Minutes - Council Work Session - 02/05/1997 - Workshop

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Councilmember Haas Steffen: We do not necessarily have to respond that evening. Councilmember Beahen: I would like to see some similar perimeters put on public hearings. Councilmember Beyer: You cannot take away their fight to speak. Councilmember Haas Steffen: I am not talking about their fight to speak. Councilmember Beahen: Just limit the amount of time. It's non-productive to have a one and a half hour public hearing when people are talking about the same thing over and over again. Councilmember Beyer: This could backfire, we have to be careful. Councilmember Beahen: I feel a five-minute limit would not be a problem to speak on an issue. After five minutes, they would not be saying anything new. Councilmember Zimmerman: People view us as listening to the input and then they wonder what became of that issue. Maybe at the end or beginning of citizen input, you could say we met and this is what's happening - or it will be on the next agenda, etc. You get a positive attitude that you are meeting the needs of the people who come to you. We need to restore resident's confidence in local government. Show them we are listening, etc. Mayor Gamec: We need to be careful in talking with people, that we do not say one thing and then end up having to do something else. Councilmember Haas Steffen: I do not feel the people of Ramsey are unhappy with the City government. I really door-knocked hard during campaigning and especially hit every one of the new areas. People were basically oblivious to City Hall. I did not run into a lot of unhappy people. I worked hard for this job and tried to find out where the citizens concerns are. The people that are unhappy are few, but loud. Councilmember Beyer: Neighbors in my neighborhood have been there for 20 years. Two of them feel like the City does not care about its long-term residents. They are being so restricted - they cannot work on antique cars, etc. People are being taken to court for this and they are not liking that. They feel they are losing their rights. Councilmember Haas Steffen: That's what's happening in any growing city. Mayor Gamec: I hit some areas that I thought would have some real controversial issues. But overall, most of the people were not unhappy. I met people that had moved to the River's Bend area that were against me when I brought sewer and water in. Councilmember Haas Steffen: My neighborhood signed the petition (Charter amendment - sewer and water) and they were not told the truth. Mayor Gamec: This is one thing if we could ever do as a City Council - we need to educate the residents about the MUSA. Councilmember Beyer: They will not believe us. Councilmember Beahen: There were door-knockers with the petition and people were not being told the truth. City Council Workshop/February 5, 1997 Page 2 of 6