[Roll Call]
          [00:00:08]
          NOTING THAT ALL ARE PRESENT IN THE COUNCIL. AND WE WILL START OUR MEETING WITH THE PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE. 
          PLEASE RISE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          THANK YOU FOR COMING AND I GUESS I WOULD ASK IF THERE'S IF I COULD GET AN APPROVAL OF THE
AGENDA AS AS LAID OUT BEFORE US. 
          [Approval of Agenda]
JUST APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA ITSELF, NOT THE CONSENT AGENDA. 
          YES. MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. I'LL SECOND IT. 
          ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. 
          ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE AN AGENDA. FIRST ITEM OF WHICH IS THE CONSENT AGENDA,
WHICH IS ROUTINE ITEMS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE 
          [Consent Agenda]
DISCUSSION UNLESS SOMEBODY IN ON THE COUNCIL OR IN THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC REQUESTS THAT
WE PULL AN ITEM OFF OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. 
          TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ARE CITY COUNCIL MINUTES,
CLAIMS AND BILLS, WORK SESSION SCHEDULE, A DONATION ALERT AND DOG PARK, PLANNING COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS,
ACCEPTING A RESIGNATION OF A POLICE OFFICER, TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT,
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ARCHITECTURE DESIGN FOR PUBLIC WORKS COMMODITIES YARD. ANY REQUESTS TO REMOVE AGENDA ITEMS? I'M GOING TO ASK THE COUNCIL FIRST. YEAH. I'D LIKE TO REMOVE NUMBER NINE,
PLEASE. 
          NUMBER NINE. YES PLEASE. ANYTHING ELSE? MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. 
          NUMBER NINE. GOT IT. OKAY WITH THAT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA
ITEMS NUMBER ONE THROUGH EIGHT. MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS NUMBER ONE THROUGH EIGHT. 
          IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. 
          MOTION CARRIES. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS. 
          [Public Comments]
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL. 
          JUST A NOTE THAT THE COUNCIL WILL NOT ENGAGE IN DISCUSSION OR TAKE ANY ACTION ON ITEMS
PRESENTED AT THIS TIME. 
          HOWEVER, THE COUNCIL MAY REFER ISSUES TO STAFF FOR FOLLOW UP OR CONSIDERATION AT A FUTURE
MEETING. 
          SPEAKERS SHOULD STATE THEIR NAME AND HOME ADDRESS AT THE PODIUM BEFORE SPEAKING. 
          COUNCIL WILL FIRST OPEN THE PODIUM TO CITY OF ORONO RESIDENTS,
BEFORE OPENING THE PODIUM TO ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL. 
          ORONO RESIDENTS, IT'S YOUR TURN. I'LL GO FIRST. 
          BUT I'M NOT HERE FOR MYSELF. TONIGHT I'M HERE FOR MY WIFE,
KENDALL, WHO'S DOWN IN FLORIDA AND CAN'T BE HERE. 
          WIFE OF 33 YEARS, IT'S BEEN A LONG HAUL, ESPECIALLY IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          SHE RESIDES IN FLORIDA DUE TO CHRONIC PAIN CONDITIONS AND TRAVELS TO MINNESOTA WHEN HER
HEALTH PERMITS. 
          AND OR FAMILY PRIORITIES REQUIRE. WE'VE BEEN SUED BY THE CITY MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE PAST
15 YEARS, BEING CHARGED CRIMINALLY FOR THE HORRIFIC CRIME OF FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PERMIT FOR A 1 AND
5/8 INCH LIP ON A DRIVEWAY. 
          AND THAT'S WHY SHE IS SUING THE CITY FOR MALICIOUS PROSECUTION IN FEDERAL COURT AT THE 8TH
CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS RIGHT NOW. 
          WE LOST THAT CASE, OR SHE DID. UNFORTUNATELY,
IT APPEARS TO US THE JUDGE DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO EVIDENCE WE ACTUALLY PRESENTED, AND HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S MORE THAN ONE AVENUE FOR MALICIOUS
PROSECUTION. 
          SO ANYWAYS, OUR ATTORNEYS ARE QUITE CONFIDENT ON APPEAL,
THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO OVERTURN THIS, WHICH, BY THE WAY, SHE PREVIOUSLY HAD TO DO. I MEAN,
THE CITY OF ORONO, EVEN THOUGH THEY CRIMINALLY PROSECUTED HER FOR A DRIVEWAY AND SHE WAS IN FLORIDA AND THE JUDGE IN THE CRIMINAL CASE SAID,
WELL, YOU CAN'T CHARGE HER AND DISMISS HER FOR LACK OF PROBABLE CAUSE. 
          SHE SUES FOR MALICIOUS PROSECUTION BECAUSE IT'S OBVIOUS WHAT HAPPENED AND THE CITY JUST
KEEPS HAMMERING AWAY. 
          I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR LITERALLY YEARS RIGHT NOW,
VERY FRUSTRATING. 
          ANYWAYS, SHE WANTS IT TO STOP. WE ALL DO. THE EMOTIONAL PAIN,
SUFFERING, FINANCIAL TOLL HAS HAD A PROFOUND IMPACT ON OUR HEALTH, OUR MARRIAGE AND OUR TWO CHILDREN WHO WERE TEENAGERS WHEN THIS ALL STARTED. 
          THIS IS A CHANCE FOR SERIOUS NEGOTIATIONS WITHOUT THE LAWYERS PRESENT,
AS THE LAWYERS ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE PUSHED LITIGATION OVER AND OVER. 
          THERE' S ONE OF THEM RIGHT THERE. IN FACT, KENDALL REFUSES TO NEGOTIATE WITH ANYONE FROM
CAMPBELL KNUTSON, WHICH INCLUDES THIS GENTLEMAN RIGHT HERE. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BE
BOTHERED TO TELL THE TRUTH. THEY ACTUALLY LIE IN COURT. AND I'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY 
          [00:05:05]
ABOUT MR. MATTICK A LITTLE LATER WHEN I ACTUALLY WANT TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF. 
          IN FACT, KENDALL REFUSES TO NEGOTIATE WITH CAMPBELL KNUTSON. 
          THEY'VE ENABLED THE WASTEFUL SPENDING AND MALICIOUS PROSECUTION FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS,
ALL WHILE THEY'VE ENRICHED THEMSELVES OFF OUR MONEY AND OUR FAMILY'S MONEY. KENDALL IS REQUESTING A PRIVATE NEGOTIATION BETWEEN HER AND A MEMBER OF
THE COUNCIL ASAP TO GET THIS RESOLVED BEFORE IT GETS EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE FOR ALL OF US. THERE'S A SMALL WINDOW OF TIME RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE HAVE TO MOVE
FORWARD WITH OUR LAWYERS. 
          BEFORE WE HAVE TO DO THAT THERE'S NO BOTHER NEGOTIATING ANYMORE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SPEND
ONCE AGAIN, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OUR DOLLARS TRYING TO DEFEND OUR RIGHTS FOR THE CRAZY STUFF THAT'S
GONE ON IN THIS CITY. 
          OUR LAWYER IS CONFIDENT THE JUDGE ERRED IN REGARDS TO THE FACTS PRESENTED AND IGNORED
ASPECTS OF MALICIOUS PROSECUTION STATUTE THAT WILL GAIN HER VICTORY. 
          WE WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT ORONO HAS GONE THROUGH THREE MOTIONS TO DISMISS A NEVER ENDING
STORY OF HARASSMENT TO A DISABLED WOMAN WHOSE RIGHTS THEY ABUSED. I MEAN, WHEN DOES IT END? ONE LAST QUESTION THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO ASK. 
          DOES THIS COUNCIL REALLY WANT TO ENDURE MANY MONTHS OR YEARS OF LITIGATION RELATED TO THE
LITIGIOUS NATURE OF THE PAST REGIME AND THEIR BAND OF UNETHICAL LAWYERS? I MEAN, YOU GUYS REALLY WANT TO KEEP DOING CLOSED SESSIONS OVER KENDALL AND WHAT SHE'S
BEEN THROUGH. 
          OR DOES ORONO WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, RECOGNIZING THE DAMAGES THEY'VE INCURRED AND MAKE
AMENDS FOR IT TO SOME EXTENT? I KNOW THIS HAPPENED BEFORE ALL OF YOU WERE HERE. 
          WELL, BEFORE ALL OF YOU WHO ARE SITTING HERE. 
          SO I WOULD ASK, AT LEAST FOR MY WIFE, I'M SURE SHE WOULD ASK THAT YOU SERIOUSLY CONSIDER,
LET'S RESOLVE THIS NOW IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. 
          LET'S FIND A WAY TO FIGURE THIS OUT SO WE CAN ALL PUT IT BEHIND US AND WE CAN ALL MOVE ON. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? NANCY BRANTINGHAM,
3185 COUNTY ROAD SIX. I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO ITEM NUMBER 12 ON COUNCIL'S AGENDA THIS EVENING. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO URGE YOU TO PASS RESOLUTION NUMBER 7544,
CALLING FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MAY 13TH, 2025, TO FILL THE VACANCY THAT WAS CREATED BY MATT JOHNSON'S RESIGNATION IN
NOVEMBER OF 2024. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? CAN WE TALK ABOUT NUMBER NINE? WHY DON'T YOU? WELL, YES, YOU CAN, BUT THIS WOMAN IS GOING FIRST,
I THINK. 
          THANK YOU. WELCOME. HI, I'M HOLLY WELLMAN 4105 OAK STREET. 
          AT THE LAST SESSION, YOU CONFIRMED THE HIRE OF A COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST. 
          WELL, THIS MAY HELP WITH GETTING MESSAGING OUT. 
          I JUST WANT TO RAISE A CAUTION THAT THIS POSITION DOES NOT BECOME A BARRIER BETWEEN THE
RESIDENTS AND THE CITY COUNCIL. 
          RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS POSITION TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD. 
          IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE COMMUNICATION CONTINUES TO GO BOTH WAYS. 
          IT SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT THE SCOPE OF THIS POSITION IS TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY
AND COMMUNICATIONS LIKE OTHER STEPS YOU HAVE RECENTLY TAKEN AND NOT LOWER IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. HI. 
          JANE DELANEY 1315 WOODHILL AVENUE. AND I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE COUNCIL WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT NUMBER NINE, THAT THERE IS ALREADY A SALT SHED,
THERE'S A COUPLE SALT SHEDS IN THE OLD PUBLIC WORKS. 
          ONE OF THEM LOOKS LIKE IT'S PROBABLY NOT VERY GOOD SHAPE. 
          BUT WHY COULDN'T ONE BE DISMANTLED AND MOVED AND THEN CHANGE THE ARCHITECTURE THAT WAS
PLANNED BY OERTEL LOOKS PRETTY HIGH END, AND MAYBE WE JUST DON'T NEED ALL THAT,
$1. 
          3 MILLION IS A LOT FOR A SALT SHED. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? HI. KELLY PIRKLE 4705 WATERTOWN ROAD. LOOKING FORWARD TO SERVING ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY. I ALSO WANT TO JUST SPEAK TO THE AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER, MY DESIRE TO SEE A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE COUNCIL SEAT,
GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE THERE WASN'T A LOT OF PROCESS FOLLOWED AT THE END OF IN DECEMBER OF 2024. 
          AND I'M HOPING TO SEE THE COMMUNITY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT SOMEONE THROUGH DUE
PROCESS. 
          SO THANKS FOR CONSIDERING THAT. THANKS. OTHERS? 
          [00:10:07]
HI, MY NAME IS RICHIE ANDERSON. I LIVE AT 3205 CRYSTAL BAY ROAD. 
          I'M YOUR LMCD REP IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR DISCUSSION FOR LATER. 
          AS YOU KNOW MISS RICKS, WE HAD A NICE CHAT DOWN THERE WHEN THEY HAD THE LAUNCH RAMP
MEETING HERE. 
          ALYSSA WAS ALSO HERE. I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO HER,
BUT SO WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AT LAUNCH RAMPS IS KIND OF RAMPING UP AFTER COVID. THESE FOLKS FROM OFF THE LAKE ARE COMING IN AND USING NORTH ARM AND MAXWELL BAY,
WHICH WHICH WE ARE IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND THEY'RE COMING IN AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY LEAVING PONTOON
BOATS IN THE LAUNCH RAMP SITE FOR FOLKS TO COME, THEY COME DOWN,
THEY LAUNCH THEM. 
          THE PEOPLE TAKE OFF ON A PONTOON BOAT AND TAKE UP EVERY SINGLE STALL PARKING LOT. 
          THE REASON I'M BRINGING THIS UP IS BECAUSE WE WERE AFFIRMED THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE DOING
THAT THIS YEAR, BUT THAT WILL HAPPEN. NOW, WE HAVE ADOPTED THROUGH A LOT OF WORK BY GABRIEL. 
          I WAS ON THE COMMISSION ALSO TO MAKE FOLKS COMING IN AND USING THE LAKE OFF FROM OFF THE
LAKE TO HAVE A RENTAL STICKER, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT THAT WEDNESDAY NIGHT. 
          BUT IN THERE, WE HAVE A PROVISION FOR THE CITY TO PUT A LICENSE OVER THE TOP OF THAT. 
          AND SPECIFICALLY THE APPLICATION SAYS, AND I SENT THIS TO YOU GUYS,
BUT I DIDN'T HEAR A RESPONSE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE BUSY, BUT THE SPECIFICALLY SAYS, DOES THE CITY REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE A RENTAL LICENSE? I WOULD LIKE US TO ADOPT THAT IDEA. I LIKE THE RENTAL HOUSES THAT FINALLY BECAME AN ISSUE
BECAUSE THEY WERE VRBO AND A PLACE DOW ON TOGO, NOT TOGO. I'M SORRY,
BOULDER PARK. 
          THEY WERE RENTING OUT A VRBO NEXT TO A HOUSE WITH YOUNGER FEMALES IN IT,
AND THE BACHELOR PARTY WAS CAT CALLING ACROSS THE FENCE TO THESE GIRLS, SO THEY RENT. 
          ADAM, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE RENTAL LICENSE CAME INTO EFFECT FOR RENTALS OF
HOUSES, VRBOS BLAH BLAH BLAH IN ORONO. AND I'D LIKE TO JUST PIGGYBACK ON THAT IF WE COULD SOMEHOW
GET THIS RENTAL, REQUIRE A RENTAL LICENSE. SO THE CHARTER BOATS,
IN ORDER TO GET A LICENSE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PORT OF CALL, AND THEY'LL USE WAYZATA, EXCELSIOR, WHATEVER. 
          WHILE THESE RENTAL GUYS ARE GOING TO USE OUR LAUNCH RAMPS IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. 
          AND IT'S REALLY BECOMING A PROBLEM. SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT IF WE COULD GET
SOMETHING PIGGYBACKED ON THE HOUSE RENTAL LICENSE. IF IT'S SOMETHING SIMPLE, THEY COME INTO THE LMCD WANTING TO GET A LICENSE RENTAL
LICENSE, WHICH THEY HAVE TO DO, AND THEY'LL HAVE A STICKER ON THERE. 
