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<br /> <br />Mr. Johnson was most interested in the impacts of recreation in the community. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson asked if Mr. Johnson had any questions for the Council. <br /> <br />Mr. Johnson did not have any questions for the Council. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson encouraged Mr. Johnson to contact the City with any further questions he may have. She <br />thanked Mr. Johnson for coming forward and being willing to serve the City. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson and the rest of the Councilmembers welcomed Ben Jones. <br /> <br />Councilmember Burg asked how Mr. Jones would represent himself in the public if there was something he <br />disagreed with. <br /> <br />Ben Jones stated the role of the Commission should include supporting existing ordinances. He indicated he <br />may make suggestions if improvements could be made, but in the end this matter would be determined by <br />elected officials. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson asked Mr. Jones to provide the Council with a brief summary of his background and any <br />involvement he has had in the community. <br /> <br />Mr. Jones explained he was from Madison, Wisconsin, and moved to Minnesota four years ago to attend law <br />school. He moved to New Brighton three years ago, where he lived in an apartment complex and has recently <br />purchased a home in the City. He indicated he joined the Knights of Columbus and was working to give back <br />to his community. He stated he was an attorney. <br /> <br />Councilmember Jacobsen asked why Mr. Jones felt he would be a good person to represent the community and <br />advise the Council. <br /> <br />Mr. Jones stated he was a lawyer that worked with laws and regulations. He indicated he solved cases <br />everyday while working with acrimonious parties on a daily basis. He explained he had the time to serve and <br />believed he would do the job well. <br /> <br />Councilmember Bauman asked what Mr. Jones believed were the three most important responsibilities a <br />commission member has to the community. <br /> <br />Mr. Jones thought the extra leg work should be done, to bring in their personal knowledge and to bring in the <br />voice of the community to address the issues at hand. <br /> <br />Councilmember Strub asked how Mr. Jones would handle a situation where someone contacted her voicing <br />opposition to an item being discussed at your commission. He questioned if this would c hange if this person <br />was a family member or close friend. <br /> <br />Mr. Jones indicated he would listen and refer this individual to City staff. He stated he would not comment <br />except with a public voice for the Commission. <br /> <br />Councilmember Burg stated based on how long Mr. Jones has lived in New Brighton, she questioned what the <br />biggest challenges were for the City. <br /> <br />Mr. Jones stated a generational turnover was occurring in the City. With that, New Brighton had an aging