Jan 12, 2026 City Council

ALL RIGHT. I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECITING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO START OUR MEETING.

[Roll Call]

[00:00:06]

ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

THANK YOU AND WELCOME. I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT COUNCIL AND STAFF AND I MET FOR 4.5 HOURS THIS MORNING GOING THROUGH GOALS FOR THE YEAR. AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRESS THAT WE MADE AND THE THE THE PROCESS THAT WE, WE FOLLOWED WITH GREAT LEAD FROM STAFF. SO APPARENTLY WE WORE JON SCHWINGLER OUT BECAUSE HE'S NOT FEELING WELL.

HE WAS HERE THIS MORNING FOR ALL 4.5 HOURS AND CALLED IN TO SAY THAT HE WAS NOT FEELING WELL TONIGHT.

SO OTHER THAN THAT, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, BUT WE ARE MISSING JOHN.

FIRST ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA, THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[Approval of Agenda]

[Consent Agenda]

TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ARE THE CITY COUNCIL, MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING IN DECEMBER, CLAIMS AND BILLS, UPCOMING WORK SESSIONS, TOBACCO SALES LICENSES, ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS, THAT'S RESOLUTION 7656, A CONTRACT FOR RESIDENTIAL WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING FUNDING, THAT'S RESOLUTION 7658 ELECTION WRITE IN VOTE RECORDING. THAT'S RESOLUTION 7657 RESIGNATION AND RECRUITMENT AND RECRUITMENT FOR A PUBLIC WORKS UTILITY WORKER, A COMPENSATION INCREASE FOR A DIFFERENT PUBLIC UTILITIES, PUBLIC WORKS UTILITY SUPERVISOR, LA25-51. THAT'S A VARIANCE REQUEST AT 4680 NORTH SHORE DRIVE.

THAT'S RESOLUTION 7659. AND FINALLY, 2026 SANITARY SEWER REHABILITATION DESIGN WITH A PROPOSED BID WITH WITH OUR ENGINEERING FIRM. DOES ANYBODY LIKE TO PULL ANY OF THOSE ITEMS OUT FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION OR ADD ANY OTHER ITEMS TO OUR AGENDA TONIGHT? MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO PULL THE ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS.

IT'S ITEM NUMBER FIVE, PLEASE, ON CONSENT. OKAY.

ANY OTHERS? ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA MINUS ITEM NUMBER FIVE.

MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM FIVE.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT. FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL THEN OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

[Public Comments]

PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOURSELF AND YOUR ADDRESS, AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS.

THANK YOU. MY NAME IS RICK ROHRER, AND I LIVE AT 1424 BALDWIN PARK ROAD IN ORONO.

AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO JUST COMMENT A LITTLE BIT ON RECENT CITY COUNCIL ACTION TO APPROVE SOME ZONING VARIANCES, WHICH WENT CONTRARY TO THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT GIVES THE APPEARANCE THAT WE'RE NOT FORCING A UNIFORM STANDARD IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND PERHAPS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL LACKS SOME TRUST IN OUR PLANNING COMMISSION. AND LOOKING INTO THE CASES.

ONE CASE WAS SOMEBODY WANTED TWO EXTRA GARAGE STALLS FOR A TOTAL OF FOUR ON THEIR PROPERTY, WHICH SEEMS TO GO BEYOND, IN MY MIND GOES BEYOND REASONABLE USE AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PROPERTY.

AND ANOTHER CASE THAT YOU JUST APPROVED WAS SOMEONE EXPAND A GARAGE THAT DIDN'T CONFORM ALREADY.

AND I THINK THERE WAS ONE LAST SUMMER ALSO WHERE SOMEBODY WANTED TO PUT A GAZEBO BY THEIR POOL.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED AGAINST IT, BUT YET THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED IT.

SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND I THINK WE SHOULD PUT A LITTLE MORE TRUST IN OUR PLANNING COMMISSION TO DO THE JOB AND ENFORCE UNIFORM STANDARDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? JAY NYGAARD, 1386 REST POINT ROAD. AND I AGREE, BEING ON A PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY.

TO ME, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THEIR WORK IS HONORED.

ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T LOOK CLOSELY INTO ANY OF THIS, I WANTED TO BE HERE LAST MEETING, BUT I COULDN'T MAKE IT BECAUSE OF WORK.

BUT WHATEVER. I JUST WANT TO SAY GOOD JOB ON THE FIRST YEAR.

[00:05:04]

IT WAS A LOT TO DO. I MEAN, YOU REALLY HAD TO TAKE I MEAN, DOUBLE CONTEMPT OF COURT, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS YOU WERE FACING AND YOU TO ME, DONE A FAIRLY GOOD JOB IN NAVIGATING YOUR WAY THROUGH IT, GIVEN THE COMMUNITIES AND WHAT'S GOING ON.

A COUPLE THINGS I WISH WOULD HAVE GONE A LITTLE BETTER WITH LONG LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT WHATEVER.

RIGHT. WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH NOW. WE'VE TURNED THE BOAT AROUND AND WE'RE GOING THE RIGHT WAY.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU THAT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE WORKED SO HARD BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SIT UP THERE AND WORK.

AND I CAN ONLY UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH HARDER IT WAS FOR YOU DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, SO THANK YOU.

WHEN WE GET TO THE SOLAR APPLICATION WE WERE WORKING ON I JUST WANT TO SAY I KIND OF STILL FEEL I WAS ICED OUT OF IT BY THE CITY.

ALTHOUGH YOU GUYS MADE THEM PARTICIPATE WITH ME.

I HAD ONE LITTLE MEETING AND THEN NO, NO COMMUNICATIONS AFTERWARDS.

AND I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE CONTINUED INPUT, TO TRY TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SOLAR GRANT OR WHATEVER WE COULD GET WENT THROUGH.

I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT LAST THING I WANT TO MENTION IS ALTHOUGH TO ME, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE ROT, BUT THE PROBLEMS UP ON THE COUNCIL ARE GONE. BUT I STILL SEE ISSUES IN, IN AND WITH CITY STAFF AND SOME OF YOU KNOW OF THEM AND SOME DON'T.

I GOT A COUPLE ISSUES GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT SOMETHING A LITTLE DISTURBING CAME TO MY ATTENTION.

IT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY ONE OF MY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS, FOR WHICH MR. EDWARDS DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR. AND THIS IS A LETTER FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR OF POSITIVE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT.

TUESDAY, MARCH 26TH, 2024. I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE WHILE AGO, BUT I DIDN'T GET THIS UNTIL SOMEWHAT RECENTLY AND SAID I WANTED TO COME LAST MEETING. IT SAYS ORONO EMPLOYEES, THE CITY IS COMMITTED TO CREATING AND MAINTAINING A PUBLIC SERVICE WORKPLACE FREE OF HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION. THE ONLY REASON THIS EMAIL WAS EVEN SENT WAS BECAUSE THREE CURRENT AND OR FORMER PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES CAME FORWARD TO ME BECAUSE THEY KNEW I HAD A VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT I COULD HELP THEM RESOLVE SOME ISSUES GOING ON THAT WERE PRETTY SERIOUS.

SO THAT'S THE ONLY REASON THIS IS GOING OUT NOW.

