Brooklyn Park Outgoing Council Members Encourage Teamwork, Respect at Final Meeting
Monday night was the last Brooklyn Park city council meeting of the year and the five outgoing elected officials were recognized for their service. They also left parting words encouraging teamwork and respect for the new council.
“For the new council members who are coming in, and this is my opinion, it’s not us against city staff,” said Terry Parks, who has represented the East district on the council since 2015. “We work better if we work as a team. Don’t sit up there and work against city staff. Work as a team and it’s going to work better.”
Council member Susan Pha called the last council meeting on Dec. 12 “an emotional day.”
She’s served since 2017, when she filled the remainder of a term that was vacated by a council member moving out of district. Pha won election to the Senate in November, so she submitted her resignation from the council for January 3. The council accepted the resignation and declared a vacancy for the West district council seat.
“You have heard us debate on this dais and council, but one thing that has always served true is that we respected each other and we worked together,” said Pha.
Council member Wynfred Russell and Tonja West-Hafner, both of whom served one term starting in 2019, also accepted recognition for their service. Both said they were staying in Brooklyn Park. Russell said “the work continues” and West-Hafner alluded that she might be “back up there” on the council dais again.
Outgoing mayor Lisa Jacobson said she never imagined serving as mayor. She represented the East district starting in 2017, and then moved into the mayor’s seat when she won a special election to fill the remainder of a term in 2021.
“I think it’s very important that you commit to this job all the way if you do this job,” said Jacobson. “You never lose sight that you do it for the community and not for yourself.”
