May 26, 2026 City Council

[Roll Call]

[00:00:02]

ALL RIGHT. IT IS A COUPLE OF MINUTES PAST SIX, SO IT'S TIME TO START THE MEETING.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN RECITING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO START OUR MEETING.

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 VERY MUCH. WE HAVE A QUORUM. COUNCIL MEMBER PERSIAN IS NOT JOINING US TONIGHT, BUT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR ARE HERE.

SO OUR FIRST ITEM, FIRST OFFICIAL ITEM OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[Approval of Agenda]

[Consent Agenda]

TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ARE AS FOLLOWS.

CITY COUNCIL MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING. CLAIMS AND BILLS.

WASTE HAULER LICENSE. DESIGNATING A ALTERNATE VOTING PERIOD FOR ABSENTEE AND EARLY VOTING.

PERSONNEL POLICY AMENDMENTS. THAT'S RESOLUTION 7684.

SERVICE RECOGNITION RESOLUTION 7683. HIRING OF PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.

HIRING OF SEASONAL EMPLOYEES. PURCHASE OF POLICE VEHICLE GENERATOR INSPECTION AND LOAD BANK TESTING, SUBS NAY LAKE ACCESS POINT DOCK REPLACEMENT AND A FORCE MAIN REPLACEMENT DESIGN AND ENGINEERING CONTRACT FOR CHERRY PLACE SANITARY AND A VARIANCE FOR 1100 MILLSTONE ROAD.

THAT'S RESOLUTION 7685. I WOULD TAKE ANY COMMENTS FROM FOLKS THAT WANT TO PULL ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. I'D LIKE TO PULL NUMBER SIX, PLEASE. OKAY.

ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA MINUS ITEM NUMBER SIX.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA MINUS NUMBER SIX.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. SO WE WILL MOVE ON TO A PRESENTATION BEFORE WE GO BACK INTO HERE.

[14) 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report Presentation ]

THANK YOU. WELL GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

MY NAME IS TYLER SEE, I'M A SENIOR AUDIT MANAGER AT ABDO, AND I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE 2025 FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT PRESENTATION.

SO THE PRESENTATION IS MEANT TO BE A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE AUDIT.

SO KIND OF GIVING YOU THE MAIN POINTS THAT WE FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF. ONE, ONE CAVEAT IS THE AUDIT IS TECHNICALLY IN A DRAFT STAGE AT THE MOMENT, BUT IT WILL BE FINALIZED SHORTLY. THE AUDIT RESULTS AND FINANCIAL RESULTS I GO THROUGH WITH YOU TONIGHT WON'T CHANGE BY THE TIME IT'S FINALIZED.

I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE THIS HERE. SOMEBODY HELP? OH THERE WE GO. THERE WE GO. YEAH. SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH, FIRST OF ALL THE AUDIT RESULTS AND THEN GET INTO THE FINAL RESULT, THE FINANCIAL RESULTS. SO THE GENERAL FUND UP FIRST AND THEN OTHER GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS ENTERPRISE FUNDS.

AND I'LL END THE PRESENTATION WITH SOME KPIS.

SO OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS AUDITORS IS TO ISSUE AN ISSUE OPINION ON THE CITY'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.

WE ARE ISSUING WHAT'S REFERRED TO AS AN UNMODIFIED OPINION ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, WHICH IS A CLEAN AUDIT OPINION.

SO THE OPINION WOULD BE STRIVING FOR IN A FINANCIAL STATEMENT AUDIT.

WE ALSO REVIEW SOME STATE STATUTES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE CITY OVER THE COURSE OF THE AUDIT AND ISSUE A LEGAL COMPLIANCE LETTER WITHIN THE AUDIT.

AND WE ALSO HAVE NO INSTANCES OF NONCOMPLIANCE TO NOTE.

SO ALL IN ALL, 2025 AUDIT WAS CLEAN FOR THE CITY.

GETTING INTO THE FINANCIAL RESULTS HERE ON THIS FIRST SLIDE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS YOUR GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE IN COMPARISON TO YOUR FUND BALANCE POLICY. SO YOUR FUND BALANCE POLICY IS TO MAINTAIN A UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE OF 40% OF YOUR FOLLOWING YEAR'S BUDGET.