          THEY WON'T GET THE STICKER IF WE HAVE IF WE HAVEN'T ALLOWED THEM. 
          NOW, WE CAN ALLOW 1 OR 2 OR WHATEVER YOU DECIDE. 
          BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS IT'S OUT OF CONTROL. 
          AND WE HAVE THE BOAT CLUB DOWN HERE PAYING CITY OF ORONO TAXES YOU KNOW,
IN A BIG WAY. AND NOT THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM,
BUT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT AT LEAST GIVING THEM A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. 
          ANYWAY, I JUST BRING THAT UP FOR YOUR THOUGHTS,
AND I WILL. 
          I WILL KEEP PUSHING TO GET THAT DONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IN THE LMCD. 
          ANYBODY ELSE? WELL, I'D LIKE TO COME UP HERE FOR MYSELF. 
          YES, SIR. OKAY. JAY NYGARD, 1386 REST POINT ROAD,
ORONO. 
          I'D LIKE TO PIGGYBACK MR. RICHIE ANDERSON THERE AND ASK THIS CITY TO CONSIDER WHEN I CAN
ACTUALLY SELL MY LEGAL PRODUCT, WHICH I HAVE A STATE RIGHT IN COURT ORDER IT SAYS I CAN DO IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          I MEAN, I STILL CAN'T SELL WIND TURBINES IN THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY,
AND IT VIOLATES STATE LAW AND A COURT ORDER. 
          SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT THERE, RICHIE. 
          I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT OF THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY,
AND THEY'RE LEADERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND I HAVE BEEN ASKED, WELL, GEEZ, DO YOU THINK WE REALLY SHOULD JUST FIRE THE WHOLE TOP
OF THE COMMUNITY? AND MY ANSWER IS YES. THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LED US DOWN A NASTY ROAD ALL THESE YEARS
AND WORKED WITH, 
          [00:15:08]
INSTEAD OF POINTING OUT WHAT WAS GOING WRONG. 
          I'D LIKE TO START OUT WITH ADAM EDWARDS, WHO PARTICIPATED ONE ON ONE IN DIRECT DIRECT FOR
DIRECTION FROM WALSH, WHICH IS STRICTLY AGAINST ORONO CODE AND HAS BEEN A WHILE FOR QUITE A WHILE,
AND HE SHOULD KNOW THE CODE BEING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR AND IF HE'S VIOLATING IT TO TAKE DIRECTION, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG THERE. NOT ONLY THAT,
ADAM EDWARDS, I'VE SEEN EMAILS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS AND I'VE HEARD FROM OTHER PEOPLE, NOTABLY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES, THAT WHEN IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT HE WAS
SUPPORTING A RACIST WORK AND HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT IN OUR PUBLIC WORKS, THAT HE SAID, JUST BE PATIENT MR. GOMAN IT WILL BLOW OVER,
DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. 
          AND IT HAS BLOWN OVER. AND THE GUY DJ GOMAN IN THE PUBLIC WORKS LEADER NOW WHO I'VE HEARD, I BELIEVE HE'S INCOMPETENT. AND I KNOW PUBLIC WORKS PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT AS WELL. 
          HE'S LITERALLY AFRAID OF THE RACIST GUY IN THE DEPARTMENT. 
          HE HE HE WENT ALONG WITH AND FOMENTED ALL OF THIS HOSTILE WORKPLACE AND RACIST STUFF. 
          YOU GOT DJ GOMAN AND ADAM EDWARDS TIED TOGETHER LIKE THAT. 
          YOU ADD ONTO THAT THAT THIS GENTLEMAN DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE PHRASE CONFLICT OF INTEREST. 
          AND THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR HELPING KELLY WHEN WE SHOWED UP A COUPLE
OF MEETINGS AGO. 
          I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO HER RIGHT NOW BE HAVING SOMEONE SHE CONSIDERS TO BE
NEUTRAL, LOOKING INTO HER ISSUES. AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE YOU PEOPLE LISTEN TO US AND HELPED OUT. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, MR. EDWARDS WANTED AN UNDERLING IN THE ORONO POLICE DEPARTMENT TO
INVESTIGATE THE CHIEF AND EVERYBODY ELSE THE COMPLAINT WAS ABOUT. 
          AND SO WE HAD TO COME TO YOU TO GET THAT. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST,
ADAM EDWARDS MAY NOT, MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE PARTICIPATED IN, BUT CERTAINLY KNOWS ABOUT AND COVERED UP ACCEPTING ILLEGAL GIFTS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS. 
          THAT HAS HAPPENED. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WILL TELL YOU IT'S HAPPENED. 
          NOW I KNOW PEOPLE WHO WILL GIVE YOU THE FACTS. YOU JUST HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND LISTEN TO IT. 
          BUT THAT'S ADAM EDWARDS. JUST APPOINTED CHIEF FARNIOK LEFT. 
          OKAY. CHIEF FARNIOK IS THE ONE WHO'S ALLOWED HIS POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE USED TO
CRIMINALLY PROSECUTE PEOPLE FOR PROPERTY ISSUES IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          AND HE TOLD US YEARS AGO HE WAS GOING TO WHAT,
NOT DO THAT DO THAT ANYMORE. 
          BUT HE STILL DOES IT. THEY STILL SIGN OFF AND PEOPLE ARE STILL CRIMINALLY PROSECUTED. 
          MY WIFE AND I WERE SUBJECTED TO THAT. IN FACT,
CHIEF FARNIOK HAD ME PROSECUTED FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES. 
          HE'S THROWN MY WIFE IN ONCE WE WERE EXONERATED IN ALL OF THEM. 
          WERE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO WIN THE POWERBALL THAN GET OFF FIVE TIMES IN HENNEPIN
COUNTY WITH THEIR CONVICTION RATE. 
          WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ABOUT HIS DEPARTMENT,
WHAT'S GOING ON? HE ALSO DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE TERM CONFLICT OF INTEREST. 
          HE'S GOT NO CONCEPT OF THAT. I'VE HAD TO FIGHT YEARS WITH HIM SIMPLY TO GET HIM TO
CONFLICT THINGS OUT WHEN THEY INVOLVE HIM OR HIS DEPARTMENT, AND THAT'S JUST RIDICULOUS. YOU KNOW LAST BUT NOT LEAST,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER THINGS. 
          LIKE HE COVERED UP THE RELEASE OF JULISSA THALER AFTER SHE WAS CAPTURED AND,
YOU KNOW, MURDERS WITH ALL THIS PROBABLE CAUSE. 
          I PUT A VIDEO OUT ABOUT THAT. HE WAS ACTUALLY,
WHEN THEY WENT TO WENT TO CRASH IT ALL IN, BUT THEY COVERED IT UP AND THEY DIDN'T LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN
ISSUE. WELL, THIS IS MY POLICE FILE ACCORDING TO THE ORONO POLICE DEPARTMENT,
THIS IS WHAT THEY SENT TO THE HENNEPIN COUNTY SHERIFF TO DENY ME MY CARRY PERMIT. NOW, IF YOU LOOK THROUGH THESE, I'VE GOT THEM DIVIDED INTO FOUR SEPARATE
CATEGORIES. 
          YOU'LL FIND OUT ONE CATEGORY IS ABOUT PROPERTY COMPLAINTS ABOUT ME FROM MY NEIGHBORS. 
          ANOTHER PART IS FAILED CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS ABOUT ME. 
          ANOTHER PART IS ACTUAL CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS I FILED,
SUCH AS HAVING BULLET HOLES IN THE WINDOWS OF OUR HOUSE THAT THE POLICE COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO INVESTIGATE, AND AND WHEN NEIGHBORS ACTUALLY ADMITTED TO POLICE,
THEY STOLE STUFF. 
          THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING. AND THE LAST LITTLE PART,
THE LAST QUARTER. 
          I DON'T HAVE MY NAME ON THEM ANYWHERE. BUT THIS IS WHAT CHEIF FARNIOK SUPPORTS IN REGARDS
TO MY RIGHT TO CARRY. 
          AND I HAD TO HAD TO APPEAL AND DEAL WITH IT. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
IN THIS PACKET I FOUND A POLICE REPORT THAT THE ORONO POLICE DEPARTMENT FAILED TO REFUSE TO TURN OVER TO MY LAWYER WHEN THEY WERE CRIMINALLY PROSECUTING ME FOR THE FORMER MAYOR
WALSH, WHICH WOULD HAVE EXONERATED ME BEFORE I HAD TO GO THROUGH A TRIAL. 
          SO THERE'S CHIEF FARNIOK RIGHT THERE, AND I'LL TRY TO BE QUICK ABOUT THE LAST ONE. 
          YOU'VE HEARD ISSUES FROM SOMEONE ELSE ABOUT SOREN MATTICK. YOU'VE HEARD ISSUES FROM MY
WIFE ABOUT CAMPBELL KNUTSON. 
          I KNOW ONE OF THEIR LAWYERS. I SAW HIM LIE ABOUT ME IN COURT SAYING I WANTED PEOPLE KILLED
WHEN I NEVER WROTE THAT. 
          [00:20:03]
THAT'S PART OF HIS FIRM. I DO KNOW, TOO, THAT WHEN I CONFRONTED SOREN MATTICK OUT HERE
AFTER HE LEFT ME IN JAIL, AFTER I CLEARED THE CONTEMPT. I ASKED HIM, YOU KNOW,
YOU LEFT ME IN JAIL ON PURPOSE. 
          HIS ANSWER TO ME WAS, HOW DID THAT GO FOR YOU? HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING LEAVING ME IN JAIL,
NOT KNOWING MAYBE. 
          AND WHO CARES IF HE KNEW OR NOT THAT I HAD A BIT OF AN ISSUE WITH THAT DUE TO MY PTSD FROM
BEING JAILED FOR TRYING TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE WHEN I WAS IN THE NAVY. 
          BUT THANK YOU, MR. MATTICK, FOR NOT DOING YOUR JOB INTENTIONALLY. 
          I COULD GO ON ABOUT THE OTHER TIMES HE'S LIED AND STUFF,
BUT IT REALLY IS A CHANCE. 
          I GET IT YOU GUYS ARE GETTING INVOLVED AND YOU'RE KIND OF STARTING TO WORK WITH THESE
PEOPLE. 
          BUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE. 
          AND HOW WOULD YOU, ANY MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY LIKE TO HAVE THIS AS YOUR POLICE RECORD AND
YOU'VE NEVER, EVER COMMITTED A CRIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME GO OVER. 
          KELLY GREEN LONG LAKE. MOST OF YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF YEARS BEING A FIRE SAFETY
ADVOCATE, AND I'VE THROUGHOUT THAT TIME, I'VE RECEIVED COUNTLESS EMAILS,
DIRECT MESSAGES, HAD FACE TO FACE CONVERSATIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS WELL AS LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS, AS WELL AS AND FIREFIGHTERS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES. 
          AND THROUGH FIGURE OUT FIRE, WHICH IS A PLATFORM I USE TO TRY TO COMMUNICATE THE FUTURE OF
FIRE SERVICE. 
          I'VE HAD PEOPLE REACH OUT AND ON JANUARY 14TH,
I RECEIVED THIS EMAIL FROM A FIREFIGHTER FROM A NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY. 
          IT'S NOT A PERSON I KNOW. THEY JUST REACHED OUT TO ME ON THEIR OWN. 
          SAYS HELLO, KELLY I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THIS PAGE,
FIGURE OUT FIRE, AND FOR BRINGING EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN ORONO TO LIGHT ORONO AND LONG LAKE TO LIGHT. WHILE I LIVE IN A NEIGHBORING CITY I WON'T SAY I WANT TO DISCLOSE
WHO HE IS, AND I WORK FOR A NEIGHBORING FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          I'VE BEEN DISGUSTED BY THE ACTIONS OF THE PREVIOUS ORONO COUNCIL SAVE FOR ALISA BENSON. 
          I WAS THRILLED TO SEE THE ELECTION RESULTS AND HAD THE CHANCE TO ATTEND THE ORONO CITY
COUNCIL MEETING LAST NIGHT, WHICH HAVE BEEN YOUR FIRST COUNCIL MEETING. 
          WHERE EVEN AS SOMEONE WHO LIVES OUTSIDE THE CITY,
I COULD FEEL THE INCREDIBLY PALPABLE SENSE OF RELIEF AMONG THE RESIDENTS. 
          NO QUESTION HERE. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. 
          PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD RECEIVED ANOTHER EMAIL FROM ANOTHER NEIGHBORING FIRE DEPARTMENT
FIREFIGHTER IN A NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY WHO INDICATED THAT HE WORKS FOR TWO FIRE DEPARTMENTS. AND HE SAYS, I HAVE A LONG HISTORY WITH CHIEF VAN EYLL. 
          I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THEY ARE FINALLY GETTING WHAT THEY DESERVE. IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT
THE PEOPLE OF ORONO HAVE SPOKEN AND KEEP ON FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT. 
          THESE ARE HARSH WORDS, I GET IT. BUT IT'S NOT THE FIRST FIREFIGHTER I'VE HEARD IT FROM. 
          SO WHAT THIS TELLS ME IS THAT BEYOND THE RIFT THAT IT'S CAUSED BETWEEN LONG LAKE AND
ORONO, IT'S IT'S CAUSING A RIFT BETWEEN OUR MUTUAL AID PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE TWIN CITIES,
AND THAT THEY'VE REALLY COME TO DISTRUST ORONO AND PUT ORONO FIRE PUTS ORONO FIRE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE POSITION TO COLLABORATE AND KEEP CITIZENS SAFE. 
          I DON'T THINK I'M TELLING YOU ANYTHING YOU DON'T KNOW MAJORITY OF YOU. 
          WE KNOW THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT A GO IT ALONE ENDEAVOR,
THAT IT NEEDS SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORING CITIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. 
          AND BASED ON THE ELECTION SWEEP, IT'S CLEAR THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO SEE CHANGE IN ORONO ON
MULTIPLE FRONTS IN ORONO AND FIRE WAS DEFINITELY A HOT TOPIC. 
          I DEFINITELY FEEL AN OBLIGATION TO THE PEOPLE WHO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO ME AND ASK ME
FOR UPDATES ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, TO REITERATE THAT THE COMMUNITY DOES NOT NEED AND CANNOT SUSTAIN TWO FIRE DEPARTMENTS. 
          I JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE THAT ARE NEWLY TUNING IN THAT THE
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION JUSTIFIED THE NEED FOR THE INDEPENDENT FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS PREDICATED ON A COMPLETE LIE ABOUT SERVICE, AND THAT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION USED
CHERRY PICKED DATA TO MANIPULATE ORONO RESIDENTS TO JUSTIFY THEIR DECISION TO FAST TRACK SERVICE WITH AN UNDERSTAFFED UNDEREQUIPPED DEPARTMENT,
PRIORITIZING THEIR OWN TUNNEL VISION INITIATIVES AND AMBITION OVER PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          AND THEY REPEATEDLY PRESENTED FALSE DATA TO SERVE THAT PURPOSE. 
