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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson welcomed Ezekiel Agnossou. <br /> <br />Councilmember Dunsworth asked Mr. Agnossou to tell the Council a little bit about himself and his <br />experiences in the community. <br /> <br />Ezekiel Agnossou stated he came to the US in 2009 straight from Togo. He feels a need to get involved in the <br />community. He explained in 2010 he started volunteering in the City of Brooklyn Center and volunteered for <br />two or three years as a Planning Commissioner. Because of the schools, he moved out of Brooklyn Center. <br />After this, he moved to Minneapolis where he volunteered through a local church to provide meals to the less <br />fortunate. He indicated he has been involved in the community in a variety of ways. He stated his background <br />was economics. He stated he was looking forward to becoming more engaged with the people in New Brighton <br />and noted he moved to the City two years ago. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson asked Mr. Agnossou what motivated him to apply to serve on a City Commission. <br /> <br />Mr. Agnossou explained he would like to be a part of the community while also advocating in the community <br />for people who cannot express themselves. <br /> <br />Councilmember Burg asked Mr. Agnossou what view he has as the role of the Commissioner in the Council/ <br />Commissioner relationship. <br /> <br />Mr. Agnossou stated the role is to be an advisor and to represent the community. He indicated the role was <br />also to be the ears of the City Council in the community and to advise the Council. <br /> <br />Councilmember Jacobsen stated each Commission is tasked with making recommendations to the City Council <br />that comply with policies, rules or ordinances already adopted by the City Council. He asked Mr. Agnossou <br />what he would do if he disagreed with a policy or ordinance already in place. <br /> <br />Mr. Agnossou commented each city has rules and guidelines. He explained he would review the rules and in <br />the case there was a concern he would speak to the Mayor. He did not believe he would create a fight but <br />rather would want to reach an end goal where there is better understanding and communication. He discussed <br />the rules of being a Planning Commissioner in Brooklyn Center. <br /> <br />Councilmember Allen asked Mr. Agnossou based on how long he has lived in New Brighton and what he <br />knew about the community, what he sees as the City’s biggest challenge. <br /> <br />Mr. Agnossou stated this was a nice community that was very welcoming. He appreciated the quietness of the <br />environment. He indicated he would like to see more economic involvement in the community in order to see <br />the City grow. He explained he lived close to City Hall in Garden View and he sees the hustle each morning. <br /> <br />Councilmember Dunsworth asked Mr. Agnossou which Commission strikes him as the most interesting. <br /> <br />Mr. Agnossou stated he was most interested in economic development and public safety. He explained he did <br />have a conflict with the meeting time for the Economic Development Commission. <br /> <br />Mayor Johnson discussed the process the Council would be following for the committee me mber <br />appointments. She thanked Mr. Agnossou for his interest in serving and asked if he had any questions. <br />