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Councilmember Musgrove stated that there was previous discussion related to the Metro Cities <br /> membership and referenced the recently released legislative agenda from that organization. She <br /> stated that there are 93 cities included in the organization and therefore there could be potential <br /> conflicts of interest between the parties being represented by Metro Cities. She suggested that <br /> membership be removed from the budget as the City already pays its own lobbyist, Mr. <br /> Tinklenberg, to act on part of Ramsey. She stated that she is also concerned with the amount the <br /> City pays to Mr. Tinklenberg and what is provided in return for that monthly payment. <br /> City Administrator Ulrich referenced the contract with Mr. Tinklenberg and noted that the <br /> suggestion from the Council was not to discontinue the contract but for an update to be provided <br /> prior to the December 10 meeting. He stated that the contract renewal will also be part of an <br /> upcoming agenda. He stated that the membership to Metro Cities was decided upon after a <br /> recent presentation from a representative from the organization. He commented that the <br /> membership is a valuable resource, although not critical. He confirmed that Metro Cities has a <br /> mixed audience in its membership, using the example of LGA. He stated that Ramsey has only <br /> belonged to that organization for the past two years when the City wanted more involvement on <br /> a regional playing field and with regional policies. He noted that there are more opportunities to <br /> get involved with Metro Cities,to the extent the City desires. <br /> Councilmember Riley stated that he feels comfortable that Mr. Tinklenberg is working on the <br /> interests of the City. He stated that he does not have a strong opinion on the Metro Cities <br /> membership. <br /> Councilmember Heinrich stated that she would be in support of not continuing the membership <br /> with Metro Cities. She stated that she has reached out to the legislative representatives about the <br /> issue of LGA and would be willing to reach out and speak about other issues that are important <br /> for Ramsey. <br /> Councilmember Kuzma stated that he would defer to the opinion of City Administrator Ulrich as <br /> he himself does not have time to go down to the legislature. He stated that if staff feels there is a <br /> benefit from the Metro Cities membership, he would support that. He noted that if staff feels <br /> that membership could be cut, he would also support that. <br /> Councilmember Menth asked why the City joined Metro Cities three years ago. <br /> City Administrator Ulrich stated that the City was making a conscious decision to step up <br /> regionally. He stated that the willingness of members of the Council to step up and reach out to <br /> legislators has helped bridge the gap that was provided by the organization. He reviewed some <br /> of the other organizations that the City is involved with that he felt provide more benefit to the <br /> City. He stated that the membership to Metro Cities is not critical and if it is the decision of the <br /> Council, he would agree to end the membership. <br /> Community Development Director Gladhill noted that Metro Cities also acts as a watchdog for <br /> the Metropolitan Council and advocates for the rights of cities in regional planning and regional <br /> City Council Work Session/November 18,2019 <br /> Page 11 of 14 <br />