          WE KNOW THAT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION MANEUVERED IN AN UNDERHANDED AND POSSIBLY ILLEGAL
WAY, AS ORONO WAS FOUND IN CONTEMPT OF COURT TWICE AND IS STILL EMBROILED IN A LAWSUIT. 
          THE ONLY PUBLIC INPUT THAT HAD BEEN COLLECTED,
WHICH WOULD GO ON TO BE IGNORED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION, STRONGLY INDICATED THAT ORONO RESIDENTS DID NOT SUPPORT ORONO FIRE DEPARTMENT. 
          DESPITE YEARS OF REQUESTS FOR BUDGET ANALYSIS ORONO RESIDENTS DO NOT YET UNDERSTAND THE
AMPLIFYING COST TO RUN THIS DEPARTMENT. 
          BUT BEYOND THE DOLLARS, IT'S UNMEASURABLE TO DETERMINE THE SIGNIFICANT COST TO ORONO'S
REPUTATION AND EVEN MORE CONCERNING THE REPUTATION WITH THE SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES THAT I HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER. THE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT WAS
ESTABLISHED BY COMPLETELY IGNORING NATIONWIDE TRENDS AND OF THE STEEPLY DECLINING 
          [00:25:07]
APPLICANT POOL OF PAID ON CALL FIREFIGHTERS,
AS WELL AS THE RETENTION OF FIREFIGHTERS. 
          THIS IS SOMETHING WE CONTINUE TO SEE WITH ORONO FIRE TODAY. WHAT I NOTED IN THE LAST TWO
MEETINGS IS THAT THE APPROVAL TO HIRE TWO PART TIME FIREFIGHTERS WAS ALSO BURIED IN THAT IN THOSE PACKETS WERE THE RESIGNATION OF TWO FIREFIGHTERS. 
          SO IT'S ONE IN, ONE OUT, ONE IN, ONE OUT. AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ORONO FIRE HAS
LOST ANOTHER PAID ON CALL FIREFIGHTER THAT HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED. 
          I WILL TRY TO WRAP IT UP. I ALSO NOTICED THAT TONIGHT,
NUMBER SIX ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IS TO ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION OF A POLICE OFFICER. 
          BUT I WONDER WHY THAT IT'S NOT CALLED OUT FOR FIREFIGHTERS. 
          THE FIRST FIREFIGHTER THAT I READ A QUOTE FROM AND I HAVE CORRESPONDED A BIT,
AND HE WENT ON TO RESPOND TO ME IN A, IN A LATER EMAIL. I'M HEARING BITS AND PIECES OF WHAT OF THE FUTURE HOPEFULLY HOLDS FOR
THE FIRE SERVICE FOR LONG LAKE AND ORONO. 
          NOTHING SUBSTANTIVE, BUT IT'S SOUNDING MUCH MORE POSITIVE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME THAN EVEN A
FEW MONTHS AGO. 
          THE COUNCIL MEETINGS HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE CIVILIZED TO WATCH,
AND IT'S BEEN SUCH A WONDERFUL CHANGE TO SEE. 
          AND THAT'S COMING FROM SOMEONE OUTSIDE THE CITY. I PERSONALLY SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE
EFFORTS OF THIS COUNCIL TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH WITH LONG LAKE, THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY LONG TIME COMING. AND THE LONGER,
BUT THE LONGER THAT ORONO FIRE CONTINUES TO EXIST, I FEAR THE MORE ANXIETY AND DIVISION THAT LINGERS BETWEEN OUR CITIES. 
          AND THE COST TO TAXPAYERS THAT IS SIGNIFICANT IS SIGNIFICANT,
AS YOU KNOW ORONO FIRE IS $1 MILLION IN JUST OPERATING EXPENSES TO SERVE THE NAVARRE AREA IN 2025, COMPARED TO $600,000 TO SERVE THE REMAINING TWO THIRDS OF THE CITY WITH LONG
LAKE. 
          SINCE THE ELECTION, I RECEIVED A LOT OF TEXT AND EMAILS,
DMS QUESTIONS REQUESTING UPDATES FOR FUTURE OF FIRE. 
          I HAVE PERSONALLY ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT WE COULD FIND RESOLUTION ON THIS ISSUE AND IMPROVE
PUBLIC SAFETY, AND I REMAIN HOPEFUL AND EXCITED ABOUT THE COUNCIL'S ABILITY TO DO WHAT THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION COULD NOT, WHICH IS BRING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          AND I LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY WHEN WE CAN ALL CELEBRATE A SHARED OUTCOME. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT. 
          SEEING NO ONE STEP UP. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS. 
          WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER NINE THAT WAS PULLED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA,
ARCHITECTURE DESIGN FOR PUBLIC WORKS COMMODITIES YARD. 
          [9. Architecture Design for Public Works Commodities Yard (24-035)]
THAT ONE'S MINE. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. 
          THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS TO APPROVE DESIGN WORK ON THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMODITIES AREA. 
          IN PARTICULAR THIS IS THE DESIGN WORK FOR THE ARCHITECTURE PIECE OF THE DESIGN. 
          AT THE AT A PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING EARLIER IN THE YEAR COUNCIL DID APPROVE THE CIVIL
ENGINEERING PORTION OF THE PROJECT. 
          SO THIS IS JUST COMPLETES THE THAT DESIGN TEAM PACKAGE SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THAT. 
          QUESTIONS BY THE COUNCIL? YES. SO I KNOW YOU AND I HAVE EXCHANGED A FEW EMAILS ON,
AND I JUST WANTED THE PUBLIC TO BE AWARE OF TOO, THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED AT THE FIRST MEETING WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO THE SAME
DESIGN. 
          ADAM HAD TOLD ME WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE CANVAS. 
          IS THAT HOW YOU CALL IT? SO YEAH. SO WE'RE BUILDING A HOOP ROOF BUILDING. 
          YEP. WE'RE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF POSSIBLE DESIGN CHANGES [INAUDIBLE] ENGINEERING TO TRY
TO BRING THE COST OF WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED BACK IN 2022 DOWN. 
          SO IF YOU GUYS ARE WONDERING WHAT THAT IS, CORCORAN HAS IT,
MOUND HAS IT. 
          IF YOU GO RIGHT OUT ON 19 AND STUFF, YOU'LL SEE IT'S THE WHITE ROUNDED ROOFS. 
          THEY CAN BE ATTACHED EITHER TO THE GROUND THEY CAN BE ATTACHED ON,
LIKE CORCORAN DOES, THEY HAVE PANELS THAT ARE DUG INTO THE GROUND THAT THEY CAN MOVE. 
          AND ACTUALLY, CORCORAN'S SALT HOUSE WAS BROUGHT FROM THEIR OLD PUBLIC WORKS TO THEIR NEW
PUBLIC WORKS AND REINSTALLED WITH A CRANE. 
          SO IT WAS KIND OF NICE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO REUSE IT. 
          SO THAT'S ONE OF THE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT,
IS DIFFERENT TYPES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRUCTURES WOULD BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE, RIGHT. SO WHICH WOULD BRING THAT DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY. 
          BUT I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE AWARE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING IN WITH THAT SAME DESIGN,
WHICH IS WHY IN THE FIRST MEETING, ADAM HAD SAID, WE'RE RIGHT OFF THE BAT IT SHOULD SAVE US OVER $300,000,
HOPEFULLY, IF NOT MORE. 
          I'VE STILL BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. I VISITED CORCORAN. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER BENSON AND I ARE PLANNING TO GO TO MINNETONKA AND TO MOUND TO GO SEE WHAT
THEY HAVE FOR THEIR SALT STORAGE. 
          ADAM AND DJ AND BRENT WERE KIND ENOUGH TO GIVE COUNCIL MEMBER BENSON AND I A TOUR OF THE
OLD SALT STORAGE AND THEN 
          [00:30:03]
WALK THE GROUNDS AT THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO POSITION THE
NEW COMMODITY HOLDINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          SO I WANT YOU GUYS TO BE AWARE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON WITH
STAFF. 
          SO WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BRING THOSE COSTS DOWN. 
          AND DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT? NO. JUST YEAH. THIS IS JUST I GUESS JUST TO REITERATE THIS QUESTION. 
          SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR APPROVAL FOR IS THE DESIGN PORTION. 
          THIS IS NOT APPROVAL FOR ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF ANYTHING AT THIS POINT. 
          AND ARE THEY PLANNING TO GIVE US SEVERAL EXAMPLES OR WHAT DID YOU? WE'LL GO THROUGH A DESIGN PROCESS WITH THEM OF LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS OPTIONS AND DOING
SOME COST ESTIMATES WITH THEM WITHIN THE DESIGN TEAM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT GIVES US THAT BEST, BEST VALUE FOR THE CITY. I DID NOTICE IN THE CONTRACT THAT IT DID SAY THAT YOU GUYS
COULD HAVE TWO MEETINGS WITH THEM. 
          WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO SIT IN FOR COUNCIL MEMBER BENSON IF SHE'D LIKE TO,
AND MYSELF TO SIT IN? NOT THAT WE BE TRYING TO GUIDE YOU GUYS, BUT JUST AS A INFORMATION GATHERING. 
          THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. [INAUDIBLE] I DON'T ADAM ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD
ABOUT SOME OF THIS, THE HISTORY OF IT, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS COUNCIL
MEMBER RICKS, BECAUSE I WAS NOT I HAD NOT TOURED THAT AREA PRIOR TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING PREVIOUSLY. 
          AND THAT PROCESS I GUESS IN THE MOST GLOBAL SENSE,
THIS PROCESS AND THE EXPENDITURES RELATED TO THIS PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY HAVE BEEN HIGHLY VISIBLE AND HIGHLY SCRUTINIZED BY THE PUBLIC. 
          AND I CONFIRMED TODAY WITH MAGGIE THAT THIS THIS BUILDING THE FIRST PHASE OF IT IS PUTTING OUR CITY ON THE HOOK FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS,
ESSENTIALLY WITH DEBT SERVICE, ABOUT $760,000 A YEAR. 
          AND SO MY POINT AND I THINK WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR TONIGHT AND SOME OF THIS DISCUSSION IS
THE NOTION THAT IT MATTERS TO ME PERSONALLY, AS A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HAS AN OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT
EXPENDITURES ARE WELL CONSIDERED AND THAT I AM DOING MY DUE DILIGENCE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE EXPENDITURES. 
          MY CONCERN HAS BEEN THE SCALE OF COMMODITIES,
AND WHICH IS WHY I ASKED YOU THE QUESTION EARLIER TODAY ABOUT THE SCALE OF THE BUILDING ITSELF, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE COME UNDER A DECENT AMOUNT OF SCRUTINY FOR. 
          AND I DON'T THINK I'M SAYING ANYTHING THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD BEFORE. 
          AND THE BUILDING ITSELF, I THINK YOU CONFIRMED IS 63,000FT². 
          CORRECT. AND, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T HERE WHEN THE PROCESS WAS DETERMINED FOR THE SCALE OF THE
BUILDING TO BE THAT BUILT TO THAT SIZE. HOWEVER, THIS COMMODITIES YARD, MY CONCERN AT THIS TIME IS THAT OUR CITY IS NOT LOOKING TO BUILD A COMMODITIES YARD TO SCALE OF THE BUILDING,
BUT BUILDING A COMMODITIES YARD THAT IS NECESSARY REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE THAT THE BUILDING HAS TAKEN ON. 
          AND THAT WAS MY IMPULSE IN WANTING TO NOT ONLY TOUR THE SITE FOR THE COMMODITIES WORK AT
IN ORONO, BUT ALSO OTHER CITIES TO UNDERSTAND HOW OTHER MUNICIPAL AREAS ARE ORGANIZING AND MANAGING
COMMODITIES. 
          UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERY CITY DOES THINGS DIFFERENTLY,
THEY SERVICE THEMSELVES OR OTHER CITIES ALONGSIDE. 
          BUT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO DOLLARS. AND JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS BUDGETED AT $1.3 MILLION
DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN I'LL SPEAK PERSONALLY THAT I WANT TO BE SPENDING THAT MUCH MONEY. AND SO MY CONCERN AND THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP AT PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE LAST
MEETING, THIS HAS COME UP AGAIN TONIGHT THAT THE DESIGN WORK FOR THIS NEW BUILDING IS GOING TO COME UNDER A LOT OF SCRUTINY, IT ALREADY HAS. 
          AND THAT I WANT TO FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT THAT THIS COUNCIL IN WORKING WITH STAFF IS
BEING VERY, VERY MINDFUL OF DESIGNING SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED,
NOT THAT'S WANTED. 
          AND I'VE SAID THAT BEFORE IN THE PAST BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE. 
          SO THE QUESTION I HAVE IS THIS IS A NOT TO EXCEED. 
          AND I THINK YOU'VE CLARIFIED, ADAM, THAT WHETHER IT BE CIVIL AND ENGINEERING OR IN THIS
CASE ARCHITECTURE, THAT YOU'RE MONITORING THOSE HOURS AS YOU GO. 
          CORRECT. THE WAY THAT DESIGN AND OUR OTHER SERVICE TYPE CONTRACTS WORK IS THAT AS WE'RE AS
WE'RE USING THOSE SERVICES, 
          [00:35:08]
THOSE VENDORS THEN SEND US A MONTHLY STATEMENT OR PERIODIC STATEMENT,
DEPENDING ON THE ON THE CONTRACT IS WRITTEN OF THE HOURS THAT THEY EXPENDED, THE PROFESSIONAL HOURS THEY'VE EXTENDED DOING THE VARIOUS TASKS,
AND THOSE GET REVIEWED. 
          AND THEN YOU SEE THEM ON YOUR IN THE CLAIMS AND BILLS IS THERE A SENSE OF URGENCY ABOUT THIS ARCHITECTURAL PIECE AT THIS TIME? YES. I YOU KNOW, FROM FROM YES, YES. YEAH. WE'D LIKE TO GET THE DESIGN GOING. 
          SO WE'RE WE HAVE SOMETHING READY. AND WE COULD,
WE COULD, WE COULD ACTUALLY EXECUTE THE PROJECT THIS YEAR IF, IF EVERYTHING WORKED OUT OKAY. HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE TO BUILD THAT? A COUPLE OF MONTHS. OKAY. DEPENDING DEPENDING ON IF ALL THE CONTRACTORS,
YOU KNOW, THE THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS WE DO. AND THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO GET WORKING ON THIS DESIGN SO WE CAN START LOOKING AT
THESE DIFFERENT THESE DIFFERENT ASPECTS. 
          AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME INFORMED DECISIONS. 
          BUT IN THE MEANTIME THIS IS THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED AN URGENT ISSUE. 
          IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERN AS PART OF THIS PROCESS,
WHETHER IT'S THE SCALE, THE MATERIALS, THE REPURPOSING, THE THE ITEMS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS HAS MENTIONED ABOUT,
I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THE TECHNICAL TERMS, THE HOOP VERSUS THE POURED CONCRETE. THESE ARE ALL EXPENDITURES AND DESIGNS THAT ARE
REALLY UP FOR DEBATE IN TERMS OF HOW THIS SPACE MAY BE USED NOW OR INTO THE FUTURE. I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THAT COUNCIL IS REAL WELL INFORMED THROUGH THE
DESIGN PROCESS. 
