[00:00:01] ALL RIGHT. I WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNCIL MARCH 30TH. [Roll Call] AND WE WILL START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE JOIN ME. 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. ALRIGHT. WE HAVE FOUR OF FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR HERE. WE'RE MISSING MISSING COUNCIL MEMBER RICK'S TODAY. BUT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. SO FIRST ITEM I WOULD ASK WE DO AS APPROVED TODAY'S AGENDA, WHICH INCLUDES A CONSENT AGENDA THAT HAS FOUR ITEMS TODAY. [Approval of Agenda] [Consent Agenda] ONE IS APPROVAL OF OUR CLAIMS AND BILLS. SECOND ONE IS HIRING SEASONAL EMPLOYEES. THIRD ONE IS THEIR 2026 SEWER HER REHABILITATION AWARD. AND THE FOURTH IS A APPROVAL OF A GRANT FOR SANITARY SEWER IMPROVEMENTS. THAT'S RESOLUTION 7673. ANY CHANGES TO TODAY'S CONSENT AGENDA OR OTHER ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE. I GUESS WE'RE LIMITED AS TO WHAT WE CAN ADD TO THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT IS A SPECIAL MEETING. CORRECT. YOU CANNOT ADD ANYTHING TO THAT. BUT WE CAN MOVE THINGS AROUND. MOVE THINGS AROUND, CERTAINLY. YEAH. SO ANYBODY HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? NOPE. OTHERWISE I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'LL SECOND. I'LL MOVE IT. I'LL MOVE. OKAY. SECOND. SECOND, I'D LIKE TO GET AHEAD OF MYSELF. I'M SORRY. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL. [Public Comments] AND I SEE MR. NYGAARD. SO WELCOME TO THE PODIUM. YES. I'M IN. J. NYGAARD, 1386 RUSS POINT ROAD, ORONO. I RECENTLY HEARD AND FOUND OUT THAT CHIEF FARNIOK RETIRING, WHICH PERSONALLY TO ME IS A GOOD THING. FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS I HAVE A UNIQUE POSITION IN THIS COMMUNITY IS THAT I'VE INTERACTED WITH THE ORONO POLICE DEPARTMENT FROM WHEN I WAS A YOUTH IN THE 70S. UNTIL NOW. AND I HAD SOME YOUTHFUL INDISCRETIONS, LIKE MANY DO. NOTHING MAJOR. ORONO POLICE WERE VERY RESPECTFUL AND IT WAS A GREAT DEPARTMENT BACK THEN. BUT THERE CERTAINLY WAS AN ISSUE. AND THE ISSUE WAS IT WAS AN OLD BOY NETWORK LED BY GARY CHESWICK, AND THERE WAS SOME TURMOIL WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER THINGS. AND AS A YOUTH, I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND ALL THIS, BUT I CAME TO UNDERSTAND IT LATER. THEY TALKED TO PEOPLE AND LEARN THINGS. AND WHEN CHADWICK RETIRED, WENT AWAY. THEN WE BROUGHT IN STEPHANIE GOOD. AND STEPHANIE GOOD WAS THE CHIEF OF POLICE WHILE I WAS ON THE COUNCIL UP THERE MYSELF AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION. I TELL YOU, I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR STEPHANIE AND SITI. ORONO LOST BY LOSING HER AND WE DIDN'T LOSE HER. SHE CHOSE TO GO DOWN TO HENNEPIN COUNTY TO BE A BIG INVESTIGATIVE PERSON LEADING A DEPARTMENT. YOU KNOW, YOU CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND WHY SHE LEFT. SHE WAS BROUGHT FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE. STEPHANIE GOOD WASN'T WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME. AND THEN EVENTUALLY WHEN SHE LEFT, SHE FARNIOK WAS PROMOTED TO AN INTERIM POLICE CHIEF. THEY WENT THROUGH ALL THE STUFF, AND THEN THEY MADE THEM THE REAL POLICE CHIEF. I THINK THAT WAS 2007, ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO. AND I THINK I READ SOMETHING WHERE HE SAID HE SPENT HIS WHOLE POLICING CAREER HERE TO ME, THAT WAS A DISSERVICE TO THE CITY OF ORONO. THERE. ONE THING I LEARNED GROWING UP GETTING IN THE NAVY AND GETTING OUT IN THE REAL WORLD. NOT EVERYTHING'S ORONO, NOT EVERYTHING'S MINNETONKA, NOT EVERYTHING'S MINNESOTA. THERE'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD OUT THERE WHERE PEOPLE THINK AND VIEW AND EVERYTHING DIFFERENTLY. AND I LEARNED THE HARD WAY ONCE OR TWICE WHAT AN ORONO ATTITUDE CAN DO FOR YOU. OKAY. AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE'RE MISSING IS THIS