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<br />and resident of Ramsey, and pays through the nose on taxes; he is literally one of the people <br />paying for this facility. Mr. Ramsey has valid points and the people probably do not even know <br />the information is out there. Mr. Ramsey's objective is to present the information to allow these <br />people to have a basis for speaking at the Open Space Technology meeting; he sees this as a <br />positive thing. He does not know that the Council as a policy making body can say they will <br />look at one side and keep the other side from speaking. People have been very disappointed in <br />the process up until this last comprehensive plan. Today they have 60 people involved, and the <br />more people they can get on fire with these issues the better. <br /> <br />Acting Mayor Strommen stated she agrees that part of the goal was to get people engaged and <br />involved in this process, and she commends Mr. Ramsey in that. The concern she has is that <br />instead of engaging in the process that exists which the City has set forward, Mr. Ramsey has <br />chosen to initiate his own process that is a separate parallel process. The City has received a <br />grant for the Ramsey3 process and they need to stick within the framework of what McKnight <br />has funded. Acting Mayor Strommen stated if Councilmember Look had come to the Council <br />and said he thinks they need to reconsider the content of Ramsey3 and possibly add a forum, it <br />could have been considered at a City level. Her concern is to have one process going and other <br />processes started. She does not believe as a City they can start endorsing a lot of separate <br />processes. All viewpoints can be involved in the one process. If there is an issue with the <br />process Councilmember Look needs to address this group and say he does not think the process <br />the City is following is working, and it can be tweaked instead of starting a conflicting process. <br /> <br />Councilmember Look stated the City should be more cautious about the groups that will give the <br />City money and use more discretion as far as what they are proposing. The tools of smart <br />growth and new urbanism have been around since 1970, and if you Google you will get more <br />information than you can shake a stick at. The concern Mr. Ramsey has is that Ramsey3 has had <br />three speakers, all promoting smart growth and new urbanism. Secondly, there is evidence that <br />the tools being proposed meet none of the goals and result in more pollution and less affordable <br />housing. Three speakers have been speaking in favor of this and saying they are the <br />professionals. The bottom line is that there is so much dissention on this topic that they need to <br />be more cautious in providing the opposite viewpoint as well. He does not think that the <br />McKnight Foundation wants that viewpoint to come out, but if the Council as a policy board <br />does not provide that opposite viewpoint they are providing a disservice to these residents. <br /> <br />There was considerable discussion by the Council with the following main points expressed: <br /> <br />Acting Mayor Strommen stated if there is an issue with the process, Councilmember Look <br />needed to come to the Council and inform them of the problem. This would allow things to be <br />reconsidered by the Council as a body and the Ramsey3 Steering Committee. She stated Mr. <br />Ramsey is able to use the municipal facility space under the current policy. Her concern is <br />regarding the process and creating a parallel process. One process was city-led with city staff <br />engaged and Council having approved the grant. The other process does not have any City <br />involvement, and is a citizen event where the City had no say about the speakers. She stated it is <br />not one view and the opposite view; there is a whole spectrum in between. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session I April 3, 2007 <br />Page 6 or 14 <br />