          WE CAN, IF YOU'D LIKE, WE CAN WE CAN BRING AND HAVE A WORK SESSION OR A SPECIAL COUNCIL
MEETING AND WALK YOU THROUGH THE THE PRELIMINARY DESIGNS AS WE START TO PREPARE THEM. 
          CERTAINLY I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING AND ADAM,
HOW DID IT WORK IN THE PAST? I BELIEVE THERE WERE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AT LEAST,
MAYBE ONE OF THEM THAT WERE SITTING ON MAYBE NOT A FORMAL COMMITTEE, BUT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WERE INVOLVED MORE HEAVILY THAN SOME. 
          I WAS NOT ONE OF THEM IN THE DESIGN PROCESS OF THE BUILDING. 
          THERE WAS THERE WERE TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS NAMED TO THE DESIGN TEAM. OKAY. 
          AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE WITH COMMODITIES. 
          SO THAT AND THAT WAS VERY UNIQUE. YES, GRANTED. 
          YOU KNOW, USUALLY THERE'S NOT ANY COUNCIL INVOLVEMENT IN OUR ROAD DESIGN OR OUR SEWER
DESIGNS OR OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, COMING TO THE MEETINGS. AND THAT MAKES SENSE HOWEVER,
I'M CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT THIS COUNCIL IS FOUR PERSONS WHO ARE NOT. 
          I WASN'T THERE IN THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING. AND THEN WE HAVE FOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS NOW WHO
ARE VERY NEW TO THIS PROCESS, AND I HAVE LEARNED A FEW THINGS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          AND ONE OF THEM IS TO ENSURE THAT QUESTIONS ARE BEING OPEN AND ASKED,
AND THAT COUNCIL IS VERY WELL INFORMED ABOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS AS IT'S HAPPENING, BECAUSE I THINK THOSE ARE THE TIMES TO FLAG ANY CONCERNS OR TO HELP DIRECT IF THERE ARE
PATHWAYS DURING THAT PROCESS WHERE WE COULD BE LOOKING AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY TO,
TO FOR COST SAVINGS OR FOR SCALING BACK OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. 
          I JUST WANT TO VOICE THIS NOW AS OPPOSED TO MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD. 
          SO THE SIMPLE WAY IS JUST TO ADD ADD A DESIGN AND THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL AT ALL. AND THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE THE ARCHITECT PRESENT FOR
THAT MEETING AS WELL, TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS. SURE. DOES DOES THE CONTRACTOR PROVIDE YOU WITH
WRITTEN REGULAR UPDATES OR IS IT VERBAL? IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH, AND IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF PROJECT YOU'RE DOING. 
          WHERE WE'LL HAVE WE'LL HAVE REGULAR CHECK INS AT CERTAIN PERCENTAGES OF THE DESIGN
PROCESS. 
          AND THEN ONCE ONCE THEY START PUTTING PEN TO PAPER AND PRODUCING PLAN SHEETS AND SPEC
BOOKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WE HAVE AN ITERATIVE PROCESS WHERE WE'RE PARTICULARLY AS THE CITY ENGINEER,
I REVIEW THOSE. 
          RIGHT. AND IN THE INTEREST OF MAINTAINING LOTS OF TRANSPARENCY,
BUT ALSO NOT SLOWING THINGS DOWN, I'M WONDERING HOW WE COULD CONNECT IN WITH YOUR EXISTING PROGRESS UPDATES THAT YOU GET
FROM THOSE VENDORS SO THAT THE COUNCIL CAN REMAIN INFORMED, BUT WE DON'T SLOW THE PROCESS DOWN? YEP, I CAN. IT'S AGAIN, IT'S JUST AS EASY AS WORKING IT INTO THE MEETING SCHEDULES AND CAN
BRING IT UP TO YOU. 
          I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION ADAM. IS IT THIS ARCHITECT WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT'S THE ARCHITECT
THAT DESIGNED THE BUILDING SO WE DON'T GO OUT FOR LOOKING FOR OTHER POTENTIAL ARCHITECTS. IF WE WERE IF WE WERE STARTING A BRAND NEW
PROJECT FROM SCRATCH, 
          [00:40:03]
YES WE WOULD. WE POTENTIALLY WOULD GO OUT AND LIKE WE DID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PUBLIC
WORKS BUILDING AND, YOU KNOW, DO A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS. IN THIS CASE I'M LOOKING TO USE THE EXISTING ARCHITECT BECAUSE HE'S ALREADY DONE A BUNCH
OF WORK ON THE PROJECT, AND I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT WORK TO BE REDONE. WHAT'S THE TIMING ON SOMETHING
LIKE THIS FROM BEGINNING TO END, FROM THE DESIGN TO THE STANDING STRUCTURE? FOR SOMETHING LIKE,
FOR SOMETHING AS COMPLICATED AS THE THE ORIGINAL BUILDING A COUPLE OF YEARS FOR WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, WHICH IS THE COMMODITIES YARD,
WHICH IS A MUCH SIMPLER SET OF IMPROVEMENTS. 
          A COUPLE, COUPLE FEW MONTHS FOR DESIGN UNLESS,
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH. 
          AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, ONCE WE GO THROUGH THE BIDDING PROCESS AND THAT SORT OF THING,
THEN PROBABLY A COUPLE COUPLE MONTHS OF ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION. 
          OKAY. AND AND AS AN EXAMPLE, SOMETHING THAT YOU'LL SEE MORE ROUTINELY FROM ME IS OUR
ANNUAL ROAD PROJECTS. 
          AND A TIMELINE ON THAT IS I'LL BE ASKING YOU HERE IN APRIL TO APPROVE WHAT ROADS WE'RE
GOING TO DO TO RECONSTRUCT IN 2026. 
          YOU'LL GIVE ME A THUMBS UP ON THAT. WE'LL GET THE DESIGN WORK GOING IN THE FALL. 
          RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS COMING YEAR'S WORK,
WE'RE ACTUALLY OPENING BIDS FOR ONE OF THEM THIS COMING WEEK. 
          AND WE APPROVED THE BIDS, AND THEN WE START CONSTRUCTION DURING THE SUMMER CONSTRUCTION
SEASON. 
          SO JUNE TO JUNE TO MID NOVEMBER IS THEN WHEN WE NORMALLY DO THE CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF A NORMAL NORMAL CYCLE. 
          SO ABOUT A YEAR YEAR AND A HALF. BUT AGAIN BIGGER PROJECTS LIKE A WHOLE BUILDING,
THAT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          CAN I PUT YOU ON THE HOT SEAT FOR A SECOND. HOW DID WE GO FROM OUR ORIGINAL PUBLIC WORKS? I THINK THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT 35,000FT² TO 63,000? THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY, MOSTLY THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY DESIGN PROCESS AND ALSO THE
SITUATING OF THE BUILDING ON THE LOT THAT IT'S ON. 
          PROBABLY THE SIMPLEST ANSWER. SO WHEN WE DID THE DESIGN SO ONE THE BUILDING'S LONG. 
          SO THERE'S THAT CREATED SOME OVERALL SQUARE FOOTAGE TO MAKE IT FIT ON THE SITE. 
          SECONDLY, WE WE DID A 50 YEAR LOOK AHEAD FOR POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT THE CITY
MIGHT TAKE ON AND NEED SPACE TO STORE SOME VEHICLES AND THAT SORT OF THING. ARCHITECT, YOU KNOW, DO A STUDY ON THAT. 
          AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THEN WE EXPANDED SOME OF THE CAPABILITIES THAT WE HAVE. 
          MOST NOTABLY, IF YOU GO LOOK AT THE MAINTENANCE VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES THAT WE
HAVE AT THE NEW BUILDING VERSUS THE OLD BUILDING, THEY'RE SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER, SQUARE FOOTAGE WISE,
TO BE ABLE TO TO, AT THE OLD BUILDING WE COULD HAVE TWO SMALL VEHICLES IN FOR MAINTENANCE AT ONE TIME. AT THE NEW FACILITY, WE CAN HAVE TWO LARGE AND A SMALL,
AND THEN ALSO STILL HAVE ROOM TO BE WORKING ON THE SMALL EQUIPMENT, LIKE FOR THE PARKS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO THANK YOU. 
          IT WAS IT WAS THROUGH A FEASIBILITY PROCESS. OKAY. 
          HARD TO HEAR, MR. EDWARDS. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS. I GUESS SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY,
HAVE WE EXPLORED WAYS TO MAYBE CONTRACT OUT SOME OF THAT SPACE TO FILL IT UP AND GET SOME REVENUE IN EXCHANGE FOR
THAT? HAVE WE EXPLORED ANY OF THAT? WE HAVEN'T EXPLORED THAT. 
          I MEAN, I THINK IF ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY WANTED TO LOOK TO LEASE SPACE FROM US,
WE COULD. 
          I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY FULL NOW. OKAY. WE'D HAVE TO MOVE THINGS AROUND TO TO FIT ANYTHING
SUBSTANTIAL IN THERE? OKAY. I THINK WE DO LET WE DO LET THE AMERICAN LEGION STORE FLAGS IN OUR OLD PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY. SO WE DO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          GREAT. THANKS. PUBLIC COMMENT? YES. 
          I'M JUST WONDERING WHY WE NEED AN ARCHITECT FOR A SALT SHED. 
          IT YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AROUND AT ALL THESE CITIES,
AND THEY'RE PRETTY CANNED. 
          I THINK YOU GO TO SALTSHED.COM OR SOMETHING,
AND YOU CAN ORDER WHAT YOU WANT. 
          SO WHY JUST SEEMS LIKE AN UNNEEDED COST. AND,
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALL THAT ACREAGE BEHIND THERE. 
          THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF ACREAGE BEHIND THERE THAT THE CITY HAS. 
          SO WOULD DO WE REALLY WANT TO BLOCK THAT ALL OFF? DO WE YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE THE CURRENT SALT SHED PLANS BLOCK THAT OFF WHERE THERE MAY
BE A TIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE OR YEARS AHEAD THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO ACCESS THAT. 
          SO IF WE START BUILDING A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE THERE,
WE MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO IT. 
          SO JUST A THOUGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT. 
          [00:45:05]
I THINK A LOT OF THAT LAND BEHIND THERE IS WETLANDS THAT. 
          WELL, THE WAY THE WAY THAT THE OVERALL SITE WAS DEVELOPED IS. 
          YEAH, THE PLACE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THE PLACE WE TOOK YOU ON A TOUR THAT IS WHAT WE
DESIGNATED. 
          WE DID THE GROUNDWORK TO PREPARE TO RECEIVE A COMMODITIES YARD,
AND IT SITS IN BETWEEN WHERE THE THE BUILDING IS AND THE KIND OF THE IMMEDIATE AREA RIGHT BEHIND IT. AND THEN THE STORM PONDS THAT WERE CREATED TO SUPPORT THE WATER QUALITY FOR THE
ENTIRE SITE. 
          AND THEN THERE IS, YES, THERE IS ANOTHER PARCEL THAT SITS BEHIND THAT THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY
WETLANDS AND A STORM POND THAT THE CITY OWNS. 
          BUT YEAH, THERE'S A AND AS FAR AS FAR AS ACCESS? NO, THAT'S ONE OF OUR PRIME CONCERNS, BUT ONE OF OUR ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE BUILT IN,
BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS OUR STORM PONDS TO MAINTAIN THEM AND DO ALL THAT. 
          SO THERE'S AN ACCESS LANE THAT'S PART OF THE PART OF THE DESIGN. 
          AND THE REASON THAT YOU THAT WE USE AN ARCHITECT IS BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT VERTICAL
CONSTRUCTION HERE. 
          SO THE BUILDINGS, THE FOUNDATIONS, WHICH THEY SUB OUT FOR THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER TO SIGN
OFF ON THOSE SORTS OF THINGS AS WELL AS THEY DID THE ORIGINAL LAYOUT OF THE HOW, THE WALLS AND EVERYTHING ELSE TO STORE THOSE COMMODITIES SO IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A DETAILED IT'S NOT LIKE WHEN WE WERE DESIGNING THE BUILDING AND
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, DOING ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL AND ALL THAT OTHER KIND OF STUFF THAT THE
ARCHITECT BRINGS TOGETHER. 
          THIS IS A MUCH SIMPLER VERSION. AND MAKING SURE THAT THE,
THE, WHAT WE SPEC FOR THAT FACILITY ADAM WHO IS SO ARE YOU THE ONE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR INDICATING TO THE CIVIL ENGINEERS
AND THE ARCHITECT THE VOLUME THAT'S NECESSARY FOR THIS AREA, OR THE USES THE USE CASE FOR THE AREA. YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S LAYING OUT FOR THE
CONTRACTORS, THE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT'S NEEDED, HOW THE AREA WILL BE USED,
ALL THOSE SORTS OF THINGS? YES, WE DID MOST OF THAT WHEN WE DID THE INITIAL FEASIBILITY WORK,
BUT YES, WE WENT THROUGH A WHOLE PROCESS OF SPACE UTILIZATION STUDIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO HELP DEVELOP THAT. AND DOES THAT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE NEEDS OF THE CITY NOW,
OR THE NEEDS OF THE CITY 15, 30, 50 YEARS FROM NOW? YES. TO BOTH. SO YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOU NEED NOW AND MAKING SURE YOU
HAVE ROOM TO EXPAND INTO THE FUTURE. 
          BUT WE COULD WE DON'T HAVE TO BUILD IT TO A 50 YEAR SPEC NOW,
I GUESS IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WE COULD BUILD. 
          NO. AND YEAH. LIKE IN THE BUILDING. WHEN WE DID THE BUILDING,
WE BUILT THE BUILDING PLUS 50 YEARS PLUS WE ALSO BUILT IN ROOM TO EXPAND THAT BUILDING IN THE FUTURE, IF 20, 30 YEARS FROM NOW, THERE'S A DIFFERENT SITUATION. 
          YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS WE BUILT LAID THE SITE OUT LIKE WE DID IS SO THAT IN THE
FUTURE, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED AT OPTIONS OF, OKAY, WELL,
HOW MANY ADDITIONAL SQUARE FEET OF COVERED SPACE COULD YOU PUT ON THE BACK OF THE BUILDING IF, IF THAT NEED EVER AROSE? SO YOU DON'T BUILD YOURSELF INTO A CORNER BY PUTTING,
YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WHAT THOSE FUTURE EXPANSIONS MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND MAY BE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT,
BUT TRYING TO DO THINGS SO THAT THE FUTURE, FUTURE COUNCILS, FUTURE ENGINEERS OF THE WORLD CAN STILL HAVE ROOM TO TO BE ABLE TO ADAPT
FOR WHATEVER THOSE FUTURE NEEDS ARE. 
