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Regular City Council Meeting <br /> Monday,June 19, 2017 <br /> Page 23 <br /> posed to the community's history as well. Councilmember Laliberte stated her <br /> support in finding the Society a visible home in the city center, and not simply <br /> find them a space or repurpose a garage to do so. While the Society continued to <br /> make do wherever they've been housed, Councilmember Laliberte opined that the <br /> city owed the Society a more prominent place in the community and its history. <br /> Also, Councilmember Laliberte noted that, when the new fire station was built, <br /> the City Council had committed to the community that the Fairview site would be <br /> sold with proceeds coming back into city operations. Therefore, for budgetary <br /> reasons, Councilmember Laliberte opined that it was responsible for the city to <br /> look to sell the property that had been under discussion for some time now, but to <br /> first find a place for everybody and everything prior to taking that step, but to do <br /> so sooner rather than later. <br /> Councilmember Etten stated his agreement with several comments of his col- <br /> leagues: specifically agreeing that it was past time to find a permanent home for <br /> the Historical Society and his preference for that home to be at City Hall. While <br /> there are several nuances for how artifacts could be displayed, and in his discus- <br /> sions with City Manager Trudgeon, Councilmember Etten noted the potential for <br /> redoing the Skating Center's front entry by the old ticket window as well as op- <br /> tions at City Hall as one of the most commonly trafficked spots in the city. While <br /> past discussions included housing the Society at the Cedarholm Golf Course <br /> Clubhouse, Councilmember Etten suggested that simply be display areas, as well <br /> as potentially at other highly used buildings or areas in the community, but at a <br /> minimum to provide storage and a permanent office area at City Hall. Specific to <br /> other uses at the Fairview site, such as the Fire Auxiliary and Relief Association, <br /> Councilmember Etten noted that there was significant space not used on a regular <br /> basis at the new fire station; and opined that those entities can and should be lo- <br /> cated at the fire station, and expressed his confusion and frustration as to why that <br /> had yet to happen since they served firefighters. <br /> Specific to the Relief Association, City Manager Trudgeon clarified that space <br /> had been offered to them, but there appeared to be access issues for how and <br /> when they used the building. <br /> Councilmember Etten stated that he stood behind his statements and suggested <br /> any issues be resolved. Councilmember Etten stated that he agreed with the <br /> comments of Councilmember Laliberte as to the commitment made to the com- <br /> munity to sell and use proceeds from the Fairview site to help with other city <br /> needs, once the current uses at the site had been addressed and/or relocated. <br /> Therefore, Councilmember Etten stated that he continued to support that long- <br /> term once things had been addressed for those current users of the building. <br /> Mayor Roe concurred with much of what had been said on this issue tonight; but <br /> stated that he was not adamant that the Historical Society needed to be housed in <br /> this building, but stated his support if it is housed on campus for the office and <br /> storage, could see displays in a number of city buildings for better exposure of <br />