SO THIS GRAPH JUST SHOWS IF YOU LOOK AT THAT ORANGE LINE THERE, THAT YOUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE WAS AT ABOUT 39.3% OF YOUR 2026 BUDGET.

SO YOU'RE REALLY SLIGHTLY BELOW THAT POLICY, BUT REALLY CLOSE TO THAT FUND BALANCE POLICY.

THIS SLIDE HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT YOUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET TO ACTUAL RESULTS FOR 2025.

SO ON THE LEFT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUR FINAL 2025 BUDGET.

[00:05:03]

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE VARIANCE OF THAT FINAL BUDGET. SO LOOKING AT TOP LINE REVENUES, YOUR REVENUES DID COME IN ABOUT $750,000 OVER BUDGET, MOSTLY DUE TO THINGS LIKE BUILDING PERMITS AND INVESTMENT EARNINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

YOUR EXPENDITURES WERE PRETTY COMPARABLE TO BUDGET, BUT DID COME IN ABOUT $130,000 OVER THE FINAL BUDGET, MOSTLY DUE TO SOME FIRE AND PUBLIC WORKS COSTS OVER BUDGET.

THE GENERAL FUND DID TRANSFER OUT MONEY THIS PAST YEAR, ABOUT 260,000.

A LOT OF THAT WAS TO CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS. SO ALL IN ALL, AFTER ALL THAT ACTIVITY, YOUR GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE DID INCREASE ABOUT 540 000 IN THAT BOTTOM $5.3 MILLION AMOUNT. THAT'S YOUR TOTAL GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE AS OF YEAR END 2025.

NOW HERE WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES BY TYPE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.

SO MAIN SOURCE WOULD OF COURSE BE YOUR PROPERTY TAX LEVY LICENSE AND PERMITS, CHARGES FOR SERVICES AND OTHER REVENUE SOURCES WOULD BE THINGS LIKE GRANTS, REIMBURSEMENTS, INVESTMENT EARNINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO ALL IN ALL, PRETTY CONSISTENT. NOTHING NOTHING REALLY STANDS OUT AS AN OUTLIER FOR YOUR REVENUES OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS.

SAME FORMAT FOR THIS GRAPH. BUT NOW JUST LOOKING AT YOUR EXPENDITURES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS IN THE GENERAL FUND, ALSO LOOKING BETWEEN GENERAL GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC WORKS, AND THEN OTHER EXPENSES WOULD BE THINGS LIKE TRANSFERS OUT TO OTHER FUNDS AND PARKS AND REC AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO OF COURSE, PUBLIC SAFETY BEING YOUR MAIN EXPENSES IN YOUR GENERAL FUND.

MOVING ON TO SOME OTHER GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS. THIS SLIDE HERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT YOUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.

AND ON THE TOP HALF OF THE SLIDE, YOU'RE JUST SEEING EACH OF THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS LISTED OUT.

AND THEN THE CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE BETWEEN 2025 AND 2024.

SO OVERALL, YOUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS IN TOTAL INCREASED ABOUT $250,000.

AND KIND OF THE MAIN THE MAIN INCREASE WOULD BE IN THE PARK FUND THIS PAST YEAR.

NOW LOOKING AT THE DEBT SERVICE FUND. SO THIS SLIDE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS YOUR GOVERNMENTAL DEBT.

ORONO CURRENTLY HAS TWO BONDS OUTSTANDING FOR GOVERNMENTAL FUNDS.

SO THIS JUST SHOWS THE CASH AVAILABLE IN EACH FUND, THE BONDS OUTSTANDING AS OF YEAR END 2025.

AND THEN THE BOTTOM HALF OF THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS YOUR FUTURE TEN YEARS DEBT SERVICE OBLIGATION, WHICH DOES DROP OFF IN 2029 WHEN YOUR 2014 BONDS MATURE.

NOW THIS SLIDE IS HIGHLIGHTING YOUR CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS.

SO AGAIN ON THE LEFT, WE'RE LOOKING AT YOUR FUND BALANCE CHANGE FROM 2025 AND 2024.

SO YOUR OVERALL YOUR CAPITAL PROJECT FUNDS DID DECREASE ABOUT 1.4 MILLION.