          ONE LAST QUESTION. IN THIS DESIGN PROCESS, IT'S POSSIBLE THEN,
TO DESIGN FOR WHAT THE CITY IS USING NOW AND IN THE NEAR TERM, AND NOT NECESSARILY TAKING ON SOMETHING THAT WILL TAKE US DECADES INTO THE FUTURE IN TERMS
OF THE HARDCOVER, THE STORAGE SPACE AND ALL THOSE OTHER FACTORS. 
          YEAH, TO TO A LIMITED DEGREE, I MEAN, I THINK IN,
IN THE COMMODITIES AREA ONE OF THE PRIME DRIVERS WAS LOOKING AT THE FUNCTION AND THE USABILITY OF THAT SITE. SO ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE OVERALL SIZE IS LIKE IT IS,
IS BECAUSE YOU LOOK AT THE TURNING RADIUS OF A SEMI TRUCK THAT HAS TO BRING THOSE MATERIALS IN. HOW DO YOU GET THAT VEHICLE IN TURNED AROUND DUMPING THINGS? SO THERE IS, YOU KNOW, THE IF YOU LOOK AT THAT SITE NOW,
THE BINS ARE PUSHED TO THE EDGES SO THAT YOU HAVE THE THE CENTER AREA IN WHICH TO DO THE VARIOUS TURNING MOVEMENTS AS WELL AS LIKE WHEN WE TOOK YOU OUT ON THE SITE,
YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY WERE OUT THERE TRYING TO DRY OUT WHAT MATERIAL COMING FROM A WATER MAIN BREAK, WHERE DO YOU DO THAT? THAT'S WHERE YOU DO THAT. 
          HOW DO SEMIS GET TO THE OLD? ARE THEY BACKING IN? YES. SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO COME IN THE OLD SITE ALL THE WAY BACK THERE. 
          OKAY, OKAY. THANKS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. 
          ARE THEY SEMIS OR DUMP TRUCKS? IT DEPENDS. OH,
BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE GOT SOMETIMES. 
          SOMETIMES WE GET SIDE LOAD LONG BED DUMP. SOMETIMES WE GET 20 TON DUMPS. 
          IT DEPENDS ON WHAT WHAT MATERIALS OF WHAT TYPE ARE BEING BROUGHT IN. 
          SAME WITH SOMETIMES THE HAULING OUT MATERIALS THAT THAT ARE TEMPORARILY THERE THAT NEED TO
BE DISPOSED OF. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU. JAY NYGARD,
1386 REST POINT ROAD. I'M NOT SURE WHAT COMMUNITY ADAM EDWARDS LIVES IN OR WORKS IN. 
          [00:50:04]
I LIVE IN ORONO. ORONO IS BUILT OUT. I MEAN,
YEAH, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MORE PEOPLE COMING IN HERE, BUT HE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT FUTURE EXPANSION AND ALL THIS. 
          ORONO IS NOT GOING TO BE ANY BIGGER UNLESS OUR GOAL IS TO TAKE OVER THE WORK OF ALL THE
COMMUNITIES, WHICH I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THAT WOULD BE OUR GOAL. 
          IT'S JUST CRAZY TO ME. AND I'VE SAT HERE LISTENING TO HIM KIND OF BUFFALO YOU ABOUT THIS
THAT, THE OTHER THING. HERE'S THE DEAL. THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS URGENCY FOR A SALT SHED. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT HE WANTS TO COMPLETE THE
PRIOR ADMINISTRATION'S GOALS BEFORE YOU GUYS HAVE A CHANCE TO DO ANYTHING. 
          I STOOD UP AND SPOKE AND SAID GIVING THE ARCHITECT'S MONEY OVER ANYTHING IS RIDICULOUS. 
          AND NOW YOU WANT TO GIVE HIM MORE MONEY. IT'S LIKE THIS LADY OUT HERE,
WE COULD GO ONLINE, WE COULD FIND A STEEL BUILDING COMPANY OR ANYTHING. THEY'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH THE PLANS. 
          WHY ARE WE PAYING PEOPLE TO DO WHAT'S ALREADY PROVIDED FOR US UNLESS THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE
ALREADY THINKING. 
          AND I THINK THAT'S WRONG. I THINK IT'S TIME TO START THINKING NEW IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          AND THE NEW IS. HOW'S THIS FOR A CRAZY IDEA. CRAZY. 
          JUST CAME TO ME WHILE I WAS SITTING OVER HERE. 
          WHY NOT PUT THIS STUFF TO A REFERENDUM? NOBODY HAD ANY PUBLIC INPUT WHEN IT CAME TO THE
PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING AND ITS EXTRAVAGANCE WHERE IT'S PUT. 
          AND HE'S TALKING ABOUT ALL THE COMPLICATIONS BECAUSE OF HOW THEY STUFF THIS BUILDING IN ON
AN UNSUITABLE PLOT. 
          WHY DON'T WE PUT IT TO THE PEOPLE? DO YOU WANT TO SPEND ANY MORE MONEY HERE? DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THE BUILDING? WOULD WE RATHER RENOVATE OVER HERE? MINIMIZE OUR LOSSES? ALL I KNOW IS MY TAXES ARE GOING UP AND THEY DON'T STOP. 
          AND THAT'S WHAT THIS GUY KEEPS ADVOCATING, IS FOR MY TAXES TO GO UP. 
          AND HE DOESN'T LIVE HERE. I AND OTHER PEOPLE DO. 
          AND I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. 
          NO REASON TO BE IN ANY KIND OF HURRY ABOUT A SALT SHED AND MAYBE LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. CALL THE QUESTION. ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE A MOTION ALONG THE LINES OF
ITEM NUMBER NINE? I MOVE TO ACCEPTANCE OF THE PROPOSAL FOR DESIGN. 
          IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I THINK WE DISCUSSED THIS PRETTY THOROUGHLY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION SIGNIFY BY
SAYING AYE. 
          AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. 
          AND THANK YOU FOR THE INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TEN I
BELIEVE IS NEXT. 
          [10. Purchase Equipment - Floor Cleaning Units]
IT'S FLOOR CLEANING UNITS. THE PURCHASE OF FLOOR CLEANING UNITS. 
          I'LL TURN THIS BACK OVER TO MR. EDWARDS. YEP. 
          SO THIS IS ACTUALLY FROM OUR FACILITIES DEPARTMENT. 
          SO JOE, BRAND NEW TO OUR ROLE IS KIND OF PICKED THIS UP,
THESE ITEMS ARE ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FACILITIES MAINTENANCE. 
          THEY WERE APPROVED OR ADDED TO THE LAST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN LAST FALL. 
          AND SO OTHER THAN THAT, I'LL GIVE A SUMMARY OF WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR. 
          YEAH. SO, YEAH, AS ADAM SAID, I'M USHERING THESE INTO COMPLETION FROM PRIOR PLANNING. 
          THERE ARE BASICALLY THREE FLOOR CLEANERS OF VARIOUS SIZE WHICH CAN BE USED THROUGHOUT THE
CITY AND KIND OF ALL THE FACILITIES. 
          IF YOU LOOKED OVER THE PROPOSAL YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THEY'RE GOING TO HELP. 
          NOT ONLY KEEP ALL OF THE AREAS CLEAN, INCLUDING THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING. 
          SO REPAIRS AND CEILINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT DO NOT HAVE TO BE REDONE AS,
AS OFTEN. 
          THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO AS I SAID, THEY COULD BE USED HERE. 
          THEY COULD BE USED AT THE FIRE STATION. THEY COULD BE USED AT VARIOUS OTHER FACILITIES. 
          AND IF ANYTHING NEW IN THE FUTURE COURTS, BASKETBALL COURTS PICKLEBALL COURTS,
TENNIS COURTS, THEY CAN BE CLEANED FOR THAT THERE. THAT'S BASICALLY,
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. 
          WHERE WILL THEY BE STORED? THEY'LL BE STORED AT THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING,
BUT ESPECIALLY THE THE SMALLEST PORTABLE ONE COULD BE STORED HERE OR ANY OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS,
BUT THE LARGE FLOOR SCRUBBER, SINCE THE PRIMARY USE WILL BE TO CLEAN THE LARGE AREA OF THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING WILL BE STORED THERE. 
          [00:55:03]
AND I MUST MAYBE I MISSED THIS. ARE THESE IN REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING EQUIPMENT? NO. SO THE THE SMALL UNITS ARE REPLACEMENT FOR GETTING CONTRACTORS IN TO DO THAT LEVEL OF
SCRUBBING. 
          THE LARGER UNIT TAKES THE PLACE OF A UNIT THAT WE'VE THE ORONO SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN
KIND ENOUGH TO SHARE WITH US, OR LET US BORROW IN EXCHANGE FOR STORING IT FROM THEM FROM TIME TO TIME. 
          IT ALSO IS, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. YOU KNOW,
THE ONE THAT WE BORROW FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS MORE OF A SWEEPER VACUUM TYPE DEVICE. 
          AND THE ONE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A SCRUBBER USES WATER AND SCRUBBING TECHNOLOGY TO
SCRUB THE FLOOR. 
          SO IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY BORROWING FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. 
          YEAH. YEAH. IT'S FOR OUR USES. IT'S LIKE IT'S LIKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUST VACUUMING A
HARD FLOOR AND MOPPING A HARD FLOOR. 
          SO HOW MANY UNITS ARE WE BUYING? BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT QUOTES HERE. IT'S THREE. 
          SO THREE. IF YOU IN THE IN THE PURPOSE OF THERE'S A SMALL PORTABLE ONE THAT ANYONE COULD
PICK UP AND USE IN ANY KIND OF BATHROOMS, IN THE KITCHEN AREAS,
IN ANY OF THE BUILDINGS. 
          THEN THERE'S A LARGER FLOOR SCRUBBER, WHICH I WOULD DESCRIBE AS SOMETHING YOU COULD USE IN
THE HALLWAY HERE. 
          THAT'S GOING TO BE A DEEPER CLEAN. IT'S PRIMARILY USED FOR HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS. 
          YOU CAN IT'S STILL PORTABLE. A PERSON CAN STILL TAKE IT SINGLE HANDEDLY VARIOUS PLACES. 
          BUT FOR MORE HIGH TRAFFIC, YOU'RE GOING TO NOT SPEND AS MUCH TIME AND YOU'RE GOING TO GET
A DEEPER CLEAN THAN THE SMALL ONE. 
          AND THEN THE LARGE ONE IS REALLY MEANT FOR BIG AREAS LIKE THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING. 
          YEAH. YEAH. GARAGE. AND IT'S MADE TO TO DO THE DEEP CLEANING. 
          IT DOES THE, THE MOPPING AND THEN IT ALSO DRIES IT. 
          SO SAFETY WISE THAT'S GOING TO CLEAN IT. AND THEN YOU CAN GO IN RIGHT AWAY AND USE THAT
SPACE INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR IT TO DRY OR HAVING A SLIP HAZARD. SO ONCE A SCRUBBER, ONCE A SWEEPER SCRUBBER AND ONCE A SWEEPER. 
          WELL, THEY'RE ALL SWEEPER SCRUBBERS. JUST A VARIOUS LIKE. 
          NO, I UNDERSTAND, BUT THERE'S A HUGE COST DIFFERENCE. THAT'S WHY I'M TRYING TO. YEAH.
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS HERE. AND WHAT ARE WE PAYING NOW TO CONTRACTORS TO DO THIS? IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE PAYBACK ON THESE? YOU QUOTED $5,000 A MONTH. 
          YEAH, I'D HAVE TO HAVE TO GO LOOK, WE WE BRING THE THE FLOOR CLEANER GUYS IN ONCE OR TWICE
A YEAR. 
          DEPENDS ON THE YEAR. BALLPARK? FOUR YEARS, FIVE YEARS? PROBABLY. I DON'T KNOW, $5,000 BUCKS A YEAR OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES FOR THAT,
FOR THAT CAPABILITY. 
          SO PRETTY QUICK PAYBACK, IT SOUNDS LIKE ON THE SMALLER ITEMS. YES. ON THE SMALLER ITEMS. YEAH, DEFINITELY. I HAVE A QUESTION AT THE GOLF COURSE. 
          I KNOW WE'VE LOOKED AT USING REFURBISHED EQUIPMENT IN THE PAST,
AND I'M WONDERING IF THAT WAS AN OPTION OR THAT'S BEEN EXPLORED HERE WITH THIS ONE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT'S LARGER AND MORE PRICEY. I KNOW THEY DID GET. 
          ONCE AGAIN, THIS WAS BEFORE I STARTED, SO THERE WAS QUOTES FOR NUMEROUS OPTIONS. 
          I'M NOT SURE IF REFURBISHED WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THEY LOOKED AT. 
          I DID REVIEW THAT THEY LOOKED AT THE EQUIVALENT COST OF RENTING TO DO THE LARGER SPACE, AND IT WAS QUITE EXPENSIVE. IT LOOKS LIKE WE GOT THREE BIDS ON THESE PIECES OF
EQUIPMENT, I THINK. IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH, THERE'S THREE BIDS AND IT SO THE,
THE SPECIFIC MODELS WERE FROM DIFFERENT COMPANIES. 
          THERE WAS SO A BENEFIT OF USING THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GETTING THEM ALL FROM ONE. 
          IT'S A CONTRACTOR WE HAVE USED AND WE DO USE ALREADY FOR OTHER EQUIPMENT. 
          SO THEY WORK WITH THE CITY ALREADY. SO WE HAVE A ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. 
          BUT THERE WERE QUOTES FOR ALL THE PIECES. DOES THAT THE VENDOR WHERE WE HAVE MULTIPLE
ENGAGEMENTS WITH THE CITY DO WE NEGOTIATE FOR VOLUME DISCOUNT? I THINK THE ONE THAT WE CHOSE IS ACTUALLY THE STATE CONTRACT. 
          THEY ARE STATE CONTRACTED. AND LOOKING AT THE OTHER QUOTES,
THEY WERE QUITE A BIT LOWER THAN THE OTHER OPTIONS. 
          YEAH, JUST A QUESTION. SO THE QUOTE THIS FACTORY MOTOR QUOTE RIGHT IS WHERE WE'RE GETTING
IT FROM, FACTORY MOTOR. IT'S FROM OCTOBER, IS IT STILL IN PLAY? IT IS STILL IN PLAY. BUT PART OF ME WHEN I STARTED WAS THEY SAID,
THE CLOCK IS TICKING. 
          [01:00:04]
SO THAT'S WHY I'M BRINGING IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS TO DISCUSS. 
          I'M WONDERING HOW MANY COURTS. WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE PICKLEBALL. 
          I KNOW, BUT BASKETBALL AND I THINK TENNIS IS THE OTHER USE FOR THIS. 
          HOW MANY AREAS OUTDOORS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SERVICING WITH THIS? I'M NOT SURE THERE'S ANY RIGHT NOW THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. 
          I JUST THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A FUTURE USE THAT,
YOU KNOW, IT'S AVAILABLE JUST TO KIND OF GIVE ALL THE INFORMATION ON WHAT ITS USES ARE. 