MR. EDWARDS SAYS I'M REACHING OUT VIA THIS EMAIL BLAST.

IN RESPONSE, HE SENT IT TO EVERYBODY. OKAY. IF YOU LOOK, HE SENT IT TO EVERYBODY IN THE CITY.

I'M REACHING OUT VIA THIS EMAIL BLAST IN RESPONSE TO SOME UNSAID THANK YOU TO SOME UNSETTLING AND ILL INFORMED ACCUSATIONS BEING MADE ABOUT ORONO AND STAFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA. ONE OF THE CONCERNS IN THE VIDEOS IS THAT THE CITY HAS A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT THAT IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED BY MANAGEMENT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE CAME TO ME ABOUT.

OKAY, I GOT THE TRUTH OUT THERE AND I'M HAPPY THIS EMAIL WENT OUT BECAUSE TO ME, SOME CHANGE HAS BEEN MADE AND WE COULD GO OVER THAT ANOTHER TIME.

BUT THAT'S GOOD. BUT HERE'S WHAT BOTHERS ME. RIGHT HERE, TYPICAL OF THE PURVEYOR OF THESE VIDEOS, THEY ARE LITTERED WITH INACCURACIES AND EMBELLISHMENTS.

REALLY? SO WE HAVE A SITTING CITY ADMINISTRATOR THAT USES HIS POSITION WITH THE CITY TO DENIGRATE ME TO ALL CITY EMPLOYEES.

THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS. AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ENACTED A WORKPLACE DEAL AND A RESPECTFUL DEAL GOING ON.

CODE OF CONDUCT. AND I KNOW THIS HAPPENED BEFOREHAND.

OKAY, I UNDERSTAND ALL THAT, BUT I THINK YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO YOU'RE WORKING WITH UP HERE AND THAT WHILE HE MAY BE ALL NICEY NICE WHEN IT'S IN MEETINGS AND WORKING, GETTING STUFF DONE, THIS TYPE OF STUFF CAN GO ON BEHIND THE SCENES.

IT'S DISRESPECTFUL. IT'S DEFAMATORY. IT'S OUTRIGHT RUDE.

HE COULD SIMPLY HAVE SAID, HEY, WE GOT A PROBLEM THAT'S COME TO OUR ATTENTION.

WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON IT AND SOLVE IT. BUT NO, WE HAD TO TAKE THE PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE SHOT AT THE TURBINE GUY.

AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, I DON'T PUBLISH ANYTHING UNLESS I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE IT'S THE TRUTH.

AND I DOUBLE CHECK SOURCES AND TRIPLE CHECK AT TIMES.

AND TO SAY THAT I'M LITTERED WITH INACCURACIES AND EMBELLISHMENTS, I NOW CHALLENGE MR. EDWARDS WHAT WAS INACCURATE AND WHAT DID I EMBELLISH? AND IF HE CAN'T GIVE THAT STUFF TO ME, I'D APPRECIATE AN APOLOGY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE. WHICH IS THE ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS RESOLUTION 7656.

[5. Annual Appointments - Resolution 7656]

[00:10:04]

HERE IT IS. THANK YOU. THERE WE GO. THANKS. ADAM, IF YOU COULD SCROLL DOWN TO THE PARK.

IT'S REALLY SPECIFIC TO ONE OF THESE COMMISSIONS, THE PARKS COMMISSION.

I WANTED TO ADDRESS THIS AND JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONVERSATION HERE.

HERE IT IS. ABOUT THE CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR POSITION.

AND GET AN UPDATE ON THAT, BECAUSE WHILE KIM CARSWELL IS, I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF THE CHAIR POSITION, THE VICE CHAIR POSITION IS SOMETHING THAT THAT I WAS NOT AWARE OF.

AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR THAT APPOINTMENT.

AND JOE IS NOT HERE, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THAT'S ONE THAT I'M, THAT WAS NOT OPENLY DISCUSSED.

AND IF WE NEED MORE TIME I WOULD LIKE TO JUST HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCUSSION OR UNDERSTAND MORE FROM THE PARK COMMISSION OR FROM STAFF ABOUT THAT RECOMMENDATION.

AND IF WE NEED TO SIMPLY PULL THAT FROM THIS TIME AND DO IT A DIFFERENT TIME, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL.

BUT I THINK SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, THAT NAME THAT CAME OUT OF, I THINK NOT ANYWHERE THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH WOULD BE HELPFUL.

SURE. I MEAN, THESE APPOINTMENTS ARE YOURS AS A COUNCIL TO MAKE.

SO UNTIL YOU APPROVE THEM, THEY ARE DRAFT. I WE WE GOT INPUT FROM ALL THROUGH THE STAFF TO REPOPULATE THIS THING FOR THIS YEAR, SO I DON'T I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHO SAID WHAT TO WHO ON ON THOSE.

BUT BY ALL MEANS, IT'S IT'S IT'S IT'S YOURS. YOURS TO DO WITH AS YOU WILL.

SO I GUESS WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE'RE PROBABLY OKAY WITH THE CHAIR.

I THINK THAT'S BEEN FULLY VETTED. YEAH. VICE CHAIR HAS NOT NECESSARILY BEEN VETTED.

SO I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ENTIRE LIST.

ABSENT THE VICE CHAIR OF THE PARKS COMMISSION FOR FURTHER STUDY.

IF THAT'S A MOTION THAT SOMEBODY WANTS TO MAKE, AND I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, I WOULD JUST LIKE MORE INFORMATION AS THAT POSITION WAS NOT DISCUSSED, AND I WOULD APPRECIATE MORE BACKGROUND ON THAT ONE.

SO I'M HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 7656.

ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS FOR 2026, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VICE CHAIR PARKS COMMISSION POSITION.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT IS CITY ADMINISTRATOR ENGINEER REPORT UNDER WHICH ITEM 12.

[12. 2026 Street Project Design - Walking Trail]

I BELIEVE IT IS. AND FOR THAT, I WOULD TURN IT OVER TO THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO DISCUSS.

YEAH. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, AS YOU MAY RECALL LAST SUMMER, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE BEGINNING OF THE DESIGN FOR THE 2026 ROAD PROJECTS. YOU CAN SEE ON THIS IMAGE HERE.

THE NORTH ARM DRIVE AND THE NORTH ARM LANE WERE PART ARE PART OF OUR ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PAVEMENT REHABILITATION PROJECTS FOR THIS YEAR.

UNIQUE TO 2026, WAS THE POTENTIAL INCLUSION OF A PEDESTRIAN TRAIL ALONG A PORTION OF NORTH ARM DRIVE THAT IS DEPICTED WITH THE YELLOW, THE YELLOW LINE THERE COMING FROM THE WEST BRANCH INTERSECTION NORTH AND THEN WEST TO THE LAKEVIEW LEGACY PARK, WHICH IS A PRIVATE PUBLIC PARK, PRIVATE PARK OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

THIS TRAIL ADDITION WAS SOMETHING THAT THE PARKS COMMISSION AND CITY LOOKED AT BACK IN 2017.

IT IS INCLUDED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS ONE OF THE TRAILS TO BE CONSIDERED.

