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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — MARCH 10, 2025 18 Mayor Grant said there was a highlighted section in one of the documents that said `Be kind." He thinks it was originally drafted for Council. There were norms before that, that as Councilmembers we should speak for ourselves. There are exceptions. Sometimes he gets phone calls and he has to speak on behalf of the City. He doesn't do it all that often. He notices sometimes people aren't always speaking for themselves from the Council bench. Councilmember Monson agrees. She thinks the norms are interesting but they don't address all of the issues that this Council has had over the last couple of years. She thinks we should split them in terms of the discussion. She thinks the Committee and Commission Code of Conduct specifically outlines that it doesn't have to bypass Council and go to Personnel first, she is fine with it. Mayor Grant agrees the language of the Committee and Commission Code of Conduct. He would like it kept in mind that it was originally drafted for Council. There should be a line in there that people speak for themselves and not on behalf of the whole committee or Council. We are all individuals. We have differing opinions but they are each our opinions. We need to respect each other. Sometimes in committees that can be an issue. Council is basically a committee. Councilmember Monson does not like the Personnel process for the Council. She doesn't think that is appropriate. She asked if Mayor Grant is saying that he wants this to apply to the City Council, as well. Mayor Grant said originally, that's where we were going. City Administrator Jagoe said at first glance, it reads like it is for the City Council. When you look at the statements, it is for City Councilmembers who are interacting with an appointee. The Norms of Council Behavior are for Council interacting with each other and with Staff, which is what the resolution outlines. The Committee and Commission Code of Conduct, as drafted, is Council interactions with Committee and Commission members and members' interactions with each other. Mayor Grant said for historical context, some of the meetings at the start of 2023 were kind of contentious. He thinks this Council has gelled a little more since then. That's where we started designing these for Council. Then there was the issue with a particular committee member. That shifted the focus. Councilmember Monson asked if Mayor Grant likes it and would like to go on Consent or would he like to edit. Mayor Grant thinks the item of people speaking for themselves should be added. Councilmember Weber asked if he was saying the first item in the resolution should be added to the Code of Conduct. The items states "Speak for only yourself, not for other Councilmembers." Councilmember Monson said even when a Council Liaison sits on a committee they aren't speaking for the Council, as a whole. Mayor Grant said there have been times where Councilmembers and Committee members have held outside meetings and tried to persuade others of the Council's position. It wasn't really the Council's position, it was that one person's.