2017.02.14 WS Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mayor Johnson and the rest of the Councilmembers welcomed Emily Dunsworth. She explained Ms. Dunsworth was a big part of the local farmer's market. Councilmember Strub asked Ms. Dunsworth to provide the Council with a brief summary of her background and any involvement she has had in the community. Emily Dunsworth stated she was born and raised in Shoreview. She explained she attended Gustavus for her undergrad and then went on to St. Thomas. She stated she moved to New Brighton 4'/2 years ago. She indicated she has a five-year-old and plans to stay in the community. At this time, she was looking to get more involved in the community because New Brighton was her home. She commented on her involvement in the farmers market and stated she has enjoyed getting to know residents of the City through this process. Councilmember Jacobsen asked why Ms. Dunsworth felt she would be a good person to represent the community and advise the City Council. Ms. Dunsworth stated her involvement already led her to believe she knew who the community was. She has met with both new and old residents, which gave her a good cross section of the City. She indicated her background also provided her with great knowledge in legal affairs. She reported she was currently working as the Dean of Admissions at Hamline Law School. She commented further on the extensive work experience she had with strategic planning and acting as a liaison. Mayor Johnson asked what Ms. Dunsworth believed were the three most important responsibilities a commission member has to the community. Ms. Dunsworth believed being ethical in decision making was important along with a strong fiduciary responsibility to the City. Lastly, she thought it was important to have a high degree of professionalism. Councilmember Bauman asked how Ms. Dunsworth would handle a situation where someone contacted her voicing opposition to an item being discussed at your commission. She questioned if this would change if this person was a family member or close friend. Ms. Dunsworth stated she would not comment on it, but would listen in order to try and understand the viewpoint. She explained she would be able to keep things separate for family members or close friends. Councilmember Strub asked how Ms. Dunsworth would respond if she disagreed with an existing City policy or Ordinance. Ms. Dunsworth stated she would have to have some evidentiary basis and would research the matter in order to present a case. She explained she would want to have a well thought out case before bringing a matter to the group. Councilmember Jacobsen stated based on how long Ms. Dunsworth has lived in New Brighton, he questioned what the biggest challenges were for the City. Ms. Dunsworth explained some of the challenges the City is facing are stagnation and how the City was going to move forward. She commented on how the City was changing with older residents moving out and new people moving in. She understood water was always an issue, along with taxes. Mayor Johnson asked which of the following strikes Ms. Dunsworth as the most interesting: land use and