THE CHALLENGE WITH THIS TRAIL IS IS. SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I ASKED THE THE CONSULTANT ENGINEERS TO DO IS TO SCOPE THE WORK THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO CREATE THIS TRAIL. NOW, A COUPLE THINGS TO TO KNOW IS THE PROPOSAL WAS NOT TO BUILD A MULTIMODAL TRAIL LIKE YOU MIGHT SEE LIKE THE IF YOU THINK OF THE DAKOTA OR THE INDEPENDENCE TRAIL HERE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING, BUT RATHER WAS TO PUT IN A FOUR FOOT WIDE AGGREGATE WALKING TRAIL.

[00:15:01]

SO IF YOU THOUGHT THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT, THEN THE DITCH LINE AND THEN A TRAIL AND THEN THE REST OF THE RIGHT OF WAY INITIAL SCOPING OF THAT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO COST A LOT OF MONEY. SO WHAT I ASKED THE, THE CONSULTANT TO DO WAS LOOK AT WHAT WOULD IT TAKE JUST TO ADD FOUR FEET OF AGGREGATE? BASICALLY AN AGGREGATE SHOULDER THAT COULD BE USED AS A PEDESTRIAN TRAIL ON THE SOUTH, WEST OR SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD, AS I DID GET THAT BACK RIGHT BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS.

AND THE ESTIMATES IS OVER $300,000. THE PROVISION OF ACTUALLY PUTTING AGGREGATE DOWN TO CREATE A FOUR FOOT SHOULDER IS NOT VERY EXPENSIVE. THE CHALLENGE, AND I'LL SHOW YOU IN A COUPLE OF OTHER SLIDES IS AS WE, AS WE GO ALONG THE PATH OF THAT PROPOSED TRAIL IS, IS THE, THE SHOULDER AND THE TOPOGRAPHY OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE, OF, OF THE ROAD NECESSITATES IF WE WERE TO, TO PUT THIS IN A NUMBER OF RETAINING WALLS AND THOSE RETAINING WALLS ARE REALLY WHAT DRIVE THE COST UP.

THE OTHER ASPECT IS AS, AS YOU GO THROUGH THE QUARTER AND LOOK AT THE AREA FOR THE TRAIL THERE'S A GREAT NUMBER OF OUR RIGHT OF WAY TREES THAT WOULD NEED TO COME DOWN AS PART OF THAT. SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE VISUALS IN THE PRESENTATION HERE.

SO LOOKING AT AT THIS SLIDE, THIS TOP PART OF THE GRAPHIC.

THERE IS THIS AREA HERE. THIS IS THAT PUBLIC PRIVATE TRAIL.

SO WE'RE STARTING STARTING HERE ON THE ON THE MAP WITH THE TRAIL.

AND WE HAVE A BUNCH OF WALLS THAT ARE NECESSARY.

AND THEN THIS CONTINUES AROUND THIS FIRST CORNER SHOWING THIS I JUST DID A COUPLE JUST TODAY, EVEN JUST PULLED A COUPLE IMAGES OFF OF GOOGLE MAPS JUST TO KIND OF SHOW SOME OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO JUST LOOKING AT THESE AGAIN, THIS IS SHOWING WHERE THE TRAIL WOULD GO, WOULD BE OVER ON THE SIDE HERE YOU CAN SEE ALL THE VEGETATION.

AND THIS ONE YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE HAVE THE SLOPES COMING OFF FROM THE EDGE OF THE ROAD THAT CAUSED THAT.

SO AND THEN THIS IS THEN SHOWING THE REST AS YOU GO FURTHER AND GET BACK TO THE INTERSECTION WITH WEST.

AND A COUPLE SHOTS OF THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TOO BAD.

RIGHT AFTER YOU COME OFF THE OFF THE INTERSECTION AND START HEADING AROUND. WE COULD PROBABLY DO THAT WITH MINIMAL EFFORT. BUT PRETTY SOON AS YOU START COMING AROUND THE CORNER AND YOU GET INTO THIS AREA IN HERE, YOU START HAVING ALL THOSE CONFLICTS.

SO BEFORE WE PROCEED WITH ANY ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING FEES TO DO ANY FURTHER DESIGN WORK ON THIS, I WANTED TO COME TO THE COUNCIL TO GET GET A DECISION.

DO WE CONTINUE WITH THE TRAIL OR DO WE POSTPONE OR CANCEL THE TRAIL AS PART OF THIS PROJECT? THE OTHER THING I, SO ENGINEER'S ESTIMATE FOR JUST THE TRAIL WORK $347,000.

THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE TREE REPLACEMENTS. I WAS JUST LOOKING THROUGH THAT. THAT'S JUST PREDOMINANTLY AGAIN, WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, $130,000 WORTH OF RETAINING WALL JUST BY ITSELF.

THAT WOULD NEED TO GO IN. AND THAT'S JUST TO PUT A FOUR FOOT GRAVEL TRAIL.

DID YOU SAY THERE WERE ALREADY WAS A TRAIL, A PRIVATE TRAIL THERE THAT WE'RE MEETING UP WITH? THERE IS THERE IS A PRIVATE PARK, AND THEN THERE'S A TRAIL WITHIN THE PARK.

COME FALL SOME THE OLD GOLF COURSE PATHS YOU KNOW.

OH, OKAY. AND THEN AND THEN CONNECTS OVER INTO THE DEVELOPMENT.

IS THIS SOMETHING THE PUBLIC HAS EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN HAVING? IN 2017 YES. THERE WAS THERE WAS SOME INTEREST.

THAT WAS WHEN WE WERE JUST COMING OUT OF THE APPROVALS OF THE AND THE BEGINNING OF THE LAKEVIEW DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO ACTUALLY AT THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, SOME THE PARKS COMMISSION HAD A SEVERAL RESIDENTS FROM THAT IMMEDIATE AREA.

AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF FOCUS ON, WELL, THE LAKEVIEW YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT IS GOING IN.

WHAT WHAT CAN THE CITY DO ABOUT YOU KNOW, PARK TYPE, RECREATION TYPE AMENITIES IN THE AREA? THE PRIVATE PARK BECAME PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THE DEVELOPMENT MET THE REST OF IT'S PARK REQUIREMENTS BY HAVING PARKED PAYING PARK DEDICATION FEES.

SO THERE WAS SOME WORD THAT KEPT GETTING POUNDED AROUND WAS THE NEXUS BETWEEN THE PARK DEDICATION FEES AND THE AREA.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY CAME UP WITH WAS THIS THIS WALKING TRAIL.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT HAS. SINCE THEN, NO, I MEAN, THE VARIOUS PARKS COMMISSIONERS WHO KIND OF ON THE TRAIL SUBCOMMITTEE HAVE KEPT AN EYE ON IT BEEN PROPONENTS FOR IT. BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'VE HAD AN OUTCRY FROM THE COMMUNITY OVER.

THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SHOW THIS IS IT'S A LITTLE BIT BUSY, BUT THIS COMES FROM OUR OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WITH THE, WITH THE TRAIL NETWORK. SO THERE ARE NO PROPOSED OR EXISTING MULTIMODAL TRAILS THAT COME TO THAT AREA.

