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<br /> <br />Mr. Warner stated the City needed to manage the transition of its population while keeping the public engaged. <br />He explained New Brighton was not on his list of cities to live in, but noted he was happy to have his family in <br />this community. He believed New Brighton was doing things at a City level and a community level that was <br />drawing people in from the community. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson asked if he was interested in land uses and variances; economic programs, retention and <br />development; the impact of recreation on the community; or the impacts of public safet y. <br /> <br />Mr. Warner stated the impact of recreation on the community was a strong interest for him. He commented <br />public safety would be another interest for him. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson discussed the process the Council would be following for the committee me mber <br />appointments. She thanked Mr. Warner for his interest in serving and asked if he had any questions. <br /> <br />Mr. Warner asked what the time commitment was for Commissioners. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson commented Commissions met once per month. She noted Commissioners would need to be <br />able to attend meetings while also preparing for the meeting. <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson welcomed Anthony Pledger. She stated for full disclosure purposes, Anthony was married to <br />Councilmember Dunsworth. She asked Anthony to tell the Council a little bit about himself and his <br />experiences in the community. <br /> <br />Anthony Pledger stated he has lived in New Brighton for seven years. He noted he went to law school in West <br />Virginia, graduated and worked at several different law schools recruiting and retaining students. He <br />commented he also worked for AT&T. He reported he now works for the Federal government in immigration <br />services. He stated he has seen a lot of the country and has moved around a quite a bit. He explained he has <br />experienced a number of different communities in several different states. He commented on how the east <br />coast differs from the Midwest. He indicated he saw this position as an opportunity noting he still wanted to <br />be a good example for his son. He discussed how important his time was and how he hoped to make an <br />investment in the community his famil y lived. He commented further on the importance of being involved in <br />the community. <br /> <br />Councilmember Burg asked why he had decided to apply to serve on a City Commission. <br /> <br />Mr. Pledger stated he volunteers with the Conflict Resolution Center in Minneapolis. In doing this, he has seen <br />how the different neighborhoods and different people are affected by housing court or aversion programs. He <br />commented a lot of the issues or disputes that arise are in their community. He discussed how important it was <br />for people to invest their time in the community. <br /> <br />Councilmember Dunsworth asked why he would be a good person to represent the community and advise the <br />City Council. <br /> <br />Mr. Pledger indicated he had a vested interest in the community and in its progress. He wanted to ensure his <br />son and other children have a great place to grow up. He stated he would bring forward thinking to the City as <br />he was a person who was looking to use the skills and abilities, he has to assist the City’s Commissions. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson asked what the most important responsibilities a commission member had to the community. <br />