THE CITY DID PURCHASE PLENTY OF EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, VEHICLES AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN 2025.

AND ALSO THE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION FUND TRANSFERRED OUT $1 MILLION TO THE, TO THE WATER FUND IN 2025.

NOW GETTING INTO THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS. SO ALL YOUR ENTERPRISE FUND SLIDES ARE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME FORMAT WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUR OPERATING ACTIVITY UP TOP.

AND THEN THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE SLIDE JUST SHOWS YOUR CASH BALANCE IN EACH OF YOUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

SO THE WATER FUND DID HAVE A PRETTY LARGE INCREASE IN CASH BALANCE DURING 2025, MAINLY BECAUSE OF WHAT I MENTIONED WITH THAT TRANSFER OUT FROM THE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION FUND. NOW THE SEWER FUND HERE. SO YOU KNOW, SAME FORMAT HERE, JUST LOOKING AT YOUR OPERATING ACTIVITY ON THE TOP HALF AND YOUR CASH BALANCE ON THE BOTTOM HALF. SO HERE YOUR YOUR SEWER CASH DID INCREASE ALMOST $200,000 IN 2025.

STORMWATER FUND, ONE THING TO MENTION TOO ON THIS OPERATING HALF OF THE SLIDE, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR STORMWATER FUND, FOR INSTANCE, HAD AN OPERATING INCOME THIS PAST YEAR, BUT BECAUSE OF OTHER THINGS LIKE CAPITAL PURCHASES AND TRANSFERS OUT TO OTHER FUNDS LIKE NON-OPERATING ACTIVITY, YOUR CASH BALANCE MAY DECREASE SLIGHTLY LIKE IN THE STORMWATER FUND.

SO POSITIVE, POSITIVE OPERATING INCOME. BUT THEN SOME OTHER ACTIVITY THAT OVERALL DECREASE THE CASH BALANCE A LITTLE BIT.

AND THEN YOUR RECYCLING FUND, WHICH ESSENTIALLY BREAKS EVEN EACH YEAR.

SO YOUR, YOUR CASH BASICALLY VIRTUALLY STAYED THE SAME IN 2025 DOWN A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS.

CABLE TELEVISION FUND. YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY THIS ONE BREAKS EVEN ROUGHLY EACH YEAR, A LITTLE BIT OF A DEFICIT IN CASH BALANCE IN THIS FUND NOW BECAUSE OF SOME CAPITAL PURCHASES. THEN HERE, THE GOLF COURSE FUND, WHICH WAS SWITCHED BACK INTO AN ENTERPRISE FUND A FEW YEARS AGO.

THIS HERE'S THE 2023 TO 2025 OPERATING ACTIVITY.

[00:10:03]

AND THEN HERE, JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF YOUR CASH AND INVESTMENT BALANCES.

SO LAST THREE YEARS, TOTAL CASH AND INVESTMENTS ON HAND AS OF YEAR END 2023 TO 2025.

AND THEN THE SPLIT OF WHERE THAT CASH BASICALLY SITS ON YOUR BOOKS.

AND THIS NEXT SLIDE KIND OF SHOWS THAT 17 MILLION.

SO YOUR CASH BALANCE STAYED ROUGHLY THE SAME THIS PAST YEAR.

AND THEN THIS GRAPH KIND OF SHOWS HOW THAT CASH IS.

IT'S A LOT OF IT'S A SIGN FOR CAPITAL OR WITHIN YOUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND UNRESTRICTED IS MOST CASH.

THEN YOU HAVE SOME INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS AND RESTRICTED IN THE MAIN SOURCE OF RESTRICTED LIKE RESTRICTED FOR DEBT SERVICE.

SO PAYING BACK YOUR BONDS IN THE FUTURE. NOW HERE'S YOUR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.

SO HERE WHAT WE DO IS WE COMPARE THE CITY OF ORONO WITH CLASS.

I THINK THAT SHOULD ACTUALLY SAY CLASS FOUR CITIES OR NO CLASS TWO CITIES.

I'M SORRY, WHICH IS CITIES OF 10,000 TO 20,000 POPULATION ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND THEN CITIES IN CARVER COUNTY.