[00:20:06]

AND THEN WEST ARM HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS A ON STREET BIKEWAY BY THE COUNTY.

SO YES, YOU CAN RIDE YOUR BIKE, BUT NO DEDICATED BIKE LANES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, RIGHT? OR NOT? NOT A MULTI OR NOT. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT AN EXISTING OR A PLANNED OFF OFF STREET BIKE TRAIL OR WALKING PATH OF ANY KIND. SO THE OTHER THING JUST TO CONSIDER AS WE LOOK AT THESE KIND OF EXPENDITURES IS IT DOESN'T REALLY CONNECT.

IF WE BUILT THIS, IT DOESN'T REALLY CONNECT INTO ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR.

WHAT'S THE SPEED LIMIT ON THAT ROAD, DO YOU RECALL? IT'S PRETTY FAST, ISN'T IT? THE SPEED LIMIT ON WEST PALM.

I COULD LOOK IT UP. I JUST KNOW THAT I WANT TO SAY IT'S 45.

ONCE YOU GET THERE, ONCE YOU GET PAST, LIKE, LOMA LINDA, 45 ON.

YEAH, AS YOU COME ALONG. BUT ONCE YOU GET NORTH ON DRIVE ON THE COUNTY ROAD, BUT NORTH PALM DRIVE, I'D HAVE TO LOOK UP. I THINK THAT'S WHAT, 30. I DOUBT I'D BE THERE.

YEAH. I CAN'T READ THAT. YEAH.

OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD?IT'S 30. 30. YEAH, 30. OKAY. YEAH, THAT SOUNDS RIGHT.

THERE YOU GO. HOW WIDE IS THAT STREET NOW AND INTENDED TO BE? IS IT? IT IS RANGES FROM 20 TO 23FT WIDE. OKAY.

WE'VE GOT THE PAVEMENT. GOES A LITTLE BIT LIKE THAT. LIKE IT'S A EXCEPTIONALLY NARROW ROAD FOR SOMEBODY THAT WANTED TO WALK WITHOUT THIS TRAIL.

IT'S STILL SAFE TO DO SO. IT IS. IT IS A WIDER ROAD.

BUT THAT'S KIND OF A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO HAVE WIDER, WIDER LANES AND WIDER OPEN FIELDS OF VIEW AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THE, YOU KNOW, THE HUMAN BEHAVIOR IS TO SPEED UP THE MORE COMFORTABLE YOU ARE, THE FASTER YOU TEND TO GO.

SO IT DOES. ALTHOUGH IT'S POSTED AT 30, I COULD SEE WHERE SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE DOING.

DO WE HAVE A HISTORY OF ANY. NO. NOT ANY NOT ANY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS.

I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T GONE BACK AND CHECKED OUR, OUR ACCIDENT THING SINCE LAST YEAR WHEN WE STARTED THIS, BUT NO, THERE WERE NO, THERE WERE PARTICULARLY NO PEDESTRIAN VEHICLE INCIDENTS ON THIS ROAD.

THERE ARE, THERE ARE. AND BACK IN WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, FOLKS PARTICULARLY ON THE PARKS COMMISSION WHO WHO WERE ADVOCATING FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, ANECDOTALLY TALKED ABOUT NEAR-MISSES AND HOW THEY SOMETIMES DON'T FEEL SAFE ON THE ROAD, PARTICULARLY IF I REMEMBER RIGHT. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT WASN'T EVEN ALWAYS THE CARS.

IT WAS PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR BIKES GOING FAST. AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE WALKING AND WITH YOUR KIDS AND THINGS, WHICH ARE ALL NORMAL CONCERNS THAT WE WOULD EXPECT OUT OF A, OUT OF A, OUT OF A NEIGHBORHOOD IN AN AREA LIKE THIS.

WAS THE INTENTION TO IN TERMS OF OPERATIONS, TO BE CLEARING THIS DURING THE WINTER FOR WALKING.

HAVING STAFF GO OUT THERE WITH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, THE NEW KABUTO OR WHATEVER ELSE AND TAKE OFF SNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING THEN ABOUT MORE OPERATIONAL UPKEEP.

IT NOT NOT PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT'S GRAVEL. SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS BEING AN OFF THE TRAIL THAT WAS OFFSET, WE WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE DONE ANY SNOW CLEARANCE.

PEOPLE COULD HAVE SNOW CHUTE OR WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO ON IT.

WE DO CLEAR OUR ROADS AND WE DO CLEAR OUR, OUR OUR SHOULDERS AS WELL.

BUT IT'S NOT A, UNLESS YOU GO ALL THE WAY DOWN AND YOU START THROWING GRAVEL INTO THE INTO THE DITCH, YOU CAN'T GET ALL THE WAY DOWN AND KEEP IT CLEAR-CLEAR.

IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE. I HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS. IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE FINISHED WITH YOUR PART OF THIS.

THIS IS THIS IS NICE TO SEE THIS TONIGHT BECAUSE WE JUST SPENT FOUR HOURS TALKING ABOUT GOALS.

YEAH. RIGHT. AND ONE OF THOSE IS FISCAL STEWARDSHIP.

AND WE'VE ALSO TALKED, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PARK STANDARDS AND ABOUT WHAT MAINTAINING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE, AND THAT THAT ITSELF IS A LARGE BUDGET ITEM. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE AT A $347,000 EXPENDITURE, 80,000 WAS INCLUDED IN THE TRAILER. THIS IS COMING OUT FROM PARKS FUND, WHICH IS ALREADY A FUND THAT IN TERMS OF MAINTENANCE OF OUR CITY, WITH THE TREE REMOVAL, WITH THE MAINTENANCE OF THESE OTHER PARKS THAT HAVE GONE, AS WE DISCUSSED EARLIER, BUT SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED OVER THE YEARS.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I SEE FROM AS A PRIORITY FOR OUR CITY.

IT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT AT THE TIME, THERE WAS ENERGY AROUND THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT AND TRYING TO PROVIDE SOME MORE WALKING ACCESS.

BUT WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OUT HERE, AND IT'S WONDERFUL OF MANY, MANY PLACES THAT PEOPLE CAN SAFELY WALK.

[00:25:03]

I DON'T KNOW IF STAFF WAS RECOMMENDING STAFF IS RECOMMENDING ELIMINATION OF THE TRAIL PROJECT.

CORRECT? CORRECT. OKAY. WELL, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT FOR THOSE REASONS.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY MORE DISCUSSION, BUT I'D MAKE A MOTION THAT WE FOLLOW STAFF RECOMMENDATION WITH THE ELIMINATION TRAIL PROJECT FOR 2026 STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS SPECIFIC TO NORTH ARM.

NORTH ARM DRIVE. YES. I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. SECOND.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF OF NOT DOING THE TRAIL WHICH I BELIEVE IS THE MOTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED TO THAT MOTION CARRIES.

ALL RIGHT. JUST ONE MORE ITEM ON THE AGENDA, MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORT.

[13. Lake Minnetonka Area Legislative Coalition Proposal Discussion]

I'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH LAKES AREA MAYORS THIS PAST FALL.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP WAS THIS NOTION THAT WE AS CITIES ALONG LAKE MINNETONKA ARE REALLY BEING ASKED TO BEAR THE BRUNT OF INCREASES TO OUR PROPERTY TAXES FRANKLY, AS A RESULT OF DECREASES IN PROPERTY VALUES AND THE INNER CITY PARTICULARLY DOWNTOWN.

