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primary source of income, it also should not create a financial barrier to serving. He shared an <br />example of a qualified individual who chose not to run because of the financial burden of missed <br />work, emphasizing the importance of making service more accessible. <br /> <br />Councilmember Specht expressed that he does not see a strong need to increase compensation, <br />noting there has generally not been a shortage of candidates or interest in serving. He suggested <br />recruitment does not appear to be an issue and did not support making a change at this time. <br /> <br />Mayor Heineman expressed mixed feelings about increasing compensation, noting he did not run <br />for the money, but acknowledged that Ramsey is paid less than comparable cities. He raised <br />concerns about elected officials setting their own pay and suggested the discussion should include <br />the full Council so all members can weigh in before any direction is given. <br /> <br />City Administrator Hagen asked if Council would like staff to update the compensation <br />comparison data to reflect current averages before continuing the discussion. <br /> <br />Acting Mayor Riley supported updating the compensation data and suggested revisiting the <br />discussion when the full Council is present. <br /> <br />Councilmember Buscher requested that the updated comparison include neighboring cities’ <br />compensation details, including salary, health insurance benefits or payouts, and other <br />compensation packages, with a focus on cities similar in size and development to Ramsey. <br /> <br />City Administrator Hagen noted that prior comparisons did include benefit information, recalling <br />that some cities offered modest stipends or health insurance options. He confirmed that paid health <br />insurance was identified in at least one case. He noted he will bring the information back for further <br />discussion at a future meeting. <br /> <br />2.03: Required Audio Recordings of Public Meetings <br /> <br />City Administrator Hagen explained that an audio recording of meetings is not required by state <br />statute, City code, or the charter, but has been done as a practice. He suggested that if the City <br />wants to differentiate which meetings are recorded or offer online attendance, a formal policy <br />should be established to provide clarity and consistency when responding to public requests. <br /> <br />Acting Mayor Riley asked for clarification on the differences between state law, City ordinance, <br />and current practice regarding meeting recordings. <br /> <br />City Administrator Hagen clarified that state law does not require meetings to be recorded. Still, <br />if a meeting is recorded, the City must retain the recording at least until the minutes are approved. <br />He noted that Ramsey keeps recordings longer and makes many of them publicly available. <br />However, some, like interviews, are not posted online due to sensitive content but can still be <br />released upon request as public data. <br /> <br />City Administrator Hagen noted that any meeting with a quorum must be open to the public and <br />properly noticed, including interviews. He explained that while the public can attend these <br />City Council Work Session / April 14, 2026 <br />Page 8 of 10 <br />