          AND IS THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, THE LARGE ONE TAKEN TO OTHER CITIES THAT WE SERVICE? IS IT MOBILE OR DOES IT BASICALLY STAY AT PUBLIC WORKS? THE LARGE ONE? IT'S MOBILE. IT HAS TO BE TRAILERED. 
          IT HAS TO BE TRAILERED. SO IF YOU'RE DOING EXTERIOR WORK,
IT WOULD BE TRAILERED. 
          AND IF IT'S USED IN SPRING PARK, WOULD IT BE USED IN SPRING PARK? IT WOULD NOT. THEY DON'T HAVE A LARGE OPEN STORAGE AREA. 
          SO THIS IS GOING TO BE USED FOR THE MOST PART IN PUBLIC WORKS. 
          PUBLIC WORKS, POLICE, PUBLIC WORKS, WHATEVER THAT BECOMES. 
          OTHER QUESTIONS? I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM TEN. 
          I MAKE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM TEN. SECOND. SECOND. 
          IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. 
          MOVE ON TO ITEM 11. WHICH IS... 
          [11. Add Special Election Provision to City Code - Ordinance 307]
WILL YOU ROLL THE AGENDA? OH, SURE. THANK YOU. 
          THANKS. ITEM 11 IS TO CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO ADMINISTER SPECIAL ELECTIONS. 
          MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, AT OUR LAST WORK SESSION,
THE CITY COUNCIL EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN CREATING A ORDINANCE THAT WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION AT A TIME OTHER THAN THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION. 
          THE DRIVER FOR THIS WAS THE RECENT RESIGNATION OF COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON,
WHICH CREATED A SITUATION WHERE A SPECIAL ELECTION IS REQUIRED, AND BECAUSE THE CITY DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON THE BOOKS AT THE TIME,
THE ONLY TIME TO HOLD THAT SPECIAL ELECTION WAS THE NEXT GENERAL, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS 2026. THE COUNCIL ASKED TO LOOK AT THAT ISSUE FOR FOR FUTURE NEEDS. 
          SO WE WE PROPOSED AT THE LAST WORK SESSION WE BROUGHT UP THE LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES
SAMPLE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE WITH A FEW A FEW ADDITIONS THAT WE GOT FROM SOME OF SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES THAT HAVE SUCH
ORDINANCES, TOOK GUIDANCE FROM THE COUNCIL ON THAT. AND THEN HAD LEGAL COUNSEL DO SOME REVISIONS ON IT
TO GET IT READY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL? AS YOU NOTED, WE DID TALK ABOUT THIS AT OUR LAST WORK SESSION. 
          SO I THINK YOU'VE COME BACK WITH A PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED AT THAT
AT THAT SESSION. 
          AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS THIS ORDINANCE ESTABLISHES THE ABILITY TO CALL A SPECIAL
ELECTION AT SOME TIME OTHER THAN THE NEXT GENERAL. CORRECT? YES. AND WE DON'T HAVE ONE RIGHT NOW? CORRECT. NO OTHER COMMENTARY OR QUESTIONS I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE. MOTION TO ADOPT CITY ORDINANCE 307 CALLING FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION. SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? DO YOU WANT US TO HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT ORDINANCE 307,
AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES PROVIDING FOR SPECIAL ELECTIONS TO FILL CERTAIN VACANCIES IN ELECTED OFFICES AT TIME OTHER THAN THE REGULAR GENERAL ELECTION,
AND THEN ALSO TO MOVE TO APPROVE PUBLISHING A SUMMARY. 
          THAT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? YES. OKAY. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? 
          [01:05:04]
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. 
          LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM 12. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL,
ITEM NUMBER 12 IS ASSOCIATED WITH ITEM NUMBER 
          [12. Call for a Special Election - Resolution 7554]
11. THE COUNCIL ALSO EXPRESSED AN INTEREST AT THE LAST WORK SESSION TO ENTERTAIN THE
OPTION OF CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION AT A TIME OTHER THAN THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION. I BELIEVE,
TO FILL THE SEAT THAT WAS VACATED BY COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON. 
          SO FOLLOWING THAT DIRECTION STAFF AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY DRAFTED A RESOLUTION 7554, IT'S IN YOUR PACKET. IF APPROVED, THAT WOULD CALL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION IN MAY OF 2025. 
          DID I MISS ANYTHING, SIR? NO, MR. MAYOR, THIS WAS A FOLLOW UP PRESUMING THAT THE ORDINANCE
WOULD BE ADOPTED. 
          I WOULD JUST NOTE THE DATES THAT ARE LISTED IN THERE IS SOMETHING CHRISTINE PUT A LOT OF
TIME IN ON, AND I THINK ALL OF THOSE DATES ARE AT THIS POINT FIRM ASSUMING WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD
WITH THAT ELECTION DATE. 
          SOMETIMES SOME OF THOSE THINGS DO MOVE AROUND. 
          WE WOULD BRING UPDATE THE COUNCIL SHOULD THEY MOVE. 
          BUT THIS IS WORKING THE DAYS BACK FROM THE ELECTION DAY ARE OUR BEST GUESS AT THOSE THINGS
AT THIS POINT. 
          OKAY. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE FOR THE COUNCIL THAT AND FOR THE AUDIENCE,
WHEN CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION, THERE ARE ONLY CERTAIN DESIGNATED DAYS BY THE STATE THAT THOSE ELECTIONS CAN BE CALLED. 
          THE NEXT ONE THAT IS IN THE WINDOW OF BEING ABLE TO BE CALLED IS MAY BECAUSE THERE IS A
NOTIFICATION THAT IS REQUIRED TO THE STATE THAT, THAT THE CITY INTENDS TO HAVE A HOLD A SPECIAL ELECTION. 
          WE HAVE TO MEET THAT NOTIFICATION DATE. ALL THE OTHER STUFF IS I IS,
I THINK, MR. MATTICK POINTED OUT THERE'S SOME SOME ABILITIES WITHIN STATUTE TO CHANGE SOME OF THOSE
DATES. 
          BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S OUR BEST GUESS, OUR BEST ESTIMATE ON THOSE OTHER DATES OF A NORMAL
TIMELINE THAT WE WOULD NEED TO FOLLOW. 
          ALL RIGHT. I HAVE, I BET YOU I COULD IMAGINE I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS. 
          SURE. ADAM, THE THE COST HERE IS QUOTED AS $21,000. 
          WHEN WE MET PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS $35,000 AS YOUR BEST ESTIMATE,
WHAT HAS CHANGED? WE REMOVED OUT OF THE COST ESTIMATE THE FULL TIME STAFF EFFORTS TO DO THAT,
BECAUSE WE ALREADY WE'RE ALREADY PAYING FOR THEM. 
          SO INSTEAD OF A INSTEAD OF A DOLLAR FIGURE, WHAT YOU WHAT YOU PAY FOR IS LOST OPPORTUNITY
FOR THEM TO BE DOING THEIR DAY JOBS, TO BE DOING THEIR NON-ELECTION JOBS. AND THE DEPUTY CLERK. 
          AND SO YOU'RE PROPOSING THAT THAT'S COMING OUT OF OUT OF THE SPECIAL PROJECT CONTINGENCY
FUND. 
          WHAT'S THE BUDGET FOR THAT FUND IN 2025? I BELIEVE IT'S $15,000. 
          $15,000? CHECK WITH MAGGIE BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE ARE. 
          OKAY, SO WE'RE OVER THAT. RIGHT OFF THE BAT. AND WHAT WAS THE 2024 RESULT FOR THAT FUND? WHAT WHAT WAS THE BUDGET AND THE ACTUAL. DO YOU DO YOU RECALL? I DON'T I COULD LOOK THOSE UP FOR YOU, BUT PROBABLY SIMILAR,
MAYBE A COST OF LIVING OR SOMETHING, BUT PROBABLY AROUND THE SAME RANGE. FOR FOR THE THE SPECIAL PROJECT CONTINGENCY FUND. 
          ROGER I THINK IT'S NORMALLY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. 
          IT'S A, YOU KNOW, THE SPECIAL PROJECT CONTINGENCY FUND IS KIND OF LIKE WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE
IS FOR THOSE UNBUDGETED THINGS THAT SOME SOMEHOW COME UP IN THE, IN THE BUDGET YEAR THAT THAT THE COUNCIL WANTS TO,
WANTS TO DO. 
          SO OR ABSORBED. UNLESS WE FOUND ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE FOR THEM. 
          RIGHT. SO OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I THINK YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT LINE OF QUESTION. 
          SO WHAT WHAT'S MISSING FOR ME IN THIS PROCESS IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO DO HERE IS THE
STAFF RECOMMENDATION, AND I'LL READ IT FOR FOR THE PUBLIC. 
          STAFF RECOMMENDS COUNCIL DETERMINE WHEN A SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL MEMBER JOHNSON SEATS
SHOULD OCCUR. 
          IT. THE STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT WE DETERMINE, BUT THE STAFF DOES NOT SAY WHAT THEIR
RECOMMENDATION IS WITH REGARD TO THIS ORDINANCE. 
          ADAM, WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION REGARDING PROCEEDING WITH THIS ORDINANCE? WELL, I THINK THE ORDINANCE HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED. 
          [01:10:03]
EXCUSE ME. THE RESOLUTION TO TO USE THE ORDINANCE BASICALLY RETROACTIVELY. 
          I GUESS MY MY RECOMMENDATION. SO THIS IS A THIS IS A COUNCIL DIRECTED ACTIVITY. 
          SO WE'RE WE'RE RESPONDING TO THAT COUNCIL DIRECTION. 
          SO YOU'RE NOT SAYING THIS IS NOT A STAFF. THIS IS NOT A STAFF INITIATED ACTIVITY. 
          OKAY. SO IF YOU'RE ASKING DID THE STAFF COME AND SAY WE THINK WE SHOULD HOLD A SPECIAL
ELECTION, THE ANSWER IS NO. WE DID NOT WE DID NOT BRING THIS FORWARD AS A STAFF INITIATIVE. 
          THANK YOU. AND THE SIMILAR QUESTION TO YOU, SOREN. 
          WHAT IS WHAT IS YOUR POSITION AND YOUR RECOMMENDATION WITH REGARD TO THE THE PROPER OR
LEGAL, YOU KNOW, AUTHORITY FOR THE COUNCIL TO DO THIS RETROACTIVE RESOLUTION? I THINK THAT'S THE, THE THERE IS SOME LEGAL QUANDARY A LITTLE BIT ON THE WHETHER IT'S
REALLY RETROACTIVE AT ALL OR WHETHER IT'S SIMPLY AT THIS POINT IMPLEMENTING WHAT THE STATUTE HAS DIRECTED. THE STATUTE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT A SPECIAL ELECTION IS REQUIRED. 
          THE STATUTE, IN MY OPINION, IS ALSO CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT A CITY CAN ADOPT AN ORDINANCE. 
          THE AREA WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED BRIEFLY IS OKAY IF THE
APPOINTMENT HAS HAPPENED, CAN YOU CATCH UP WITH THE THE ORDINANCE AFTERWARDS? THAT IS WHAT THE COUNCIL HAS CHOSEN TO DO IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE,
TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE STATUTE AND WHAT'S PRESCRIBED IN THERE. 
          I'M NOT AWARE OF THERE'S NOT GOOD GUIDANCE, COUNCILMAN BERRETT,
REGARDING THE ORDER OF OPERATION, OF APPOINTMENT AND THEN ADOPTION. SO I CAN'T SIT HERE AND SAY THAT THE COURTS HAVE RULED
ON THAT AT THIS POINT. 
          YEAH, JUST JUST THAT THE COUNCIL HAS RECOMMENDED DOING THIS. 
          BUT YOU'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT THEY DO THIS. 
          NO I'M NOT. 
          NO, WE I BELIEVE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPLEMENT IS DIRECTION THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE
COUNCIL, THE CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO NOW IS MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE. AND THIS IS THIS IS A SUPER AWKWARD PLACE FOR ME,
OBVIOUSLY, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. 
          AND I HAD PREVIOUSLY WHEN I, WHEN I WAS SWORN IN I SAID THAT I WOULD ALWAYS VOTE IN ORONO
PUBLIC BEST INTEREST, AND I, I ABIDE BY THAT. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS AND THAT
THE COUNCIL IS REALLY TRANSPARENT WITH THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF TAKING THIS ACTION. I'LL,
I'LL GO WITH WHATEVER HAPPENS HERE. 
          I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE A FUSS. THAT'S NOT ME. BUT I THINK WE OWE THE PUBLIC THE OPPORTUNITY
TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS OF TAKING THIS FORWARD. THERE WILL BE A LAWSUIT. 
          I'M NOT BRINGING IT, BUT THERE WILL BE ONE. AND I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO DESCRIBE TO YOU
THE, THE THE LETTER I'LL ACTUALLY READ IT. SO AND WE CAN PUT THIS INTO THE RECORD THAT WAS SENT
BY THE UPPER MIDWEST LAW CENTER TO MAYOR TUNHEIM, MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND TO SOREN MATTICK AS OUR CITY ATTORNEY. 
          DEAR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR TUNHEIM AND CITY ATTORNEY MATTICK. 
          WE REPRESENT DENNIS WALSH, FORMER MAYOR AND RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF ORONO,
MINNESOTA, THE CITY. 
          OUR REVIEW OF THE MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S RECENT MEETINGS APPEAR TO INDICATE THAT
THE CITY INTENDS TO PASS AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR SPECIAL ELECTIONS TO FILL COUNCIL VACANCIES AT TIMES OTHER THAN REGULAR CITY GENERAL ELECTIONS. 
          ADDITIONALLY, THE CITY AND WE JUST DID THAT. WE JUST PASSED THAT ORDINANCE. 
          ADDITIONALLY, THE CITY APPEARS TO INTEND TO APPLY THAT ORDINANCE TO THE FORMER VACANCY OF
MATT JOHNSON THAT WAS FILLED ON NOVEMBER 25TH, 2024, WITH WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF CLAIRE BERRETT. 
          THIS LETTER IS TO INFORM YOU THAT IF THE CITY DOES CALL FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION TO UNSEAT
MISS BERRETT, SUCH ACTION WOULD VIOLATE MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 412.02,
SUBDIVISION 2 A AND MR. WALSH HAS AUTHORIZED US TO FILE AGAINST THE CITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO CORRECT THE
UNLAWFUL ACT. 
          ON NOVEMBER 20TH 12TH, 2024, FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MATT JOHNSON SUBMITTED HIS
RESIGNATION. 
          THAT SAME DAY, THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED RESOLUTION 7530,
ACCEPTING MR. JOHNSON'S RESIGNATION AND DECLARING A VACANCY TO THE TO THE EXIT ON THE CITY COUNCIL,
THERE'S A TYPO THERE. 
          THEN, ON NOVEMBER 25TH, 2024, MR. WALSH, AS CITY MAYOR,
BROKE THE COUNCIL'S CITY TIED VOTE, AND APPOINTED CLAIRE BERRETT TO FILL MR. JOHNSON'S VACANCY FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS TERM
THROUGH 2026. 
