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<br />Chairperson McDilda questioned if the work session would be open to the public. He also <br />encouraged all members of the EPB to attend the October 23rd meetings with the Council to <br />support this issue. He stated that the EPB could be an asset during the work session discussion. <br /> <br />Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated that work sessions are certainly open to the public. <br /> <br />Chairperson McDilda stated that he had concern that the wetland discussion was very top line, <br />and in the gray area. He stated that those were difficult discussions to have during a Council <br />session. He explained that it would be better if the consultant is prepared to address those kinds <br />of comments from the start. <br /> <br />Board Member Max stated that this was an objective study, a description of the natural resources <br />in Ramsey. He stated that part of the discussion would just be stating how they obtained the <br />information and what that information means statistically. <br /> <br />Chairperson McDilda stated that the EPB members should read through the text again prior to <br />October 23rd, and should plan to attend both the work session and regular Council meetings that <br />~ight. <br /> <br />Case #2 <br /> <br />Open Space Referendum Update <br /> <br />Environmental Coordinator Anderson reviewed that Staff and members of the EPB attended the <br />September 25 work session to discuss with Council the concept and feasibility of an open space <br />referendum question for the 2008 election ballot. At the request of the EPB, Cordelia Pierson <br />with the Trust for Public Land (TPL) also attended the work session to help address questions <br />regarding the referendum process. <br /> <br />Environmental Coordinator Anderson noted the Council discussion seemed to focus on the <br />public opinion survey/poll and determining resident priorities. Some of the arguments and/or <br />questions that were raised include: <br />. The City already has around 40 parks, so why is there a need for more parkland? <br />. Why doesn't Staff just utilize the Ramsey Resident newsletter to conduct a public opinion <br />survey? . <br />. What are the priorities of the residents? (maybe there's more interest in a community <br />center or subsidized housing rather than open space) <br />. Every household should be contacted rather than a just a sampling of the population, <br />especially if this can be done at or around the same cost as a statistically significant <br />sample of the community. <br /> <br />Environmental Coordinator Anderson stated it should be noted that prior to the work session, <br />Staff and several members of the EPB met with Ms. Pierson to discuss this process in more <br />detail. Ms. Pierson had offered to be of assistance during the work session and did offer some <br />suggestions to Council concerning the survey, but unfortunately the conversation did not get that <br />far in detail and she was, for the most part, a bystander. <br /> <br />Board Member Max reported the Mayor had stated that the Ramsey Resident had been used in <br />the past as a survey vehicle because they thought it would be less expensive. Not only did it end <br /> <br />Environmental Policy Board / October 1, 2007 <br />Page 3 of7 <br />