AND THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION AMONG THE MAYORS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS? THERE'S A PERCEPTION THAT THERE'S NOBODY LOOKING OUT FOR US AS LAKE MINNETONKA CITIES IN TERMS OF HENNEPIN COUNTY AND SETTING PROPERTY VALUES AND AND STATE OF MINNESOTA IN TERMS OF WHERE MONEYS GO SUCH THAT WE PAY IN A LOT MORE IN OUR PROPERTY TAXES THAN WE RECEIVE FROM THE COUNTY OR THE STATE.

AND SO ONE OF THE ACTION ITEMS THAT THAT CAME OUT OF THOSE MEETINGS WAS THE NOTION THAT, GEE, MAYBE WE SHOULD HIRE A LOBBYIST TO GO TOGETHER AND HIRE LOBBYISTS.

SEVERAL OF THE OTHER SEVERAL OF THE CITIES THAT WERE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION, MINNETONKA AND WAYZATA TO NAME A COUPLE, ALREADY HAVE LOBBYISTS THAT THEY HAVE LOBBYING FOR THEM AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

AND REALLY WE'RE PROPONENTS OF THIS BANDING TOGETHER AND HAVING ALL OF US CHIP IN FOR A LOBBYIST THAT WOULD THAT WOULD CARRY THE TORCH FOR US AT AT STATE LEGISLATURE AND HENNEPIN COUNTY.

SO WHAT WAS SHARED WITH US MORE RECENTLY IS THIS THIS MEMORANDUM THAT WAS SHARED WITH, WITH COUNCIL.

I BELIEVE THEY BASED ON THE CITIES THAT WERE THAT HAVE BEEN IN TALKS ABOUT THIS OUR SHARE OF A LOBBYIST WOULD BE WHAT WAS IT, APPROXIMATELY $9,000, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

CORRECT. BASED ON THE CALCULATIONS THEY HAD IN THAT LATEST EMAIL AND I ROUNDED, BUT ORONO.

ORONO ALLOCATION BE $9,000 A YEAR. THERE IS THERE IS A PROVISION IN WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING WHERE ONE CITY TAKES ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AND ACTUALLY EXECUTES THE CONTRACT FOR THE LOBBYIST AND GETS GETS A, A REDUCTION OF I THINK IT'S.

$5,000 CREDIT FOR THAT. YEAH. AND AND BELIEVE ME, I DIDN'T RAISE MY HAND, BUT HANDS WERE RAISED IN MY DIRECTION SAYING, ORONO SHOULD DO THIS. AND I SAID, WELL, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING I NEED TO TALK TO OUR COUNCIL ABOUT.

SO ANYWAY, THAT IS WHAT IS ON THE TABLE HERE.

IT IS NOT BUDGETED IN THIS COMING YEAR'S BUDGET.

I DO AGREE THAT THERE THAT WE WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A UNITED VOICE.

YOU CAN SEE THE I THINK IN THAT MEMO THERE IS SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT THAT THE GROUP HAD IDENTIFIED, THE FIRST OF WHICH IS TO PROTECT LOCAL CONTROL, THIS THIS IDEA THAT THERE COULD BE STATEWIDE ZONING IS NOT GOING AWAY. AND THAT I THINK REALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE VEHEMENTLY AGAINST.

AND THIS LOBBYIST WOULD WOULD WORK TO PROTECT OUR LOCAL CONTROL OVER OVER ZONING,

[00:30:03]

AND THEN THE LAST THING WAS PROPERTY TAX REFORM THAT REALLY FOCUSES ON FAIRNESS FOR LAKE AREA RESIDENTS AND AND TRIES TO GET LESS OF THE BURDEN ON US AS AS, YOU KNOW, FOLKS, THAT THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, SEEING OUR PROPERTY VALUES CONTINUE TO RISE AND THEREFORE OUR PROPERTY TAXES CONTINUE TO RISE.

SO WE'VE TALKED TO A LOBBYIST, CARNIVAL BURNS, THEY'VE DEVELOPED A PROPOSAL FOR US.

AND AND SO I'D OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M NOT A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR THIS.

I CAN SEE THE VALUE. BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A COUNCIL DECISION, NOT MY OWN DECISION.

I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS AND SOME QUESTIONS. I'M WONDERING HOW THAT FIRM WAS CHOSEN.

THAT IS A QUESTION, HOW THE FIRM WAS CHOSEN AND I JUST.

BUT I CAN MAKE SOME COMMENTS AS WELL IF WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT.

I AM ALSO A BIG ADVOCATE AND HAVE BEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME ON WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.

THIS HAS BEEN A THEME FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS STRIVED TO SUPPORT BECAUSE WE WORK BETTER TOGETHER TYPICALLY, AND RELATIONSHIPS ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

IN THIS CASE, I HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS, ONE OF WHICH IS THE LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES HAS ADVOCACY THAT WE ALREADY PAY FOR, MUCH OF WHICH IS ALREADY FOCUSED ON THESE AREAS.

AND THAT IS AN EXPENSE. AND AGAIN, THINKING WITH THAT FISCAL STEWARDSHIP HAT ON THAT WE ALREADY THAT WE DO BUDGET FOR AND THAT'S ALREADY BUILT IN.

THIS IS COMING BEFORE US. I'M NOT SURE. THE ORIGIN SEEMS TO BE THAT IT'S BEEN KICKED AROUND BY OR PROPOSED BY A FEW OF THE MAYORS, WHICH IS FINE. WE'RE NOT BUDGETED FOR IT THIS YEAR, AND PERSONALLY, I WOULD FEEL LIKE I WOULD NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE LEAGUE IS FALLING SHORT FOR US IN THIS AREA, FOR US TO TAKE ON AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE, EVEN IF IT'S 9000, BECAUSE IT'S NOT SIMPLY THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.

IT'S ALSO THE IDEA OF DO WE NEED TO SPEND DOLLARS IN THIS AREA? WHAT ARE WE MISSING? WHAT ARE WE LACKING? ANOTHER CONCERN I HAVE IS, IS THAT THIS IS NEARLY A DOZEN CITIES, 11 MUCH LIKE THE THE LAKE MINNETONKA CONSERVATION DISTRICT.

HOW ARE WE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THESE 11 CITIES? I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE A GOOD ANSWER FOR THAT.

AND MY CONCERN IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PAY A PRIVATE FIRM TO TO ADVOCATE FOR 11 CLIENTS, ALL OF WHOM ARE DIFFERENT SIZES, ALL OF WHOM HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THIS PERSON OR THIS FIRM IS ADVOCATING FOR, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE A CLEAR IDEA, OR THAT THE GROUP DOES ON THE OUTSET OR FROM THE BEGINNING OF WHAT THAT IS.

