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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL – FEBRUARY 9, 2026 7 Arden Hills. She indicated when this item came to a vote she supported the recommendations because Ted Brausen has been in the community for years and knows all of the business leaders in the community. She stated in knowing Kyle Sorenson personally, she believed he was another great selection for the EDA. She believed it would be nice to have both of these individuals serving on the EDA. Councilmember Weber discussed the reason he brought this forward and noted he had spoken with the Mayor since the January 12 meeting about how the process was conducted. He reported the process followed by Mayor Grant did not resemble what Councilmember Rousseau and himself had done in previous interviews for the Planning Commission and EDC. He was of the opinion more applications should have been accepted, the same questions should have been asked, notes should have been taken, and the entire EDC should have been interviewed for the EDA positions. He indicated the interview process should have been clear and identifiable and this did not occur. He explained this action has nothing to do with who was selected as the individuals selected may be the best choice. He reported he was more concerned with the process that was followed by the Mayor. He recalled discussion wherein two appointees to the EDA were to be one member from the business community and one resident, though this wasn’t a requirement. Mayor Grant asked that Councilmember Weber discuss the reconsideration of the EDA appointments. Councilmember Weber requested the Mayor not interrupt his comments as he had the floor at this time. Councilmember Rousseau stated she agreed there were a lot of great individuals that could serve on the EDA but noted the concerns being raised go back to the process that was followed. She indicated she would like to see one individual from the resident space and one from the business space. She inquired if the Mayor reached out to EDC Chair Jud Murchie as he was interested in serving. Mayor Grant commented he did not reach out to him. Councilmember Rousseau explained it would be her preference to have these positions treated more like the JDA Chair where members are given a chance to apply and interviews are held with the Councilmembers. Councilmember Holden stated Councilmember Weber gave a synopsis of what has occurred over past years. She noted there have been many qualified individuals who came forward and put applications in that were not appointed. She indicated this would become a much greater topic if the Council was going to begin addressing who did and did not qualify for a position. Councilmember Monson explained all of the people were fantastic. She commented this situation was a little disappointing because the EDA was one of the few commissions that can levy. She reported these two individuals would sit on a board with the City Council and could levy taxes. She indicated the City had a more formal process for interviewing the parks and trail committee members. She agreed the process needed to be more aligned and formal with staff input and input from the remaining Councilmembers. She noted these appointments could be a