Agenda - Council - 12/10/2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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