SO PERSONALLY, WHILE I'M DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF WORKING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE HAD A HISTORY OF AT LEAST A YEAR OR SO IN MAYOR'S GROUPS OR, OR SOMETHING WHERE WE ARE NOT ENGAGING WITH THE THIRD PARTY TO SAY, DO WE HAVE ALIGNMENT? ARE WE SHOWING THAT WE HAVE ALIGNMENT BEFORE HIRING SOMEBODY TO WORK ON OUR BEHALF, ALONG WITH TEN OTHER CITIES AND SPENDING MONEY ALONG THE WAY? SO THAT'S LIKE YOU I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF OR OPPOSED, BUT THIS TO ME FEELS LIKE THERE'S MORE INFORMATION THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR MORE DISCUSSION HAD BEFORE I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE SIGNING OFF ON THIS.

OKAY. AND TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT ASKING FOR A DECISION TONIGHT.

I'M ASKING FOR FEEDBACK THAT I CAN THEN GO BACK AND PROVIDE TO THE MAYORS GROUP.

SO THAT MY POINT WOULD BE THEN WHERE IS THERE ALIGNMENT ALREADY WITHIN THESE 11 CITIES? WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES FOR THIS FIRM? BECAUSE WHAT I THINK WE DO KNOW, AND WE DISCUSSED THIS EARLIER, THIS STATE ON THE STATE LEVEL, THERE IS THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.

WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE US DO IS SPEND ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY, WHETHER IT'S 9000 OR MORE OR LESS, THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAVE A GOOD RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT.

AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, GIVEN THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE COHESION, MUCH LIKE LIKE I POINT TO THIS LMC, THERE CAN BE A LOT GOING ON WHEN YOU GET 11 CITIES WORKING, WORKING TOGETHER, BUT ALSO THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CITIES IN HERE THAT MAY HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES. SO THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE. AND MAYBE WE A TRACK RECORD OF A YEAR OR SO SHOWING THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THOSE GOALS AS A GROUP PRIOR TO ENGAGING WITH A FIRM.

THAT'S MY. OTHER THOUGHTS? I GUESS I'D HAVE TO SAY I AGREE WITH ALISA ON THE FACT THAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WOULD BE LOBBYING FOR AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID HAVE A

[00:35:08]

YEAH, YEAH, I GUESS I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING.

I THINK THAT IF THERE ARE RANK ORDER PRIORITIES IN HERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSED ON.

AND THEY CAN THEY THEY LOOK TO THE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE A PART OF THIS PACK, IF YOU WILL, TO, YOU KNOW, SET SOME GOALS AND SET SOME OBJECTIVES WITH THIS LOBBYING FIRM.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, WE SHOULD BE WE SHOULD BE A PART OF AN EFFORT LIKE THIS WITH COMMUNITIES AROUND US, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS. IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BEING COLLABORATIVE WITH THESE COMMUNITIES.

SO ME PERSONALLY, I, I WOULD BE YOU KNOW, I THINK BOB SAID IT, I TEND TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR BEING A PART OF THIS AS LONG AS THERE'S ALIGNMENT FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT COULD SHAPE UP TO BE A $3,500 COST TO THE CITY OF ORONO, IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD WANT TO BE A PART OF.

I DO HAVE THAT QUESTION. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ANSWERED NOW ABOUT THE FIRM AND HOW THAT WAS CHOSEN.

AND THEN ONE OTHER THING. I AGREE COMPLETELY ON THE COLLABORATIVE ASPECT.

AGAIN, THE QUESTION OF WHERE IS THE LEAGUE FALLING SHORT IN THESE AREAS BECAUSE WE DO PAY FOR THAT TYPE OF SERVICE.

AND I JUST WANT TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS NOT THAT IT'S REALLY NEEDED.

YEAH. NO, TO BE SURE. I MEAN THE TOP, THE TOP AREA OF SHARED POLICY CONCERN IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THE LEAGUE IS ADVOCATING ON OUR BEHALF. AND SO I THINK FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WE AREN'T WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.

JUST AND ALSO JUST A MINOR POINT, JUST IN CASE YOU'RE NOT AWARE, WE'RE ALSO A MEMBER OF METRO CITIES WHO ALSO LOBBIES THE LEGISLATURE.

AND WE'RE A MEMBER OF THAT. SO THEY, THEY DO BOTH THEY AND THE LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES AT LEAST ON THE LOCAL CONTROL ISSUES, ARE USUALLY ENGAGED WITH THE LEGISLATURE EACH SESSION.

I'D ALSO BE INTERESTED TO KNOW OF THIS GROUP, WHO'S EVER A PART OF IT AT THIS POINT, HOW MANY OF THOSE MAYORS DURING THEIR TENURE HAVE HAVE TESTIFIED BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE, HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THAT? I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR SEEING THE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO TO LEAD IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CITIES SHOWING UP TO TESTIFY THEMSELVES.

THAT CAN BE EFFECTIVE. YEAH. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THAT I DON'T THINK WE GET FROM THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY LOBBYING ON OUR BEHALF IS SORT OF THE FOCUS ON LAKE MINNETONKA.

PARTICULARLY OUR PLACE IN HENNEPIN COUNTY VIS A VIS, YOU KNOW, THE METRO AREAS THAT ARE THAT ARE NOT SEEING LARGE INCREASES IN VALUE.

RIGHT. SO IT'S SORT OF HAVING SOMEBODY THAT CAN SPEAK TO THAT SHARED CONCERN, YOU KNOW, THAT I THINK IS ALMOST CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE THAT SHARED CONCERN.

BUT IS IS SOMETHING THAT FROM A WORKLOAD STANDPOINT, BEING THE ADMINISTRATOR, IF ONE WERE TO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY WOULD BE MANAGEABLE WITHIN THE TEAM. SO I DID, I KNOW THE MAYOR ASKED ME A FEW TIMES OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO TO TO LOOK AT THIS.

AND AT FIRST I WAS KIND OF, OH, SURE, WE COULD PROBABLY DO IT. I DO HAVE SOME.

I DID PUT SOME HESITATION IN THIS COUNCIL ACTION MERELY BECAUSE AS I LOOKED AT THIS, IT'S NOT HUGE, BUT IT WOULD PREDOMINANTLY FALL ON OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO MANAGE THE, YOU KNOW, BILLING AND INVOICING AND ALL THAT.

AND THEN PROBABLY MYSELF OR THE CLERK TO ACTUALLY ADMINISTER THE CONTRACT.

AND MY ONLY HESITATION IS I'VE GOT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OVERLOADED RIGHT NOW TRYING TO STAND UP A FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO CERTAINLY SOMETHING I THINK WE COULD LOOK AT PROVIDING OR I'D BE COMFORTABLE PROVIDING SIX MONTHS FROM NOW.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I'D WANT TO RAISE MY HAND AND SAY, YEAH, PLEASE HAVE US ADMINISTER IT.

IF IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ON HERE IN THIS FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR, I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW WHY.

WHY WE WERE BEING VOLUNTEERED FOR THAT, GIVEN THE SIZE OF, OF OF MINNETONKA IN PARTICULAR, THAT. THE HISTORY ON THAT IS, I THINK THE FIRST ITERATION WHEN THIS WAS PITCHED AROUND TO THE CITIES OF THE CITIES IN THAT FIRST GROUPING.

