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Councilmember Riley stated that the average increase for municipal increases statewide was 4.5 <br />to five percent, noting that the City will most likely come in under that. <br /> <br />Councilmember Menth stated that the budget timeline is designated by State law and asked for <br />details on the contract negotiations. He stated that perhaps to avoid this situation in the future the <br />contract end dates should be changed to better align the timing. <br /> <br />2.03: Review Communications Survey and Discuss Expectations <br /> <br />City Administrator Ulrich reviewed the staff report. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kuzma commented that he believes that the website should be improved to be <br />less cumbersome for users to find the desired information. <br /> <br />Mayor LeTourneau agreed that he finds it challenging at times as well. He asked if members of <br />the community have provided the same comments. <br /> <br />IT Manager Fredrickson stated that the City is scheduled to have a website upgrade but noted that <br />he would need direction on what would make it easier for users. He stated that from the statistics <br />gathered it would be difficult to determine if users are finding their information right away and <br />leaving the site, or become frustrated because they cannot find their information and leaving the <br />site after that time. <br /> <br />Councilmember Riley provided an example, noting that he goes to the website to find what is <br />playing at The Draw and advised that if it is not posted on the front page, he has difficulty finding <br />it. He stated that perhaps speaking with the front desk would provide input on what people are <br />looking for, as residents may call if they cannot find their information on the website. <br /> <br />Councilmember Specht stated that he is excited about an update to the website as he agrees there <br />are difficulties for users. He used the Elk River website as a good example, noting that perhaps <br />there are ways to highlight the upcoming City Council agendas for those that may be interested. <br /> <br />Councilmember Riley commented that he agrees that it is important to not engage in a back and <br />forth with people on platforms like Facebook but stated that sometimes a reply would be helpful. <br />He used the example of comments related to the poor condition of Variolite and noted that it would <br />have been easy for Ramsey staff to reply that the street is being fixed with the repair timelines and <br />a link to project information. <br /> <br />Councilmember Kuzma stated that he likes that the City sends out a letter to residents and <br />businesses that are impacted by road projects or related to things like the franchise fee. He noted <br />that in those instances, education is important to avoid those situations on social media. <br /> <br />Councilmember Specht stated that he would caution against posting on different Facebook pages <br />as it could give the impression that the City condones or endorses that Facebook page. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session / November 24, 2020 <br />Page 4 of 6 <br /> <br />