EXPERIENCE, THIS OUTDOOR EXPERIENCE THAT WILL HELP US. NOW, TO ME, ORONO OVER THE PAST DECADE OR SO IS SUBJECTED TO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO A THREE HEADED HYDRA. AND IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT GREEK MYTHOLOGY. HERCULES DEFEATED THE THREE HEADED HYDRA. NOT BECAUSE HE DID IT HIMSELF, BUT BECAUSE HE HAD HELP. OKAY. AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE HEADS FROM REGROWING IN THE HYDRA. EVERY TIME THEY GOT CUT OFF WAS TO CAUTERIZE IT, TO STOP IT. RIGHT? AND WE DID THAT LAST ELECTION BY THE 2 TO 1 VOTE. [00:05:06] WE CAUTERIZE THE WALSH REGIME. WE CUT OFF THAT MAIN HEAD OF THE HYDRA. BUT TO ME, THERE'S STILL TWO MORE HEADS, AND ONE OF THEM IS WALKING OUT THE DOOR, WHICH IS FINE. YOU KNOW, G FARNIOK CHOOSING TO RETIRE. AND AT SOME POINT, MAYBE I'LL COME UP AND EXPLAIN ALL THE DIFFICULTIES, NOT JUST ME AND OTHERS HAVE HAD WITH HIM. BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. THIS IS ABOUT THE FUTURE. AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO THE SECOND HEAD OF THE HYDRA? ARE WE GOING TO PROMOTE FROM WITHIN AND CONTINUE IT? ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW THE SAME OLD BUDDY NETWORK THAT FARNIOK ENJOYED? THAT TO ME HAS NOT HELPED OUR DEPARTMENT OR THE CITY OR ARE WE GOING TO LOOK FROM WITHOUT. I'VE ALREADY BELIEVE. IT'S INTERESTING THAT MISS RIX HAS GONE TONIGHT BECAUSE I KIND OF MENTIONED THIS TO HER ONCE BEFORE, IS MY REQUEST OF YOU GUYS TO CAUTERIZE THAT POLICE CHIEF POSITION IS TO GO FROM WITHOUT THE CITY, FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE, FIND SOMEONE ELSE WITH MORE EXPERIENCE AS TO HOW THE REAL POLICE WORLD WORKS. SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE'S ACTUAL CRIME, MAYBE CERTAIN THINGS THAT CAN HELP OUR COMMUNITY GROW AND BRING OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT THE RESPECT IT DESERVES AND FOR WHAT I BELIEVE, BRING HONOR BACK TO THE CHIEF POSITION. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. SEEING NO ONE ELSE HERE OTHER THAN STAFF, I BELIEVE THAT'S IT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE. UNDER CITY ADMINISTRATOR ENGINEER REPORT. [5) Resignation and Recruitment - Public Works Superintendent] AND THAT'S THE RESIGNATION AND RECRUITMENT FOR A PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT. I WILL TURN THAT OVER TO MR. EDWARDS TO LEAD THAT DISCUSSION. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AS YOU KNOW, MR. DJ GOMAN TENDERED HIS RESIGNATION IN EARLY MARCH. HIS LAST DAY WITH US WAS ON THE 24TH. SO THIS COUNCIL ACTION IS TO, ONE, ACCEPT THAT RESIGNATION AND TWO, TO LAY OUT THE PROCESS FOR A RECRUITMENT OF A REPLACEMENT. IN PARTICULAR, THE BIG THING THAT'S LOOKING FOR APPROVAL ON THIS EVENING IS A REVISED JOB DESCRIPTION. SO THE OLD JOB DESCRIPTION WAS BASED ON A PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT. THE NEW JOB DESCRIPTION OR THE ONE BEFORE YOU IS BASED ACTUALLY ON OUR PREVIOUS JOB DESCRIPTION FOR. OKAY. DIRECTOR. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE, THE ONE, THE PREDECESSOR TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT WAS A PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND CITY ENGINEER, WHICH IS THE POSITION I FILLED AND MY PREDECESSOR FILLED THERE. THIS IS JUST A PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR POSITION. BUT IT ALSO DOES IMPACT PAYING OR COMPENSATION THAT WOULD GO WITH THAT POSITION. TAKING TAKING THE POSITION UP TO WHAT WOULD BE A GRADE 16 POSITION. SO THAT'S THREE LEVELS UP FROM THE CURRENT. CORRECT. AND THEN TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE WITH THE WAY THAT OUR PAY SCALE WORKS, THAT'S THE SAME PAY SCALE THAT THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF POLICE IS CURRENTLY IN. AND IT IS ONE PAY SCALE BELOW WHERE OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR'S POSITION SITS. SO IT'S