08-26-2024 City Council Agenda Packet (2)

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Council Minutes -3- July 8, 2024 believes that the Madinah Lakes project will enhance this community. She urged the City Council to vote against the moratorium. Ayesha Ahmed, 2 Island View Lane, North Oaks, stated that her family and her were here in support of the Madinah Lakes project. Having raised four children in the surrounding communities for about 24 years, she has seen the northern suburbs grow and prosper. Her son has played numerous baseball games with the Centennial team. She stated that she believed the Madinah Lakes project will be a very positive addition to this already vibrant community. Brandon Schorsch, Jewish Community Action staff representative, 2324 University Avenue, St. Paul, stated that he is here today to speak in favor of the Madinah Lakes project and against the moratorium. He stated that for 30 years, Jewish Community Action has worked with people from other communities because they also know what it's like to be a smaller ethnic and religious group in a larger place. He stated that why he thinks a project like Madinah Lakes is so great is because he grew up around projects like that. But he has also grown up in places like Texas, where some districts were being split in order to prevent students from right next door from going to the same schools. So, for people from other communities who grew up in places like Texas, who may have grown up in other states and have chosen to move to a place like Minnesota, moratoriums like these can make people feel jumpy. It's not an accusation that any individual here holds those proclivities. But he stated that where those of us who are coming to microphones are concerned, are coming from. He thanked the Council for their consideration and due diligence as they go through all of the comments and legal documentation. Osman Ahmed, 1821 University Avenue, St. Paul, stated that he was here in support of the Madinah Lakes project. He questioned if the limit on public comment was a limit on freedom of speech. He stated there is always something that we learn from history. He remembered reading something about Congress and the people who actually voted against establishing the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday and three decades later, they regretted that they fought against that. He stated that to pass the moratorium is basically telling certain people of different backgrounds and religion they are not welcome in Lino Lakes. He said the Council might not say that by words, but the moratorium is a policy and that tells a similar story. He asked that the City Council vote no on the moratorium and that they think about the future of Lino Lakes residents and the future of the children and the grandchildren that will live in this city for many years to come. Luke Walter, Love Lino Lakes group representative, 7800 Maryland Drive, Lino Lakes, offered a correction to the statement and documents provided by Faraaz Yussuf of Zikar Holdings on June 24, 2024 during public comment, related to negative comments posted on social media. He stated that while Mr. Yussuf submitted the record as 100 pages there are in fact 83 pages. He stated that while the comments were attributed to the Love Lino Lakes group, most of the comments were not from the Love Lino Lakes group or their broader Facebook group. He noted that much of the presented social media posts had no context, the source couldn't be identified, and some appeared to have been manipulated. So a full response packet, with notations and evidence that they have administered their group and removed people and removed comments will be submitted to the Council to go into record. Mr. Walter stated that the accusations related to the social media posts, are made by a man who is quoted as saying, "We are marketing to wealthy individuals that want to come home and be surrounded by people that look like us, talk like us and have the same religious beliefs." Mr. Walter stated that he didn't know how you couldn't call that hate speech. He stated that sounded like exclusion. He stated that he could share an audio recording and a transcript of the gentleman saying that. Mr. Walter stated that he strongly supports the moratorium.