AND THEN THE CITY OF ORONO IS THE BLACK LINE.

SO SOME OF THESE GRAPHS, WE HAVE PEER GROUP DATA FROM 2020.

FOR SOME WE DON'T HAVE SOME SINCE 2023. JUST DEPENDS ON THE THE FIGURE WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CITY OF ORONO. AND THE TAX RATE OF ORONO IS BELOW THE AVERAGE FOR THOSE CLASS TWO CITIES AS WELL AS CITIES IN CARVER COUNTY.

THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT IS YOUR TAX RATE MIX, WHICH IS KIND OF SHOWING THE TOTAL TAX RATE A TAXPAYER WOULD PLAY WOULD PAY.

SO LIKE LOOKING AT NOT JUST THE CITY TAX RATE, BUT ALSO THE COUNTY SCHOOL AND SPECIAL TAX RATE OVER THE YEARS.

IN THIS GRAPH, THIS IS ONE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE PEER GROUP DATA. SINCE 2023 AND THE DEBT PER CAPITA.

SO AND I'M GOING TO GO BACK HERE QUICK. IS THAT THAT'S KIND OF CONFUSING.

THAT SHOULD SAY CLASS FOUR CITIES INSTEAD OF CLASS TWO CITIES.

JUST SO YOU KNOW. SO THAT'S POPULATION 10,000 OR LESS STATEWIDE.

SO THAT SAYS CLASS TWO. IT SHOULD SAY CLASS FOUR. OKAY.

OKAY. THEN HERE WE HAVE THE RIGHT THING OF CLASS FOUR.

SO THIS IS JUST YOUR DEBT PER CAPITA. SO HERE AGAIN WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING BACK 2023.

BUT YOUR DEBT PER CAPITA IS RIGHT AROUND THE AVERAGE OF CITIES IN HENNEPIN COUNTY AND A LITTLE BIT BELOW THAT CLASS FOUR CITY AVERAGE.

AND THEN HERE LOOKING AT YOUR CURRENT EXPENSES PER CAPITA, WHICH IS BASICALLY YOUR DAY TO DAY OPERATING COSTS, PAYROLL AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN YOUR CAPITAL EXPENSES PER CAPITA, WHICH IS LIKE YOUR BIG TICKET PROJECTS AND EQUIPMENT PURCHASES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO YOUR CURRENT EXPENSES PER CAPITA, TYPICALLY A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THE AVERAGE WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE PEER GROUPS.

THEN YOUR CAPITAL EXPENSES DOES, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO GO UP OR DOWN DEPENDING ON THE YEAR.

SO 2023 WAS A VERY BUSY PROJECT YEAR. WHEREAS SOME OF THESE OTHER YEARS YOU'VE BEEN KIND OF RIGHT IN LINE WITH PEER GROUP.

SO THAT JUST KIND OF DEPENDS. AND THAT'S MY PRESENTATION.

SO I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS ON THE AUDIT QUESTIONS.

I'M JUST WONDERING, WE DID NOT BUILD THIS SALT SHED LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS A BUDGETED FOR LIKE 1.3.

DOES THAT SHOW THAT WE'RE THAT MONEY WAS SAVED BECAUSE FROM WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING US THAT WE'RE AT EXACTLY THE SAME CASH BALANCE AS WE WERE THE YEAR BEFORE.

SURE. SO WHEN I'M JUST GOING TO GO TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS SLIDE, FOR EXAMPLE.

SO WHEN SOMETHING IS BUDGETED BUT NOT SPENT, THOSE RESERVES DO FLOW INTO YOUR FUND BALANCE.

SO THE MONEY WOULD STILL BE THERE ESSENTIALLY.

BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SHOWN IN ANY OTHER WAY THAN THAT.

IT JUST, IT JUST COMES INTO YOUR RESERVES ESSENTIALLY AND MOVES FORWARD INTO THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

OKAY. SO DOES IT SHOW THERE? I DON'T KNOW. WHERE WAS THAT BUDGETED? I BELIEVE IT'S UNDER THE PROJECT CONSTRUCTION FUND.

SO IT WOULD HAVE IT WOULD HAVE ESSENTIALLY ROLLED INTO YOUR YEAR END FUND BALANCE.