KIND OF PERSPECTIVE. ON THAT, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS. OPEN IT UP FOR COMMENT OR QUESTION BY COUNCIL MEMBERS. I YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT MR. GOMAN WAS WAS RESIGNING AND WE HAD THE DISCUSSION OF, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS MAYBE BE A STEP UP IN, IN IN A JOB DESCRIPTION. I THOUGHT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL REALLY SHOULD WEIGH IN ON BEFORE WE GO OUT AND, AND SEEK SOMEBODY AT A HIGHER PAY LEVEL AND MORE RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT SORT OF THING, WHICH I BELIEVE IS APPROPRIATE, BUT I WANTED TO ALLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS TO, TO WEIGH IN ON THAT AS WELL. I WASN'T AWARE THAT WE IT USED TO BE A DIRECTOR POSITION. ADAM, IS THAT TYPICAL IN MOST OTHER CITIES THAT THIS POSITION IS A DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS VERSUS SUPERINTENDENT? YES. IN CITIES SUCH AS OURS SOME, SOME REALLY SMALL CITIES MIGHT HAVE THE DEPARTMENT JUST UNDER A SUPERINTENDENT. SOME CITIES WILL HAVE MULTIPLE LAYERS. SO YOU'LL HAVE MAYBE A DIRECTOR THAT'S OVER, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL MANAGEMENT FOR THE DEPARTMENT, THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT WHO'S KIND OF MANAGING THAT DAY TO DAY, UNDER WHICH YOU EITHER HAVE THEN FOREMEN OR SUPERVISORS THAT ARE RUNNING THE SPECIFIC CREWS FOR WHATEVER THEIR SPECIALTIES ARE. EXAMPLE IS MOUND SET UP THAT WAY. THEY HAVE A DIRECTOR WITH A SUPERINTENDENT AND THEN THEIR SUPERVISOR SLASH FOREMAN UNDER THAT. WHAT ARE THE TOP LINE DIFFERENCES THEN IN TERMS OF IS IT AN EMPHASIS MORE ON THE BUDGETING AND CAPITAL? IT'S MORE ON THOSE EXECUTIVE LEVEL FUNCTIONS LIKE YES, LIKE THE BUDGETING, WORKING THE CAPITAL STUFF, [00:10:02] DOING THE COORDINATION WITH NEIGHBORING AGENCIES DOING THE MORE OF THE FORECASTING AND PLANNING THE HUMAN RESOURCES FUNCTIONS, ALL OF THOSE, ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS. AND THERE'S DEFINITELY AN OVERLAP IN HOW YOU DO THOSE THINGS. BUT WHAT I TRIED TO DO WITH THIS NEW JOB DESCRIPTION IS BRING IT KIND OF JUST BACK UP INTO THAT THOSE MORE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS, WHICH I THINK FOR OUR DEPARTMENT IS WHAT, WHAT WE NEED. WE HAVE SOME VERY CAPABLE SUPERVISORS RUNNING DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS FOR UTILITY STREETS AND FLEET WHO ARE DOING A FANTASTIC JOB. BUT WHERE, WHERE WE NEED IS THAT, THAT IN THE MIDDLE POSITION OF PROVIDING THAT OVERSIGHT. EXECUTIVE LEVEL OVERSIGHT OF THE DEPARTMENT. OKAY. AND I PARTICULARLY AGREE WITH THAT POINT OF VIEW IN THAT WE HAVE A NEW PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW BEST TO UTILIZE THAT. WE'VE GOT AN OLD PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S BEST, WHAT'S BEST TO USE FOR THAT. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE SOMEBODY AT THAT LITTLE HIGHER LEVEL OF, OF THINKING, TO BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE OUR USE OF THAT, OF THAT FACILITY. AND AND MAYBE HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS FOR HOW WE USE THE OLD ONE. ONE OF THE OTHER WAYS. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T ANSWER. COUNCIL MEMBER. BENSON IS ALSO IN THE REQUIREMENTS. WE WE SHIFTED THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AS AN EXAMPLE, FROM AN ASSOCIATE'S FROM IN THE REQUIRED CATEGORY, FROM AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE TO A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT OR RELATED FIELD. OKAY. THANKS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE? YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RESIGNATION OF DJ GOMAN EFFECTIVE. IS IT MAY 24TH OR MARCH? OH, YEAH. MARCH 24TH, 2026. AND TO APPROVE OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR POSITION. IN ADDITION, THE APPOINTMENT OF BRENT WELDON AS INTERIM PUBLIC WORKS SUPERINTENDENT