          [01:15:05]
THEREUPON, AS THE CITY'S NOVEMBER 25TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES RECITE,
BERRETT SIGNED HER OATH AND TOOK THE SEAT AT THE COUNCIL DAIS AT 06:28 P.M.. THE NOVEMBER 25TH APPOINTMENT WAS LAWFULLY CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 412.02, SUBDIVISION 2 A. RELEVANTLY, THAT SECTION READS EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED IN
SUBDIVISION 2B, A VACANCY IN AN OFFICE SHALL BE FILLED BY A COUNCIL APPOINTMENT UNTIL AN ELECTION IS HELD
AS PROVIDED IN THIS SUBDIVISION. 
          IN CASE OF A TIE VOTE IN THE COUNCIL, THE MAYOR SHALL MAKE THE APPOINTMENT. 
          IF THE VACANCY OCCURS BEFORE THE FIRST DAY, TO FILE THE AFFIDAVITS OF THE CANDIDACY FOR
THE NEXT REGULAR CITY ELECTION, AND MORE THAN TWO YEARS REMAIN IN THE UNEXPIRED TERM,
A SPECIAL ELECTION SHALL BE HELD AT OR BEFORE THE NEXT REGULAR CITY ELECTION, AND THE APPOINTED PERSON SHALL SERVE UNTIL THE QUALIFICATION OF A SUCCESSOR,
EXCUSE ME, ELECTED AT A SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL THE UNEXPIRED PORTION OF THE TERM. THE COUNCIL MUST SPECIFY BY ORDINANCE UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IT WILL HOLD A
SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL A VACANCY OTHER THAN A SPECIAL ELECTION HELD AT THE SAME TIME AS THE REGULAR CITY ELECTION. 
          ALL OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE MINNESOTA ELECTION LAW ARE APPLICABLE TO SPECIAL ELECTIONS AS
FAR AS PRACTICABLE. 
          PARDON ME. THE IMPORT OF THIS SECTION FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MR. JOHNSON'S VACANCY IS AS FOLLOWS. A VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBER,
HAVING OCCURRED UPON MR. JOHNSON'S RESIGNATION, AND THE CITY COUNCIL'S DECLARATION OF A VACANCY. 
          IT WAS THE DUTY OF THE CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU. 
          TO FULFILL THE VACANCY BY APPOINTMENT UNTIL AN ELECTION IS HELD AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION
2 A. 
          SINCE THERE WAS A TIE VOTE IN THE COUNCIL, MAYOR WALSH MADE THE APPOINTMENT,
THEREBY FULFILLING HIS STATUTORY DUTY. 
          SINCE THE VACANCY OCCURRED BEFORE THE FIRST DAY TO FILE AFFIDAVITS OF CANDIDACY FOR THE
NEXT REGULAR CITY ELECTION, NOVEMBER 3RD OF 2026, AND MORE THAN TWO YEARS REMAINED IN THE UNEXPIRED TERM. 
          THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL HAD A DUTY TO HOLD A SPECIAL ELECTION EITHER AT OR BEFORE THE
NEXT REGULAR CITY ELECTION. 
          MEANWHILE, THE STATUTE READS THE APPOINTMENT APPOINTED PERSON SHALL SERVE UNTIL THE
QUALIFICATION OF A SUCCESSOR ELECTED AT A SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL THE UNEXPIRED PORTION OF THE TERM. SINCE THE STATUTE REQUIRES THE CITY COUNCIL TO
SPECIFY BY ORDINANCE UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WILL HOLD A SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL A VACANCY OTHER THAN A SPECIAL
ELECTION HELD AT THE SAME TIME AS THE REGULAR CITY ELECTION, AND THE CITY COUNCIL HAD NOT SO SPECIFIED BY ORDINANCE ANY SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES BY THE TIME
THE VACANCY WAS DECLARED AND FILLED. 
          THE CITY COUNCIL CANNOT THEN HAVE LAWFULLY DETERMINED TO HOLD A SPECIAL ELECTION BEFORE
THE NEXT REGULAR CITY ELECTION. 
          THE ABOVE ANALYSIS AND APPLICATION OF SUBDIVISION 2A ACCORDS WITH THE ANALYSIS CONTAINED
IN THE CITY COUNCIL'S AGENDA ITEM 15 FOR ITS NOVEMBER 25TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AS WELL AS STATEMENTS MADE BY ORONO CITY COUNCIL. 
          EXCUSE ME, CITY ATTORNEY SOREN MATTICK AT THE SAME MEETING. 
          THUS, THE CITY COUNCIL HAVING APPOINTED MISS BERRETT TO FILL THE VACANCY IN THE ABSENCE OF
ANY ORDINANCE ALLOWING FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION BEFORE THE NEXT REGULAR CITY ELECTION, THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR COUNCIL MEMBER CLAIRE BERRETT'S SEAT CAN ONLY OCCUR IN
NOVEMBER 2026. 
          IF THE CITY SHOULD PASS A SPECIAL ELECTION ORDINANCE,
ANY ATTEMPT TO APPLY THAT ORDINANCE TO MISS BERRETT'S SEAT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. 
          AS THE NOVEMBER 25TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES RECITE,
THE MAYOR RESOLVED THE NOVEMBER 2024 VACANCY BY APPOINTING MISS BERRETT TO FILL TO THE SEAT TO FILL THE REMAINDER OF THE TERM THROUGH 2026. 
          EXCUSE ME AGAIN. MISS BERRETT WAS THEN SWORN IN,
SIGNED HER OATH AND TOOK A SEAT. 
          AT WHICH TIME HER SEAT, HER RIGHT TO THE SEAT,
WAS VESTED. 
          MISS BERRETT BECAME THE INCUMBENT, AND A VACANCY NO LONGER EXISTED. 
          SEE MINNESOTA STATUTE 351.02. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF THAT. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF REFERENCES TO TO OTHER RELEVANT CASE WORK THAT SUPPORTS THAT ARGUMENT. THEREFORE, THE CITY HAS ALREADY DISCHARGED ITS STATUTORY DUTY TO FILL THE
VACANCY, ANOTHER REFERENCE TO CASE THAT'S RELEVANT. WITH RESPECT TO AN OFFICE HAVING A FIXED TERM,
WHERE THE APPOINTEE IS NOT REMOVABLE AT WILL, 
          [01:20:05]
WHEN THE EXECUTIVE POWER OF APPOINTMENT HAS BEEN COMPLETELY EXERCISED,
THE AUTHORITY OF THE EXECUTIVE TO REMOVE OR RESCIND THE APPOINTMENT CEASES. 
          ANY SPECIAL ELECTION ORDINANCE PASSED NOW, AFTER MR. JOHNSON'S VACANCY HAS BEEN FILLED BY APPOINTMENT,
COMES TOO LATE TO ADDRESS THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THAT NOW FILLED VACANCY. 
          ACCORDING TO MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 412.02,
SUBDIVISION 2A SPECIAL ELECTION ORDINANCE MUST SPECIFY UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES THE COUNCIL WILL HOLD A SPECIAL ELECTION TO FILL A VACANCY,
EMPHASIS ADDED. 
          THIS SIGNIFIES THAT THE SPECIAL ELECTION ORDINANCE MUST ALREADY HAVE BEEN IN PLACE AT THE
TIME A VACANCY OCCURS FOR THE VACANCY TO TRIGGER OR NOT THE ORDINANCES SPECIFIED CIRCUMSTANCES. THEREFORE,
ANY SPECIAL ELECTION ORDINANCE PASSED BY THE CITY COULD NOT BE APPLIED RETROACTIVELY. 
          MOREOVER, ANY ATTEMPT BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO INCLUDE RETROACTIVE LANGUAGE IN ITS SPECIAL
ELECTION ORDINANCE WOULD MAKE IT AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL BILL OF ATTAINDER, SINCE MISS BERRETT WOULD BE THE ONLY APPOINTED OFFICIAL TO WHICH IT COULD APPLY
RETROACTIVELY. 
          MORE REFERENCES SPECIFICALLY FINDING LOCAL ACT AFFECTING PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS TO BE BILL
OF ATTAINDER. 
          PROHIBITED AS BILLS OF ATTAINDER ARE LEGISLATIVE ACTS,
NO MATTER WHAT THEIR FORM THAT APPLY EITHER TO NAMED INDIVIDUALS OR TO EASILY ASCERTAINABLE MEMBERS OF GROUP IN SUCH A WAY AS TO INFLICT PUNISHMENT ON THEM WITHOUT A
JUDICIAL TRIAL. 
          AGAIN, IF THE CITY COUNCIL ATTEMPTS TO CALL A SPECIAL ELECTION TO UNSEAT MISS BERRETT. 
          THE CITY CAN EXPECT TO DEFEND ITS ACTIONS IN COURT. 
          THEN THERE'S A SUGGESTION TO CONTACT THE ATTORNEY. 
          I WANT TO REITERATE. I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS [LAUGHTER]. B ECAUSE IT'S CONSEQUENTIAL TO THE CITY OF ORONO, AND IT'S CONSEQUENTIAL TO ALL OF YOU. 
          AND YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO COST YOU MONEY. 
          THAT'S CORRECT. THANK YOU. YEP. LET'S STAY CIVIL. 
          THIS COUNCIL HAS PROMISED YOU. I DIDN'T. WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT,
IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER TO ME. 
          THIS IS NOT MY MY LAWSUIT. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. 
          I WAS, AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS HAVING COFFEE WITH BOB DOWNTOWN WHEN I GOT THE EMAIL. 
          I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. 
          IT. WELL, YOU'RE IN A SEAT. YOU'RE IN IT. AND AND ACCORDING TO WHAT THIS PERSON SAID,
HE THINKS IT'S MY SEAT. I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A TUG OF WAR. 
          I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF. I'M HERE AS SOMEONE WHO'S HAPPY TO SERVE. 
          BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT IF THEY PASS THIS RESOLUTION,
THIS LAWSUIT WILL HAPPEN. 
          NOW, LET ME ASK IT. WILL THE LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES COVER THE LOSS THE LAWSUIT COSTS
THE CITY OF ORONO? I DON'T KNOW. YOU DO HAVE DEFENSE COVERAGE. IT WILL BE A MATTER OF LOOKING AT THE LAWSUIT
AND LOOKING AT OUR COVERAGE. 
          SO IF THEY SO WE DON'T WE'RE NOT SURE IF THEY WOULD COVER IT. 
          IF, IF, IF THEY DID, WOULDN'T THEY ALSO HAVE TO COVER MR. WALSH'S ATTORNEY FEES BECAUSE HE WAS THE MAYOR AT THE TIME? NOT AS A PLAINTIFF. NO. AND WHO WHO WOULD REPRESENT ME VERSUS THE COUNCIL? HOW WOULD HOW WOULD YOU HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT? YOU'RE NOT IN THE LAWSUIT. YEAH. I MEAN, IF YOU WERE A PLAINTIFF . 
          I'M ON THE CITY COUNCIL, AND YOU WOULD BE YOU WOULD BE ARGUING AGAINST ME AND FOR ME AT
THE SAME TIME. 
          WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? RIGHT. SO I MY JOB OR WHOEVER IS APPOINTED TO DEFEND THE LAWSUIT
WILL BE TO REPRESENT THE PRESENT THE COUNCIL'S DECISION AS A WHOLE. 
          SO AS THINGS STAND, I KNOW WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON THE RESOLUTION YET,
BUT THAT WOULD BE IN DEFENSE OF THE ORDINANCE AND ANY RESOLUTION THAT WAS ADOPTED, REGARDLESS OF INDIVIDUAL VOTES. THANK YOU. WE DON'T THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S THE STORY. 
          NOW YOU YOU ALL. I WILL I WILL ACTUALLY ADD ONE THING,
AND I HOPE YOU DON'T TAKE THIS AS A 
          [01:25:10]
BREACH OF CONFIDENCE. WE WERE IN A PUBLIC PLACE HAVING OUR COFFEE. 
          AND YOU DID MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, CLAIRE. I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE,
AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE REALLY MAD IF WE DON'T HOLD THIS. IF WE DON'T DO A SPECIAL ELECTION. YEAH. 
          SO HE'S GOTTEN SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOME PEOPLE,
AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY CLEAR THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT THAT. 
          BUT MY CONCERN IS, IS THAT LISTENING TO SOME BUT NOT ALL AND IS THAT PUTTING THE FILTER OF
WHAT'S BEST FOR ORONO IN FRONT OF THAT DECISION, OR IS THAT JUST LISTENING TO SOME SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE UPSET. 
          THEY SHOULD BE LISTENED TO? BUT IS THAT THE ONLY INPUT? IS THAT THE ONLY SOURCE OF YOUR JUDGMENT? NOT AT ALL. 
          I'M SPEAKING FOR MYSELF, THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT THE SOLE SOURCE OF MY JUDGMENT ON THIS. 
          AND IF I MIGHT POINT OUT, AND I POINTED THIS OUT AT THE MEETING AT WHICH YOU WERE
APPOINTED, THAT AND THE LETTER EVEN REFERENCED THIS, THAT,
THAT YOU WERE APPOINTED FOR THE BALANCE OF THE TERM THROUGH 12/31/26. 
          AND I BELIEVE THAT EXCEEDED THE COUNCIL'S AUTHORITY BECAUSE THE THE STATUTE IS VERY CLEAR, AS THIS LETTER MADE CLEAR IN AND OF ITSELF, THAT YOU COULD REALLY ONLY BE APPOINTED UNTIL
THE NEXT UNTIL A SPECIAL ELECTION, WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN TO THE GENERAL ELECTION. 
          WHAT WE'RE DECIDING IS WE WANT TO HAVE IT EARLIER THAN THAT TO LET THE PUBLIC HAVE A VOICE
IN THIS. 
          I THINK I'M SPEAKING FOR IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ORONO TO TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THAT THE
ELECTORATE HAS THE CHANCE TO TO VOTE ON THIS. BECAUSE THE STATUTE IS VERY CLEAR THAT IF THERE'S MORE THAN TWO YEARS REMAINING IN
THE TERM, AS AT THE TIME OF THE VACANCY, WE HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL ELECTION. 
          NOW, WE COULD CHOOSE TO HAVE THAT AT THE GENERAL ELECTION,
BUT THAT'S ALMOST TWO YEARS AWAY. 
          SO I THINK THE INTERESTS OF THE VOTERS ARE BEST MET BY HAVING A SPECIAL ELECTION AS SOON
AS POSSIBLE. 
          THAT'S JUST MY POINT OF VIEW. THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          THANK YOU. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DO THAT IS BY PASSING THIS RESOLUTION. 
          RIGHT NOW WE HAVE THE ORDINANCE IN PLACE, AND I'M HAPPY TO PUT THAT IN PLACE SO WE DON'T
GET INTO THIS SITUATION AGAIN. 
          THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN DO THAT IS BY MAKING THIS RESOLUTION RETROACTIVE. 
          THERE'S NO THAT'S ILLEGAL. I DON'T AGREE THAT IT'S MAKING IT RETROACTIVE. 
