Minutes - Council - 03/09/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Jennifer Leistico, 15790 Neon Street NW, commented that she is a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission and Charter Commission. She stated that she would like more information on the basis of this. She commented that it seems the instigating matter again seems related to masks and enforcement. She asked what problem this would be solving for the residents of Ramsey and noted that it seems this could have been handled through a memorandum rather than resolution. She commented that the Commissions are composed of citizens of Ramsey who have opinions, take information from other residents, and provide a recommendation to the Council which ultimately decides the matter. She stated that the resolution appears to state that the Council will direct staff and others to do things, which she believes is accurate for staff. She stated that there is nothing a Commission could do to act in opposition of the Council as they are only a recommending body. She commented that there was a reference in the previous resolution about mincing words, which is what needs to be done for ordinances and resolutions. She stated that the original intent is not coming across in this resolution language. She stated that she does not support this action as a citizen of Ramsey or as a member of multiple Commissions within the City. Randy Bauer, 14942 Quintana Circle, Chair of the Planning Commission echoed the comments of Councilmember Riley in that the previous resolution states that the Council wants to go against the higher authority and this resolution would seem to do the opposite stating that the Council is the higher authority, and everyone must do as it says. He agreed that both the prior resolution and this action seem to focus on the issue of masks, which unfortunately has become a political issue rather than an issue of public health. He stated that his wife has worked in public health for over 45 years and he and his wife were wearing masks before they were mandated and continue to do so. He stated that when the Planning Commission did gather in person, he did encourage people to keep their masks on. He commented that this resolution is very broad and gives the impression that the Council is on top and everyone must follow. He stated that the Planning Commission has the authority to grant a variance, noting that decision could be appealed to the City Council, but that authority lies with the Planning Commission. He stated that this resolution appears to be looking for a problem that does not exist and again focuses on masks. He commented that everyone is aware of the organizational chart that already exists. th Gary VanScoy, 5851 147 Lane NW, commented that he has been a member of the Planning Commission for 18 to 19 years. He stated that when he read this resolution he was appalled with the broad language and potential impact and was concerned with what was driving this request. He stated that his impression was similar to the comments of Councilmember Riley. He echoed the comments of the previous speaker in that it seems there was one issue related to masks that brought this forward. He stated that he has contacted the State regarding the Council’s interpretation to 20-81, specifically that masks should be taken off when speaking and then replaced, whereas the Council’s opinion is that the masks could be removed once seated. He stated that the direction of the Council is counter to that of the State law. He recognized that is a choice the Council made but did not want to see what he deems to be an improper choice imposed on the Commissions. He commented that as written this language is so broad that it is appalling. He stated that he believes this is unnecessary and would bring potential issues for the Council and Commissions. He stated that as written he did not believe he could continue to participate in a Commission that would be told how to make its decisions. City Council / March 9, 2021 Page 18 of 21