2017.02.28 WS Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Councilmember Strub asked what Ms. Nelson believed were the three most important responsibilities a commission member has to the community. Ms. Nelson thought respect for the position was important. She believed timeliness and preparedness were also important along with being able to speak in an educated manner. Councilmember Burg asked how Ms. Nelson 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. Nelson stated she has had a lot of opposition with long-term friends. She stated she could handle respectful conversations. She would want to keep communication lines open and have residents feel they have been heard. Mayor Johnson asked how Ms. Nelson would represent herself in the public if there was a policy or Ordinance she disagreed with. Ms. Nelson believed that anyone that has had a job has had a policy they have disagreed with. She thought it was important to honor the policies in place and she respected the process for how these regulations were enacted. Councilmember Jacobsen stated based on how long Ms. Nelson has lived in New Brighton, he questioned what the biggest challenges were for the City. Ms. Nelson believed the City had an aging population and there would be a high turnover in housing stock at some point. She indicated the City would have to attract people to the community. Councilmember Bauman asked which of the following strikes Ms. Nelson 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. Ms. Nelson stated she was most interested in land use and variances. She believed this was an important issue for the community. Her other areas of interest were economic development or public safety. Mayor Johnson asked if Ms. Nelson had any questions for the Council. Ms. Nelson stated she took a look at some of the previous meeting packets and understood the information was available online. Mayor Johnson stated this was the case. She described how staff prepared digital meeting packets and noted commission members were provided with an Wad for reviewing this information. Ms. Nelson questioned how many openings the Planning Commission had at this time. Councilmember Jacobsen reported the Planning Commission had two open seats. Mayor Johnson encouraged Ms. Nelson to contact the City with any further questions she may have. She thanked Ms. Nelson for coming forward and being willing to serve the City.