WE'RE THE LARGEST [LAUGHS] BUT ONCE MINNETONKA [INAUDIBLE] ARE NO LONGER THE LARGEST.

RIGHT? EXACTLY RIGHT. OKAY. ALSO, I'M SORRY, JUST, IT HAS THE MENTION OF CREATING A JPA.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S ALL INVOLVED IN THAT AS WELL.

[00:40:01]

AND SO, YEAH, IT WOULD BE SOMETHING IT WOULD BE A MUCH MORE STREAMLINED AND EFFICIENT.

WELL, NOT EFFICIENT, BUT IT WOULD BE A LESS INVOLVED DOCUMENT.

JPA TAKES MANY FORMS. YOU'VE, YOU'VE FORMED A SEPARATE ENTITY WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO SORT THROUGH ON THAT.

YOU OFTENTIMES YOU'LL HEAR COMMUNITIES TALK ABOUT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

WELL, THAT'S JUST THAT'S A JPA. SO WHAT I WOULD DO IS SIMPLY SPELL OUT EXACTLY WHAT'S IN THAT LETTER OF ENGAGEMENT OF HERE'S THE 11 CITIES, HERE'S YOUR COST SHARING. HERE'S HOW WE'LL VOTE ON LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO ONE OTHER POINT ON THAT IS IF YOU ARE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT LMCAT IS ADVOCATING ON YOUR BEHALF, IF YOU GO TO THEIR WEB PAGE, THEY DO LIST THEIR 12 PRIMARY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.

IT'S NOT EXHAUSTIVE, BUT THAT'S WHERE THEY'LL SPEND THEIR MOST MOST OF THEIR TIME.

AND THAT'S THERE. AND IT TELLS YOU HOW THEY'VE DEVELOPED THAT. OKAY.

ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK THAT WELL, I SHOULD ALLOW EACH MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL TO SHARE ANY UPDATES. IT'S BEEN ALMOST WELL BEEN OVER A MONTH SINCE WE MET, WHICH IS UNUSUAL.

IT WAS KIND OF NICE TO HAVE A LITTLE BREAK OVER THE HOLIDAYS, BUT BUT ANYWAY, ANY UPDATES THAT YOU HAVE TO SHARE.

NO, I'LL. THE ONLY UPDATE I'LL GIVE IS THE SHORELINE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S UP AND RUNNING AND ALIVE AND WELL.

AND WE CONTINUE TO DO A NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE THINGS TO GET THE DEPARTMENT FORMALIZED.

AND WE HAVE A MEETING LATER THIS WEEK TO HAVE OUR FIRST MEETING IN 2026.

YEAH, I DO HAVE AN UPDATE. AND I WANTED TO SHARE THAT RESIDENTS OR FAMILY MEMBERS OF SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE LIVING AT THIS FACILITY OVER ON KELLY PARKWAY, IT'S IT'S CURRENTLY CALLED OR, FORMERLY STONE BAY.

NOW IT'S IT'S BEEN REBRANDED OR IT WAS SOLD TO A NEW OWNER.

THAT'S A NEW COMPANY WHO IS MANAGING THIS FACILITY.

LIFE SPARK, I BELIEVE, FOR OPERATIONS. AND I HAD FOLKS REACH OUT TO ME, I BELIEVE THE MAYOR AS WELL ABOUT THIS CHANGEOVER, BECAUSE IT DOES INVOLVE SOME SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN PRICE FOR THE RESIDENTS THERE.

NOW, I'VE SPOKEN WITH STAFF, AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE AS A CITY HAVE ANY PURVIEW OVER, THIS INCREASE. BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS.

I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT AND THE RESIDENTS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED MY PRESENCE AT THE MEETING.

THERE WAS A MEETING LAST WEEK AT THE FACILITY WITH THE NEW MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND RESIDENTS, IT WAS QUITE DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE THERE'S SIGNIFICANT 30, 35% INCREASES IN RENT, WHICH WILL INVOLVE A LOT OF FOLKS WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO BE THERE FOR SOME TIME TO NEED TO LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS, POTENTIALLY.

SO I STRESS THAT WHILE IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS IN OUR ABILITY TO AFFECT THAT RESPONSIVENESS, IN BEING THERE TO LISTEN TO THAT PROCESS AND TO MEET WITH SOME OF THE RESIDENTS WHO APPRECIATE A COUNCIL MEMBER SHOWING UP WAS NICE.

THE ONE THING I DO WANT TO SHARE ABOUT THIS WAS THAT LIFT ASSISTS IS SOMETHING THAT OUR CITY, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, IT WILL BE SHORELINE FIRE.

AND ALSO OUR POLICE ARE CALLED VERY OFTEN TO THOSE ARE SOME OF THOSE MEDICAL CALLS.

AND THAT WAS THE ONE QUESTION THAT I DID ASK OF THE NEW EXECUTIVE OR THE LIFE SPARK EXECUTIVE REGARDING WITH THESE COST INCREASES. I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S HANDLED IN THE PAST, BUT I WE DID TALK, SHE AND I, AT LENGTH ABOUT HOW THE NEW COMPANY IS GOING TO BE HANDLING LIFT ASSISTS, BECAUSE I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT THOSE ARE SOMETHING THAT WE GET QUITE A LOT OF CALLS ON, AND IT DOES TAX SOME OF OUR RESOURCES AS A MUNICIPALITY.

AND ACTUALLY OTHER CITIES LIKE MAPLE PLAIN I BELIEVE ARE NOW CHARGING SOME OF THOSE LIFTS.

SO IT'S A CONVERSATION I THINK, THAT'S WORTHY OF HAVING.

AND SHE ASSURED ME THAT THAT FACILITY WILL NOT BE CALLING FIRST RESPONDERS FOR LIFT ASSIST.

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, WHICH OF COURSE IS A 911.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL WHO MAYBE CANNOT GET BACK INTO THEIR CHAIR WHO WAS NOT HAVING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

AND SHE EXPLAINED. THAT THEY HAVE A SPECIALIZED MECHANISM OR MACHINE, HOWEVER IT IS OR TRAINING THAT WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST IN THOSE SITUATIONS, WHICH IS I THOUGHT WAS REALLY GOOD NEWS TO HEAR.

AND THAT'S THEY'RE REALLY IN A, IN A PERIOD OF CHANGE RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT MAYBE ALL THE ANSWERS AREN'T THERE, BUT THERE IS A DESIRE TO DO THIS WELL.

AND THAT WAS THE ONE THING I DID WANT TO SHARE BECAUSE IT DOES IMPACT, YOU KNOW, OUR CALL VOLUME AND THE TYPES OF CALLS WE'RE GETTING.

[00:45:01]

SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE. THANK YOU. JUST ON THE LIFT ASSIST.

JUST SHARE WITH THE GROUP. SO ONE THING I DID CHECK WITH, WITH CORREY, THE PREDOMINANCE OF THE LIST, OF LIFT ASSIST ISSUES THAT WE HAVE ARE ACTUALLY NOT WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY OF ORONO.

IT'S IT'S IN OUR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT WE PROVIDE POLICE SERVICE FOR.

