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COUNCIL MINUTES <br />November 13, 2017 <br />APPROVED <br />1 CITY OF LINO LAKES <br />2 MINUTES <br />3 <br />4 <br />5 DATE :November 13, 2017 <br />6 TIME STARTED 6:30 p.m. <br />7 TIME ENDED 7:30 p.m. <br />8 MEMBERS PRESENT :Council Member Rafferty, Kusterman, Maher, <br />9 Manthey, and Mayor Reinert <br />10 MEMBERS ABSENT <br />11 <br />12 Staff members present: City Administrator Jeff Karlson; Community Development Director Michael <br />13 Grochala; Director of Public Safety John Swenson; City Engineer Diane Hankee; Finance Director <br />14 Sarah Cotton; and City Clerk Julie Bartell <br />15 <br />16 PUBLIC COMMENT <br />17 <br />1 s No one was present to address the council regarding a matter not on the agenda. <br />19 <br />20 SETTING THE AGENDA <br />21 <br />22 The agenda was approved as presented. <br />23 <br />24 CONSENT AGENDA <br />25 <br />26 Council Member Kusterman noted an expense relating to a bill of Ratwik, Roszak and Maloney, the <br />27 city's attorney. It is a monthly bill received from that contractor. It was clarified that the expense in <br />28 question relates to a legal opinion sought regarding a resident who filed for city office who also works <br />29 for the city's engineering contractor, WSB & Associates; a written legal opinion was received and the <br />3o cost was roughly $800. Council Member Kusterman questioned why this expenditure would be <br />31 ordinary and necessary to the workings of the city. He has worked in accounting for many years and <br />32 he doesn't feel this would be ordinary. Were there conflict of interest checks on all candidates this <br />33 year? <br />34 <br />35 Administrator Karlson was asked to respond to the reasoning behind seeking that legal opinion and he <br />36 explained that a member of the council raised questions about one candidate for city council that <br />37 works for the city's contracted engineering firm and he felt it rose to the level that the question should <br />38 be posed to the City Attorney. He clarified that the question was originally posed to him by the <br />39 mayor. <br />40 <br />41 Mayor Reinert noted that the situation of having a conflict of interest as a member of the council is <br />42 taken seriously by the City. <br />43 <br />44 Council Member Rafferty concurred. He recalled speaking with city staff about his situation of <br />45 working for an architectural firm that could possibility have work ties with the city's contracted <br />0 <br />