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Mr. Pledger commented Commissioners are seen as advocates or representatives of their neighborhood and <br /> were accountable to the people living across the street from them. He believed that Commission positions <br /> - were important as they were assisting in guiding the City forward. He indicated it was important for <br /> Commissioners to provide information that was reliable while also being accountable for this information. <br /> Councilmember Burg asked how he would respond if a member of the community were to contact him <br /> expressing opposition to an item being addressed by your commission and questioned if this would change if it <br /> was a life-long friend. <br /> Mr. Pledger stated it would be better if it was a friend because he would have a one on one conversation. He <br /> explained sometimes people just don't agree but indicated he would listen to the person while remaining <br /> accountable to the City. <br /> Councilmember Dunsworth reported each commission is tasked with making recommendations to the City <br /> Council. She asked how Mr. Pledger would respond if he disagreed with a policy or Ordinance already in <br /> place. <br /> Mr. Pledger indicated he has had many disagreements in his life and has a federal employee he doesn't have <br /> the final say with the things at work. However, in this role, he would serve at the pleasure of the City Council <br /> and he understood he would be serving in an advisory role. He explained he would be making <br /> recommendations to the City Council and not final decisions. <br /> Mayor Johnson asked what the City's biggest challenges were. <br /> Mr. Pledger stated he believed the City's biggest challenge was the aging population and the turnover <br /> I occurring in the community. He commented it was important for the City to connect with the younger families <br /> that were moving into New Brighton, while also staying connected to the older residents that have established <br /> themselves in the community. <br /> Councilmember Burg 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 safety. <br /> Mr. Pledger explained he was most interested in economic programs and redevelopment. <br /> Mayor Johnson discussed the process the Council would be following for the committee member <br /> appointments. She thanked Mr. Pledger for his interest in serving and asked if he had any questions. <br /> Mr. Pledger had no further questions. <br /> Mayor Johnson welcomed Jeremy Melquist. <br /> Councilmember Burg asked Jeremy to tell the Council a little bit about himself and his experiences in the <br /> community. <br /> Jeremy Melquist stated he recently moved to the City in 2018. He noted he was a traffic engineer for Tayler J <br /> Engineering in St. Paul. He explained he worked for cities and counties on engineering projects. <br /> Councilmember Dunsworth asked why he had decided to apply to serve on a City Commission. <br />