EFFECTIVE MARCH 25TH, 2026 THROUGH THE START OF THE NEW PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. SECOND, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSITION MOTION CARRIES. WELL, THE NEXT ONE IS A SERVICE RECOGNITION FOR MR. [6) Service Recognition - Resolution 7674] GOMAN. AND I TURN THAT BACK OVER TO MR. EDWARDS TO TEE THAT UP AS WELL. OH, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AS IS THE NORM FOR OUR ORGANIZATION, WHEN SOMEBODY IS SERVED OVER FIVE YEARS FOR TO THE CITY WHICH MR. GOMAN HAS WE NORMALLY PROVIDE A COUNCIL RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION. SO I DID PREPARE ONE IN YOUR PACKET AND IF YOU APPROVE IT, THEN I WILL LOOK TO PRESENT THAT TO MR. GOMAN HOPEFULLY LATER THIS WEEK. OKAY. ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DJ FOR YOUR SERVICE AND ALWAYS BEEN DONE FOR US THROUGH THIS TIME. SO GRATEFUL FOR THAT. YEP. YOU'RE HERE. ANYBODY CARE TO MAKE THE MOTION TO. SURE. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF TO PREPARE RESOLUTION NUMBER 7674. ACTUALLY, I JUST NEED A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF IT. IT'S APPROVAL? IS IT ALREADY? SORRY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. MOTION TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 7674. RECOGNIZING DJ GOMAN FOR NINE YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO ORONO. I'LL SECOND THAT. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSITION? HEARING NONE, MOTION CARRIES. THAT'S ALL WE HAVE ON THE FORMAL AGENDA. WE DO HAVE TIME HERE FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORTS IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING TO REPORT. [Mayor and Council Report] NOTHING. I DON'T AS WELL. SO JUST ONE ADMIN THING. JUST FOR THE COUNCIL. I'M STILL TRYING TO COORDINATE ALL YOUR CALENDARS FOR THIS SPECIAL WORK SESSION. SO I, WE'RE ON ATTEMPT NUMBER FOUR HERE. I THINK MOSTLY ON ME LEAVING AND I THINK BETWEEN YOU AND JACQUELINE WITH YOUR SCHEDULES BUT SO I'VE GOT THE, THAT ONE OUT THERE. AND THEN ALSO, I KNOW MARY, YOU SENT ME ABOUT APRIL, APRIL 28TH WORK. AND SO I DID SEND THAT OUT. YEAH, IT'S LISTED AS A QUESTION MARK. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS A. AND THAT WAS FOR ME BECAUSE I COULDN'T. SHE HAD TOLD ME WHAT HER WINDOW FOR HER VACATION WAS. AND I WROTE THE END DATE DOWN. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE START DATE, BUT JUST NEED CONFIRMATION FROM HER. OKAY, SO IS IT POSSIBLE WITH ONE OF THOSE TO. IF SOMEBODY CAN'T ATTEND. BUT WE'VE GOT FOUR THAT WE COULD HAVE A MEETING, A SESSION WHERE THEY COULD LISTEN IN OR HAVE A CALL. [00:15:01] THIS IS GETTING. WE CERTAINLY COULD. THE LAST ONE THOUGH, I, YOU KNOW, I DID HAVE ONE OF YOU REACH OUT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO BE THERE. YEAH. AND IT WAS THE ONE TIME THEY COULDN'T. SO OKAY, OKAY, LET'S KEEP WORKING ON IT. AND AND IF IT'S, I MEAN, I'D CERTAINLY BE WILLING TO CALL IN TOO. IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE LOGISTICALLY AN ISSUE FOR ME SINCE I'LL BE IN ASIA, BUT BUT WE DID, I JUST, I WAS LOOKING AT THE DOODLE POLL TODAY. I THINK THREE, MAYBE FOUR OF YOU HAVE COMMENTED ON THAT SET, WHICH HAD SOME EARLIER APRIL DATES. THERE WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS AND TIMES IN THERE THAT SO FAR EVERYBODY COULD DO OKAY. STILL RESPONSE, I THINK, FROM YOU, MR. MAYOR. OH, REALLY? OKAY. SORRY. I THINK, JACK, YOU SENT ME AN EMAIL, BUT YOU DIDN'T DO THE DOODLE POLL. OKAY. SORRY ABOUT THAT. NO WORRIES. I'LL BE HAPPY TO BRING MY CALENDAR OUT RIGHT AFTER OUR MEETING TODAY AND SEE IF IT'S BEEN A LOT. THIS IS NUMBER FOUR. YEAH, RIGHT. DID YOU KEEP TRACK? ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE? OTHERWISE, I WOULD I WOULD WELCOME A MOTION TO ADJOURN. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 517. YOU ARE GETTING. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.