          WE'RE SETTING IT UP FOR THE FUTURE. THE FACT THAT IT APPLIES TO THE POSITION THAT YOU WERE
APPOINTED TO DOESN'T MAKE IT RETROACTIVE, IN MY OPINION. AND SO THERE'S THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A GRAY AREA. 
          I WAS GOING TO SAY WE'RE IN SOMEWHAT OF UNCHARTED LEGAL WATERS HERE. 
          IS THAT CORRECT, SOREN? WE ARE. I, I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS SITUATION BEFORE. 
          I HAVE IT HAS CAUSED ME TO LOOK INTO OTHER CODES. 
          AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS HAVING PROVISIONS FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT
OF CODES ARE VOID ON. 
          AND SO, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAS PUT THIS TOGETHER TO BE A GENERAL APPLICATION. 
          IT'S NOT TARGETED. IT IS MEANT TO BE SOMETHING THAT IMPACTS THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE,
BOTH AS AN OPERATIONAL DOCUMENT NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. 
          I SHOULD ALSO ADD THAT IN TALKING WITH THE GENERAL COUNSEL FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE,
HIS OPINION WAS AT THE TIME I SPOKE WITH HIM ANYWAY, WAS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ORDINANCE IN PLACE. 
          IT WOULD SIMPLY FALL BACK TO STATE LAW, AND STATE LAW CALLS FOR SPECIAL ELECTIONS. 
          SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT SEEMED TO HIM LIKE THE CITY COULD DO THIS WITH OR WITHOUT AN ORDINANCE
FOR BOTH SUSPENDERS PURPOSES AND FOR FUTURE APPLICATIONS. 
          CERTAINLY. SO WE DON'T RUN INTO THIS AGAIN. WE THOUGHT IT BEST TO ADOPT,
ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION AND MY PERSPECTIVE. 
          YEAH. SORRY TO INTERRUPT. MY PERSPECTIVE, HAVING THE ONLY PERSON WHO WAS ON COUNCIL AT THE
TIME THAT THIS OCCURRED. 
          AND I BELIEVE I SAID SOMETHING TO THIS EFFECT AT THAT MEETING THAT FIRST OF ALL,
IT WAS A SPLIT VOTE, THE MOTION FAILED, AND IT WAS THE TIE WAS BROKEN BY THE MAYOR. 
          AND I THINK IT'S INDICATIVE THAT THAT WAS A COUNCIL THAT WAS OUTGOING,
THAT VOTERS HAD HAD A SAY IN NOVEMBER AT THE POLLS AND INDICATED THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN NEW LEADERSHIP. SO I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE AND I'M NOT COMFORTABLE
I WOULD NOT IMPLY I SHOULD SAY THAT IT'S A SMALL MINORITY OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT LOOKING FOR COUNCIL'S ACTION IN THIS AREA. 
          I BELIEVE THAT VOTERS ARE LOOKING. THE VOTERS WHO SEATED THE NEW COUNCIL ARE LOOKING FOR
ACTION IN THIS AREA, SO I FEEL CONFIDENT IN THAT. I DID I DID HAVE THE SAME QUESTION,
SOREN, ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE LEAGUE TRUST WOULD COVER THIS LAWSUIT. 
          AND A SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS THAT WHILE COUNCIL MEMBER BERRETT HAS INDICATED SHE'S NOT
THE ONE AND I'VE SEEN THE LETTER AS WELL BRINGING THE SUIT. 
          [01:30:09]
COUNCIL MEMBER BERRETT DID INDICATE AT OUR FORMER WORK SESSION THAT SHE WOULD BE BRINGING
LITIGATION AGAINST THE CITY, AND IT SO HAPPENS THAT IT'S NOT THE PERSON BRINGING THE LITIGATION. 
          I DID NOT SAY THAT. I SAID I WOULD I'M PREPARED TO CHALLENGE THAT. 
          OKAY. BE THAT AS IT MAY, I WE WERE THERE FOR THE WORK SESSION. 
          AND MY QUESTION IS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT COUNCIL MEMBER BERRETT HAS BROUGHT THIS
LITIGATION BASED ON THE COMMENTS. 
          IS THERE ANY CONCERN OR WOULD THIS BE TREATED IN CLOSED SESSION? WOULD COUNCIL MEMBER BERRETT STILL BE SEATED ON THIS ISSUE IN CLOSED SESSION? SO WOULD SHE BE? WOULD SHE BE PART OF CLOSED SESSION ON THIS ON A LAWSUIT THAT WAS BROUGHT
UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, GIVEN THE CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAD DURING THE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY? NOT AGAINST ME. SO I HEAR TWO QUESTIONS. ONE,
THE COVERAGE ISSUE. 
          AGAIN, I HAVE TENDERED I'VE MADE THAT YOUR INSURER AWARE,
I'VE TENDERED THE LETTER THAT WAS RECEIVED ON FRIDAY FOR A COVERAGE REVIEW. 
          THE ANSWER IS WE CAN'T MAKE THAT DETERMINATION UNTIL WE SEE THE ACTUAL SUMMONS AND
COMPLAINT, WHICH CANDIDLY MAKES SENSE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CHECK IT OFF THROUGH THE COVERAGE. 
          IN TERMS OF IT'S UNIQUE IN THAT SHE IS COUNCIL MEMBER BERRETT IS NOT THE PLAINTIFF. 
          BUT IT IS IT IS SOMETHING THAT LITIGATION COUNSEL WILL HAVE TO SIT AND DETERMINE AND HAVE
SOME CONVERSATIONS ON CANDIDLY, BECAUSE THOSE CLOSED SESSIONS ARE MEANT TO PROTECT THE ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE. WE'VE
HAD ONE BEFORE, AND AS WE KNOW, WHAT IS DISCUSSED IN THERE STAYS IN THERE. 
          SO THAT THAT IS JUST SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DETERMINE. 
          AGAIN, ONCE WE SEE THE LAWSUIT, CAN ASCERTAIN WHO THE PARTIES ARE AND THE NATURE OF THE
CLAIM. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. I'D MAKE A MOTION IF WE'RE IF WE'D ENTERTAIN THAT AT THIS TIME. 
          CITY HAS IGNORED FOR YEARS IN REGARDS TO ME AND AND MY ISSUES. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT SHE'S ARGUING IS A GRANDFATHERING ISSUE. 
          AND THIS CITY HAS IGNORED IT AND MR. MATTICK KIND OF PUSHED IT. 
          AS FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST, I'D BE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST BECAUSE
THIS WOMAN WHO, AS YOU STATED PUT FORTH FEELINGS THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE DOING SOMETHING AND IT'S
HAPPENING BY THE GUY WHO APPOINTED HER. 
          THIS IS LACED WITH CONFLICT OF INTEREST. AND YOU GUYS ALL SITTING TOGETHER WITH HER IN THE
SAME ROOM. 
          I KNOW YOU'RE NOT DUMB ENOUGH TO FALL FOR IT,
BUT IT'S JUST WRONG. 
          IT'S TIME THIS COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND WHAT CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS. 
          AND BY THE WAY, LASTLY, EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY YOU,
MR. RITCHIE. THIS IS YOUR FORMER MAYOR, THE MOST LITIGIOUS MAYOR IN ORONO HISTORY,
BROUGHT THE MOST LAWSUITS EVER. 
          AND NOW HE'S GOING TO SUE THE CITY WHEN HE MOST LIKELY DOESN'T EVEN HAVE STANDING TO DO
SO. 
          YES, SIR. RITCHIE ANDERSON, 3205 CRYSTAL BAY ROAD. 
          SO I CALL MR. NYGARD THERE THE ANSWER MAN. HE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT ORONO. 
          HE LIVED HERE FOR 33 YEARS. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 71 YEARS. 
          LET'S STAY CIVIL, PLEASE PLEASE. CONTINUE SPEAKING. 
          WELL, WHEN HE CALLS ME UP, MY MY FORMER MAYOR. 
          THAT IS CORRECT. EVERYBODY'S FORMER MAYOR. AND YOU KNOW,
IF IF HE GOT A GRANDFATHERED THING TAKEN AWAY FROM HIM, THAT SUCKS, RIGHT? BUT TO ME, THIS IS I'M THINKING ABOUT MY MARINAS,
RIGHT? I GOT MARINAS, AND AFTER THE FACT, YOU CAN MAKE AN ORDINANCE TO SHUT ME DOWN. 
          IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT TO MAKE AN AFTER THE FACT ORDINANCE. 
          THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. THANK YOU. AND I GUESS I WOULD ADD,
FOR THE RECORD, I GREATLY ENJOYED SERVING WITH WITH MISS BERRETT AND THIS IS NOT PERSONAL. AND I'VE MADE THAT CLEAR TO HER IN OUR INTERACTIONS. 
          AGREED. I BELIEVE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO,
THOUGH, FOR THE CITIZENS OF ORONO. 
          SO ANYWAY, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION. THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO SAY IS I'VE
ENCOURAGED HER TO RUN. 
          THAT'S THAT'S HER RECOURSE TO BE ABLE TO RUN IN THE ELECTION,
AND I HOPE YOU DO SO. 
          GO AHEAD. MOTION TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NUMBER 7554 CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD MAY
13TH, 2025, TO FILL A VACANCY ON CITY COUNCIL. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. NAY. OKAY. IT PASSES 4 TO 1. 
          [01:35:04]
ANYTHING FURTHER TO COME BEFORE? WELL, NO. NO,
WE HAVE TO MOVE ON TO THE ATTORNEY REPORT. 
          I GUESS WE SKIPPED OVER THAT AND MOVING TO 11 AND 12. 
          I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT. OKAY. THEN WE DIDN'T SKIP ANYTHING. 
          COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORTS. ANYTHING THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD,
WOULD LIKE TO UPDATE FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC ON STARTING WITH YOU, 
          [Council Committee Reports]
MR. PRESIDENT. I'LL JUST GIVE A BRIEF UPDATE. 
          WE CONTINUE TO BE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY OF LONG LAKE. 
          I FEEL LIKE THE DISCUSSIONS ARE CONTINUE TO BE VERY COLLABORATIVE IN NATURE,
AND PUBLIC SAFETY REMAINS OUR TOP PRIORITY AS WE MEET AND DISCUSS WITH THE CITY OF LONG LAKE. SO THAT'S REALLY ANYTHING ELSE WOULD BE PREMATURE AT THIS POINT. 
          THANKS. JUST LIKE TO MENTION WHAT I DID EARLIER,
THAT I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO CONDUCTING SOME SITE VISITS IN OTHER CITIES, INCLUDING, I BELIEVE, MOUND AND MINNETONKA. THE PUBLIC WORKS COMMODITIES AREAS TO GATHER
MORE INFO IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. 
          THAT'S IT. THANKS. GREAT. THANK YOU. I ACTUALLY I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT COUNCIL
MEMBER PERSIAN AND MAYOR TUNHEIM ABOUT THE FIRE NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE. 
          AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE CONTINUING TO HAVE PRODUCTIVE DIALOGS WITH WITH WITHIN THAT
NEGOTIATION. 
          I'M I'VE BEEN MADE AWARE, AND I BELIEVE YOU PROBABLY ALL HAVE BEEN TOO ABOUT THE DETAILED
MINUTES FROM THE WORK SESSION AT THE JANUARY 21ST WORK SESSION. AND I'M TRYING TO RECONCILE THE. 
          IT'S COMING ALONG NICELY. NOTHING TO REPORT WITH A LOT OF SPECIFIC DETAIL DATES TERMS
ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE BAG, THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW,
IT'S YOU'RE VERY FAR APART PUBLICLY ON ON WHERE THINGS ARE AT. 
          SO HOW HOW DO WE, AS CITIZENS OF LONG LAKE AND ORONO RECONCILE THAT? I GUESS I WOULD JUST URGE PEOPLE TO NOT READ TOO MUCH INTO THAT WORK,
THOSE WORK SESSION MINUTES, WHICH ARE VERY MUCH HE SAID, SHE SAID, A LOT OF SPECULATION. 
          AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN AGREED UPON AT THIS POINT. 
          THEY INCLUDED THINGS LIKE WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A PUBLIC FORUM ON FEBRUARY 3RD,
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE THREW OUT AS A POSSIBILITY. 
          AND IT WAS REPORTED IN THAT MEETING AS THOUGH WE WERE GOING TO HAVE IT. 
          WE OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T HAVE THAT, THAT WAS LAST MONDAY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS IN
THERE. 
          AND I THINK IT TO ME, IT SHOWS THE DANGER OF SORT OF HE SAID,
SHE SAID TYPE OF MINUTES WHERE IT REALLY GETS GRANULAR. AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S BEEN IT CAUSED
SOME CONSTERNATION IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          AND AND I THINK YOU SHOULD JUST READ THAT WITH A LARGE GRAIN OF SALT. 
          AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ABBREVIATED REPORT. 
          RIGHT. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ON MY OWN. I WAS JUST GOING TO MENTION THAT I ALREADY DID
MENTION THAT I WENT TO CORCORAN FOR THEIR TOUR OF THEIR PUBLIC WORKS, AND I'LL BE GOING WITH COUNCILMAN BENSON TO MOUND AND TO
MINNETONKA. 
          I ALSO ATTENDED THE AS RICHIE POINTED OUT, THE NORTH ARM OPEN HOUSE,
WHERE COUNCILMAN BENSON WAS THERE AS WELL, AND WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION THERE. AND WE'LL WAIT TO SEE WHAT HENNEPIN COUNTY
BRINGS TO US, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH OUR VARIANCES BEFORE THEY CAN DO ANYTHING. ON JANUARY
30TH, I WAS INVITED TO GO TO THE MET COUNCIL, STATE OF THE REGION IN DOWNTOWN SAINT PAUL. 
          THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING. AND I MET UP WITH HEATHER EDELSON,
WHO HAD BEEN AT OUR PREVIOUS MEETING, AND I FOUND THAT ALL VERY INFORMATIONAL. I THINK THAT IS IT. 
          OKAY. TODAY I ATTENDED THE REGIONAL COUNCIL OF MAYORS MEETING DOWNTOWN,
AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH ABOUT 40 OTHER MAYORS IN THE METRO AREA. 
          [Mayor/Council Report]
VERY INTERESTING. WE HAD OUTSIDE SPEAKERS, THREE OUTSIDE SPEAKERS,
THAT TALKED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF CITIES AND IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. 
          SO I APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO GO THERE AND COMPARE NOTES AND AND PICK UP BEST PRACTICES
FROM OTHER OTHER MAYORS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES SIMILAR TO ORONO. ANYTHING ELSE TO COME BEFORE THE THE MEETING? I GUESS WE SORT OF SKIPPED OVER A REPORT FROM YOU,
ADAM. 
          ANYTHING MORE YOU WANT TO? I THINK WE COVERED MOST OF IT IN THE IN THE RESOLUTIONS THAT WE
ADOPTED. 
          YEP. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE TO COME BEFORE THE MEETING? 
          [01:40:01]
IF NOT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN. 
          SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. 
          WE ARE ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.