OKAY. BUT WE DID PASS THIS ISSUE ON TO THE NEW SHORELINE FIRE DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE OPERATING COMMITTEE AS SOMETHING TO LOOK AT IN 2026 TO SEE WITHIN IF WITHIN THE SHORELINE FIRE DEPARTMENT AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY, IF THIS WAS AN ISSUE.

BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S USUALLY IT IS THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS WHO END UP BEARING THE BRUNT OF THAT PROBLEM WHEN THAT THAT PROBLEM DOES ARISE.

JUST AS A FOLLOW ON. OKAY. THANK YOU.

OH, NO. WE DID HAVE A POLICE COMMISSION MEETING.

COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS AND I ON THAT. IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

IT WAS DECEMBER 1ST. IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO.

LET ME LOOK DOWN HERE. I GUESS. WELL, ONE THING I DO WANT TO MENTION, BECAUSE IT IS A LEGISLATIVE ISSUE, IS THIS E-BIKE ISSUE. AND WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS STILL IN THE WORKS BECAUSE THESE, THESE THINGS IN VARIOUS CITIES ARE CAUSING A LOT OF CONCERN FROM RESIDENTS.

ACCIDENTS, POLICE ENGAGEMENT. AND LET'S SEE, THERE'S BEEN INCREASED PROBLEMS WITH THAT AND SEVERAL JUVENILES WERE CHARGED.

SO THE IDEA IS TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE AWARENESS TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

AND THERE IS A DRAFT FORMAT BEING REVIEWED RIGHT NOW FOR A BILL TO ADDRESS THIS, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A HELMET UNDER THE AGE OF 18 AS WELL AS REGISTERING AS OFF ROAD VEHICLES AND OTHER SIMILAR TYPES OF GAS ENGINES.

MAYBE YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT. I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION, BUT I GET PLENTY OF CALLS ON E-BIKES.

YEAH, SO THAT WAS I THINK ONE OF THE MOST NOTEWORTHY THINGS IS THIS IS JUST IT'S BECOMING AND I SEE IT I SAW IT IN ANOTHER CITY, SOMEBODY ON AN E-BIKE WHEN IT WAS STILL NICE WEATHER BEING PULLED OVER AND ENGAGED WITH BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.

SO. WHERE THEY'RE USED, HOW FAST THEY GO. AGE OF THE DRIVERS.

HELMETS. PROTECTION? YES, BECAUSE THEY GO VERY, VERY FAST AND THERE ARE A LOT OF VERY SERIOUS INJURIES BEING CAUSED.

SO THAT'S JUST MORE TO COME ON THAT. THE OTHER THING IS, AT LEAST AS OF DECEMBER 1ST, WE'RE DOWN TWO POSITIONS, ONE FROM FULL TIME TO PART TIME AND ONE THAT HAD SOMEBODY LEAVING OUR DEPARTMENT.

WE DID GET THREE NEW CADETS. I THINK THAT'S IT.

UNLESS YOU HAD ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? NO, THEY THEY DID HAVE SOME SUCCESS TRACKING DOWN SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN ROBBING PEOPLE. THAT WAS KIND OF IN COORDINATION WITH THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND WITH US.

THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN PEOPLE BY CELL PHONES, BY THE TOWERS AND STUFF.

THEY HAD FOUR NUMBERS THAT THEY COULD TRACK. TWO OF THE NUMBERS WERE NO LONGER VALID, AND THE OTHER TWO THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN.

AND THEY DID IN WISCONSIN PICK THEM UP AT THE IT HAD BEEN DECIDED IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

THEY HAD TO CATCH THEM IN THE ACT IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.

THEY DID NOT WAIT. AND THEY DID PICK UP THE INDIVIDUALS, AND THEY DID HAVE PARAPHERNALIA, WHICH LED THEM TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY TO DO WHAT WE EXACTLY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO DO.

SO SO THAT WAS A WIN. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD WORKED VERY HARD ON THAT.

SO THAT WAS GOOD TO HEAR. SADLY, I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE MORE RECENT ONES, RIGHT.

INDICATE THAT ALL THE BAD GUYS HAVEN'T BEEN PUT AWAY.

EXACTLY. ANYWAY, THEY SEEM TO KEEP COMING UP WITH THEM.

RIGHT. I DID ATTEND I SHOULD SAY THAT VERY LIGHTLY, BECAUSE I CAME VERY LATE TO ANDREW MYERS MEETING THAT HE HAD LAST WEEK. WHEN I GOT IN THERE, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT FRAUD IN MINNESOTA, AND THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ASKED. I ASKED HOW FRAUD HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE STOPPAGE OF PAYMENTS FOR THE DISABLED AND FOR THE CHILD CARE. AND AT THAT POINT, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT IT. I GUESS THEY'VE BEEN IN, YOU KNOW, DOING AUDITS, GOING TO VISIT CHILD CARE FACILITIES.

THEY WERE VERY HAPPY TO THE FIRST ONE THAT THEY HAD VISITED THAT IT WAS LEGITIMATE.

IT WAS ALSO NEW HORIZONS, WHICH WE KNOW HAS BEEN AROUND FOREVER.

SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE ABOUT THAT. BUT I DO KNOW, LIKE MY OWN FAMILY HAS BEEN AFFECTED PAYMENTS FOR MY SPECIAL NEEDS SON HAVE HAVE STOPPED.

[00:50:06]

SO THAT WAS NICE TO READ THAT LETTER TODAY. SO WE'LL SEE WHERE THAT ENDS UP.

BUT HE HAD A ANDREWS MAYOR HAD A VERY NICE TURNOUT THERE.

THERE WERE A LOT OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM MANY CITIES AROUND US.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. I GUESS THE ONLY THING I HAVE TO ADD IS I'M SCHEDULED TO ATTEND OUR NORTHWEST HENNEPIN COUNTY MAYORS AND OUR MONTHLY MEETING ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT WORK DINNER THAT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR MONTHS, AND I CANNOT MAKE IT TO THAT MEETING, AND I'M, I WAS REMINDED THAT THAT WE CAN HAVE AN ALTERNATE IN MY PLACE FROM AMONG OUR COUNCILMEMBERS. SO IF ANYBODY IS INTERESTED AND AVAILABLE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT THERE'S THERE'S AN OPENING THERE TO MEET WITH, WITH AREA MAYORS. CAN WE JUST MAYBE COORDINATE THEN THROUGH STAFF? BECAUSE I DON'T I DON'T KNOW MY SCHEDULE OFFHAND UNLESS WE WANT TO LOOK INTO THAT. YEAH, BUT IT'S IT'S THIS.

IT'S TWO NIGHTS FROM NOW, SO IT'S. SORRY. SORRY FOR THE SHORT NOTICE, BUT I KNOW YOU CAN'T BECAUSE YOU HAVE HOCKEY RIGHT NOW.

DO I? [LAUGHS] ANYWAY, I KNOW YOU'VE GONE ONCE FOR FOR ME, AND I THINK BELIEVE YOU WENT ANOTHER TIME, SO. RIGHT. SO ANYWAY, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE SEE SOMEBODY THERE.

WELL, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT, I CAN. OKAY. SO. GREAT.

I'LL FIGURE IT OUT. EXCELLENT. ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT. OTHERWISE, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES.

WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 6:51. HOW ABOUT THAT?

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.