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should continue with this and if questions were satisfactorily answered. He also offered the <br /> opportunity for the City Attorney to be a neutral party to supervise the investigation because the <br /> City Clerk and himself have been called into question in regard to the process. He stated that he <br /> welcomed continued input and bringing this to a conclusion. He thought it was explained last <br /> meeting that there were some irregularities because this process isn't done all the time and there <br /> are some changes from year to year. He stated they were doing the best they could in trying to fill <br /> the positions and give people opportunity. He understood the feelings that there was not equal <br /> opportunity but the official wording is that the positions are open until closed. He stated there is <br /> some urgency for people to apply because if enough people apply and get appointed, then the <br /> positions are no longer there and there is no guarantee those positions will be there. There are <br /> periodic openings in all of the Commissions including the Charter Commission. He reminded that <br /> the Staff and Council have tried to stay away from making recommendations for Charter <br /> appointments. He stated the judge pointed out that other cities take a more active role but the City <br /> of Ramsey, in the past, has not chosen to take a more active role in the appointment of Charter <br /> Commission members and that the Charter Commission has not taken that role either,though they <br /> could. He stated the Council is considering policy changes to address the issue of Councilmembers <br /> serving on the Charter based on the appointment. <br /> Councilmember Musgrove commented that in her time being on the City Council since 2018, she <br /> has been through a few processes of appointing Boards and Commission and didn't know if there <br /> was a good process. In looking at this case, she discovered some things. She stated in March 18, <br /> 2022 the discussion for Boards and Commissions had the Minnesota statue from 2017 and in any <br /> of the other cases that have been presented on the Boards and Commissions, there has never been <br /> an attachment for a policy. She stated that even as late as February 28, 2022 when there were <br /> discussions of Boards and Commissions, there wasn't a policy attached to it. She didn't know <br /> how the Council could ask for fairness and information sharing equally among Council Members <br /> and not get policy information. She stated she has seen more things the longer she is on the <br /> Council. She stated the policy change in 2016 took away the Boards and Commissions from the <br /> Council and moved it to Staff. She stated that in point one of that process, it is an incumbent <br /> reapplication process so that is the policy that the City is supposed to be following. She read <br /> paragraph three "the City Council will meet, discuss, and determine whether or not <br /> recommendations for reappointment would be made. If a determination that the City Council does <br /> not wish to reappoint the incumbent, the incumbent will be notified and that individual's seat will <br /> be advertised. If it is determined the incumbent will be reappointed,the incumbent will be notified <br /> and the seat will not be advertised." She stated that part of the process she has never been a part <br /> of so that has never happened before the advertising. She stated in her duration on the Council, <br /> the administration in presenting cases with Boards and Commissions has never followed the policy <br /> of presenting the incumbents first before the Council to have a discussion about reappointment <br /> and then advertising for the open positions. She stated that was a recent change to policy. <br /> Councilmember Musgrove stated she would have appreciated the Staff presenting the policy every <br /> time there was a discussion about Board and Commission applications. She stated that recently <br /> there was a case about a manufacturing cohort and she went looking for information about it. She <br /> was told by members of another city's Council that the Staff doesn't support the Council because <br /> Councilmembers have to go looking for information when their staff provides information when <br /> asked plus additional information. She asked if the Staff wasn't aware of the policy regarding <br /> City Council/March 8, 2022 <br /> Page 29 of 38 <br />