AND THAT FUND BALANCE IS HIGHER NOW BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T SPEND THAT MONEY.

SO IT'S PART OF THAT PROJECT. CONSTRUCTION OF 2.431 MILLION.

THE SECOND ONE DOWN. YES. YEP. SO THE 131,000.

OKAY. SO PART OF THAT, IT'S PART OF IT. OKAY.

AND ALL THAT MONEY IN THAT FUND IS ASSIGNED FOR FUTURE CAPITAL.

SO KIND OF LIKE WHEN I WAS SHOWING THE CASH BALANCES, IT'S ALSO PART OF, OF THE BLACK PART OF THIS GRAPH AS A SIGN FOR FUTURE CAPITAL FROM A CASH PERSPECTIVE. OKAY. BUT THE MILLION THAT WE PULLED OUT OF THE PROJECT FUND

[00:15:04]

AS HIGHLIGHTED UP THERE, IT DECREASED BY ABOUT 400,000.

AND THAT WAS MOSTLY DUE TO THAT TRANSFER OUT TO THE WATER FUND.

TRANSFER BACK TO THE WATERFRONT. TRANSFER BACK TECHNICALLY.

THANK YOU. YEAH NO PROBLEM. OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

YEAH. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. HAVE A GREAT MEETING. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANKS. ALL RIGHT.

WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. OPPORTUNITY FOR FOR FOLKS IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL AND STAFF.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL TONIGHT? ANYONE WANT TO ADDRESS US? OKAY, THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO, I GUESS, ITEM NUMBER SIX.

[6) Service Recognition - Resolution 7683]

HE'S PROVIDED 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO ORONO WITH 19 YEARS LEADING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS ITS CHIEF.

AND DURING THIS TIME, HE MADE MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORGANIZATION AND THE COMMUNITY.

AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MADE NOTE OF THAT TONIGHT.

YEAH. THANK YOU FOR FOR DOING THAT. I ACTUALLY HAD HOPED THAT CHIEF FARNIOK WOULD JOIN US TONIGHT, BUT. I BELIEVE HE WAS AT ANOTHER COMMUNITY TONIGHT.

OKAY. UNFORTUNATELY TUESDAY NIGHTS. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO COME TO HIS PARTY ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

I BELIEVE IT IS. SO TO THANK HIM FOR THE MANY YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF, OF KNOWING CHIEF FARNIOK FOR LONGER THAN THE TIME I'VE SPENT AS A, AS A CITY ELECTED OFFICIAL THROUGH OUR ROTARY CLUB.

AND HE, HE'S BEEN A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER OF OUR ROTARY CLUB AND HAS SERVED AS OUR PRESIDENT AND HOSTS THE MEETINGS OVER IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM AT THE POLICE STATION. AND WHAT A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL CONTRIBUTION HE HAS MADE TO OUR COMMUNITY.

SO SO THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THIS BY PULLING IT OUT OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

WE WILL BE, OR WE HAVE ADOPTED OR WE WILL, I GUESS WE PROPOSE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION FOR HIM.

AND IT'S NOT TERRIBLY LONG. SO I THINK I WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT.

ALL RIGHT. WHEREAS CORREY FARNIOK BEGAN HIS CAREER TO THE COMMUNITY, TO THE COMMUNITY AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER IN 1995, WAS APPOINTED AS A POLICE OFFICER ON MARCH 1ST, 1996.

AND WHEREAS, THROUGH PROFESSIONALISM, LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE, CORREY ADVANCED THROUGH THE RANKS OF THE DEPARTMENT, SERVING AS SERGEANT BEGINNING IN 2000, ULTIMATELY BEING APPOINTED POLICE CHIEF IN 2007.

AND WHEREAS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, CORREY LED WITH INTEGRITY, PROFESSIONALISM AND A STRONG COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

AND WHEREAS CORREY FOSTERED STRONG PARTNERSHIPS WITH NEIGHBORING PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES, LOCAL SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PARTNERS TO BETTER SERVE THE COMMUNITY.

