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municipal groups. After that, he went on to receive his teaching certificate from Bemidji State University. He has been teaching for the past five years. He stated he was a fairly new resident to New Brighton, as of last November, but was trying to be engaged in the local community. Councilmember Burg asked why Mr. Johnson applied to serve on a City commission. Mr. Johnson stated he taught in Columbia Heights and a large part of the mission of PREC was within his wheel house and something he was passionate about. He indicated he wanted to help out in any way he could. He indicated he enjoyed being outdoors with his son and greatly took advantage of the parks in New Brighton. Mayor Johnson asked why Mr. Johnson felt he would be a good person to represent the community and advise the Council. Mr. Johnson commented he could work well with others given his teaching experience. He stated he had background knowledge that would assist PREC. Councilmember Jacobsen asked what Mr. Johnson believed were the three most important responsibilities a commission member has to the community. Mr. Johnson thought getting people into the City's parks would be important, along with building awareness of the programs available at the Community Center. He thought bringing environmental concerns to the forefront would also be important. He recommended programs be developed that were responsive to the community. Councilmember Bauman asked how Mr. Johnson would handle a situation where someone contacted him 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. Mr. Johnson stated dealing with conflict was something he did on a daily basis. He would want to make this person heard and understood prior to trying to find some common ground. He understood that perfect resolution would not always be found but understood it was important to make residents feel that they have been heard. Councilmember Strub asked how Mr. Johnson would represent himself in the public if there was something he disagreed with. Mr. Johnson stated he would try to make his concerns be heard. He explained there were no issues within PREC that stood out to him that warranted opposition. In addition, he would respectfully navigate common ground. Councilmember Burg stated based on how long Mr. Johnson has lived in New Brighton, she questioned what the biggest challenges were for the City. Mr. Johnson believed sidewalks were lacking in the City. He stated he moved to New Brighton from Minneapolis. He appreciated the work being done at Hanson Park. He indicated he has only lived in New Brighton for several months and he was really enjoying his time in the community. Mayor Johnson asked which of the following strikes him as the most interesting: land use and variance, economic programs, business retention and redevelopment, impacts of recreation in the community, or the impacts of public safety services.