Minutes - Council - 12/08/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Justin Okeson, 14361 Potassium Street NW, stated that he is present tonight as a citizen of Ramsey. He stated that he has ran his business in Ramsey for the past eight years and is now raising his family in Ramsey. He stated that his concerns are with the future of Ramsey and where the community goes from here. He asked what the City will do with COVID regulations that continue to be passed down from Governor Walz. He provided background information on himself and his experience in the Marines. He commented that upon returning home from the Marines he found that his skills did not apply to regular life and therefore tried college, which he also found was not for him. He stated that because of the struggles he faced in finding a job, he started his own businesses which was also a struggle to get going. He stated that by 2018/2019 his business was successful, and he was at a point where he could sell the business, but then COVID hit and hurt his business substantially. He stated that he is expressing the concerns of a vast number of people in Ramsey which is what the future will be for the children in the community. He referenced an article in a local newspaper which stated that 96.67 percent of infections could not be prevented. He stated that it then puts the question on the impacts that are being made to the economy, education, and children in order to protect the other 3.24 percent of the population. He stated that he has seen this situation before with mandates of who can thrive and who cannot and who can gather and who cannot. He asked the Council what line in the sand the City will draw and when it will be drawn. He recognized that local government is by far the most important and asked when the City of Ramsey will stand up for its citizens. He stated that just because something is a law does not mean it is a just law and just because something is an institution, does not mean it is a just institution. He stated that he does not expect the Council to agree with him, but the public deserves an answer as to when the Council will make that decision and when the line will be drawn. He asked when the City would petition the Governor or tell the Governor that it will not enforce further mandates. He stated that he does not expect the answer tonight but does want the answer. Mayor LeTourneau thanked the resident for the thought he put into his comments and his real and emotional message. He appreciated the input and recognized that the answer cannot be made today. He stated that the voice of the resident is heard, and the Council will work to understand the voice of the community when working under the guidelines it is given. He stated that to some point the voice of the Council can echo those concerns. He stated that the City is doing the best it can in a lot of ways but will continue to determine what else can be done and share the concerns of residents when speaking with legislators. He commented that this is an ongoing process that is not easy or predictable and has been a challenge. Councilmember Specht thanked the resident for his service to the country. He stated that he agrees with many of the comments from the resident and would be happy to meet with him to discuss ideas on some of these mandates that he considers unconstitutional. Councilmember Menth thanked the resident for his service. He asked what the business is. Mr. Okeson replied that his business is called Yorfit and is located on Highway 10. Mayor LeTourneau thanked Mr. Okeson for sharing his comments with the Council. Mr. Okeson stated that more people have died earning the civil liberties than those that have died as those civil liberties are taken away. He stated that he will want an answer as to when the line City Council / December 8, 2020 Page 3 of 17