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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes August 22, 2006 Page 6 2 Mayor Faust and City Manager Morrison met with Vital Aging on August 22, 2006 on the role it 3 would play in the City. Mayor Faust stated he would host and facilitate a forum to bring all 4 interested parties in. He stated Vital Aging had done work for the community and there are 5 volunteers who what to help. 6 7 VIII. COMMUNITY FORUM. 8 Mayor Faust invited residents to come forward to address the Council on issues not on the 9 regular agenda. 10 11 Ms. Wendy Huebner, 2501 Lowery Avenue N.E., President of the Lowery Grove Resident 12 Association, stated she is here to petition the City to pass a Park Closing Ordinance to provide 13 compensation for the mobile home owners of Lowery Grove in the event of a park closing. Ms. 14 Huebner stated she had a draft of a proposed Park Closing Ordinance and a list of all the park 15 closing ordinances passed in the State of Minnesota and the dates of passage. Ms. Huebner 16 stated she also had the State statute that provides for Cities to pass a park closing Ordinance. 17 She mentioned she also had letters of support from Senator John Marty, Representative Wendy 18 Greeling, Father LaFontain of St. Charles Church and neighborhood organizations of Waite Park 19 and Audubon Park. She reported she also had video tape of interviews residents of Lowery 20 Grove on how a park closing would impact their lives. She stated it is her understanding it would 21 be placed on the Planning Commission agenda for presentation and discussion. 22 23 Mayor Faust replied he would ask Staff to research the Minnesota Statutes to take into account 24 both sides. He stated the Planning Commission would look at it and ask Staff to do research. 25 26 City Manager Morrison recommended Council meet with the City Attorney as he does not 27 believe it goes to the Planning Commission first or if the Planning Commission plays a role in 28 the design of a statute. He stated this is more of a policy decision for the City Council. 29 30 Mayor Faust remarked this is why this is brought up in this forum and a decision is not made. He 31 stated it is best to go slow and go right rather than go left and go wrong. He stated he would ask 32 Staff to look at all the issues. 33 34 Ms. Sandra Boone, 2501 Lowery Avenue N.E., addressed the Council and expressed she is a 35 resident of the park and a member of the Lowery Grove Resident Association. She stated she 36 would like to bring to the Council's attention how a park closing affects their homes. She stated 37 she would lose her home if the park closed; she wants is an option if the park closes. She stated 38 mobile in front of the name does not make it any less a home. She fears she may not have 39 anywhere else to go. Ms. Boone stated what is fair to other residents should also be available to 40 residents of a mobile home park. She would like the Mayor and Council to keep in mind these 41 are homes and not a group of transient people. She stated it would be a hardship if the park were 42 closed with no ordinance in place. 43 44 Mayor Faust stated he and the Council are sensitive to people and their living environments. He 45 stated this without prejudgment as to which way the Council will go.