment process to fill the two-year term or would they like to reappoint Jonathan Wicklund. He has expressed interest in continuing in that role. Councilmember Fabel said Jonathan Wicklund does an excellent job. He is reliable, steady and well organized. He runs a nice meeting. Keeping him in his role offers some continuity for the JDA that will be losing three members. His experience will be very useful and he recommends reappointment. Councilmember Holden said she was disappointed about how many meetings he missed this year. We’ve had big change over before. Even with missing three people. She thinks it is nice to have a new point of view. There has been a different chair every two years and each of those people brought something unique to the position. It would be her preference to recruit to fill the position with a new person.