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From:no-reply@www.newbrightonmn.gov <br />To:Devin Massopust <br />Subject:City Council Vacancy Application of Interest - New Form Submission for New Brighton MN <br />Date:Friday, April 17, 2020 9:41:41 PM <br />A new submission has been received for City Council Vacancy Application <br />of Interest at 04/17/2020 9:41 PM <br />First Name:Benjamin <br />Last Name:Jones <br />Email Address:bjones5589@gmail.com <br />Phone:608-513-3690 <br />Address:631 17th Ave NW <br />City:New Brighton <br />State/Province:MN <br />Country:US <br />Zip Code:55112 <br />What is your <br />background as it <br />relates to <br />community <br />involvement <br />within New <br />Brighton?: <br />I have lived in New Brighton since 2013 and am a very involved member <br />of the community. I have been an active parishioner at St. John the <br />Baptist Catholic Church since 2013. I have been on the parish finance <br />commission since 2018 and am currently its vice chair. In my time on the <br />commission, I have drafted a new constitution to bring it into compliance <br />with Archdiocesan policy and have taken an active role in making budget <br />and fundraising decisions. I am also a regular attendee of the Catholic <br />Watchmen (a men’s group) events, and a member of the Knights of <br />Columbus Circle. I have also been a member of the Ramsey County <br />Corrections Advisory Commission since 2018. This group, made up of <br />relevant stakeholder and community representatives, provides <br />community input and oversight of the Ramsey County’s Department of <br />Corrections. Ramsey County is required to get the Commission's <br />approval of the county’s annual Corrections Comprehensive Plan. While <br />I have been an active member, the County made the momentous decision <br />to close the Boys Totem Town juvenile detention center amid dropping <br />enrollment and changing priorities. We have also supported and <br />encouraged the corrections department’s considerable efforts to reduce <br />the county’s reliance on fees in the justice system and expand remote <br />monitoring without compromising its core public safety function. I was a <br />member of the New Brighton Planning Commission from 2017-2018, <br />where I helped examine land use matters in the city and make <br />recommendations to the City Council. I have closely followed local <br />government since purchasing a home in New Brighton in 2016 and have <br />regularly attended community functions. <br />I am interested in serving on the City Council for three main reasons. <br />First, I am passionate about public service. This is shown by my career <br />choices. During law school I represented the best interests of minor <br />wards in Children’s Court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Immediately after <br />law school, I worked at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid where I helped low