AND WHEREAS, UNDER CORREY'S LEADERSHIP, THE DEPARTMENT EXPANDED AND STRENGTHENED ITS SERVICES THROUGH INITIATIVES INCLUDING THE K-9 PROGRAM, INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM, REGIONAL SWAT PARTICIPATION, DRUG TASK FORCE INVOLVEMENT, AND EMBEDDED SOCIAL WORKER PROGRAM. AND WHEREAS CORREY SUCCESSFULLY LED THE MERGER OF THE MOUND AND ORONO POLICE DEPARTMENTS INTO ONE COHESIVE ORGANIZATION THAT NOW PROVIDES EFFICIENT, COMMUNITY FOCUSED POLICE SERVICES TO FOUR COMMUNITIES.

AND WHEREAS CORREY'S 30 YEARS OF SERVICE HAVE BEEN CHARACTERIZED BY PROFESSIONALISM, LEADERSHIP, AND A STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY SERVICE TO THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL STAFF AND RESIDENTS HEREBY EXTEND THEIR SINCERE APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE TO CORREY FARNIOK FOR HIS DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AS POLICE CHIEF.

CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT RESOLUTION? SO MOVED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. FURTHER DISCUSSION? NO. I'LL JUST I WILL SAY THAT IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE SERVING ON THE POLICE COMMISSION WITH THE CHIEF, AND HE'S ALWAYS BEEN VERY APPROACHABLE AND SO KNOWLEDGEABLE.

AND MY HOPE IS THAT HE CONTINUES TO STICK AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM OUR NEW CHIEF, BECAUSE HE'S A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE. SO THAT'S ALL.

HE WILL DEFINITELY BE MISSED. SO HE'S DEFINITELY BEEN A BIG ASSET FOR THE COMMUNITY.

[00:20:02]

OTHERWISE I'LL CALL THE QUESTION. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THAT RESOLUTION SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSITION. DIDN'T EXPECT THERE TO BE.

THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PULLING THAT OUT OF OUR CONSENT AGENDA.

I WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM 15 WHICH IS A VARIANCE REQUEST AT 1520 BOHNS POINT ROAD.

[15) LA26-000017, 1520 Bohns Point Road, Variance]

I'LL TAKE IT FROM HERE. OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU.

I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT THE WRONG PERSON ON THE SPOT HERE.

UNDERSTOOD. THIS IS A VARIANCE. AND AFTER THE FACT VARIANCE FOR A PATIO SPACE LOCATED AT 1520 BOHNS POINT ROAD.

I WILL NOTE THAT IT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR PATIO SPACE, WHICH IS WHAT WE DEFINE AS AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE IN OUR CODE FOR LR-1B ZONING, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A TEN FOOT SIDE SETBACK IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE.

I DO WANT TO NOTE, BASED ON ITS PROPERTY SIZE AND LOCATION, IT IS IN OUR TIER ONE OF OUR STORMWATER QUALITY OVERLAY DISTRICT, MEANING 25% OF THE LOT AREA SHOULD BE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF HARD COVER ON A PROPERTY OF THAT SIZE.

TO BACK UP A COUPLE STEPS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

THIS WAS INITIALLY APPLIED FOR A ADMINISTRATIVE ZONING PERMIT IN 2024.

SO A LOT OF THE SURVEY WORK THAT WAS REVIEWED AT THE TIME WAS COMPLETED IN LATE 2023.

THIS IS THE BEST DOCUMENTATION OF WHAT WAS EXISTING ON THE PROPERTY IN 2023.

SO AS WE'LL COVER IN A COUPLE SLIDES AHEAD, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT THIS PAVER PATIO HERE, WHICH IN THIS INSTANCE GOES INTO THE SIDE SETBACK.

BUT AS THE APPLICANT HAS BECOME INVOLVED WITH THE DESIGN OF THE SITE, HAS REWORKED IT IN DIFFERENT INSTANCES THAT I'LL COVER COMING UP HERE.

IN TERMS OF WHAT STAFF HAD APPROVED IN 2024 WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE ZONING PERMIT, WE'RE LOOKING AT A REWORKING OF THE PATIO SPACE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE LOT WITHIN THE SIDE SETBACK.

WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE AS WELL IS THAT THE PATIO SPACE DID TECHNICALLY GO WITHIN THE SIDE SETBACK BEFORE, BUT REALLY IT WAS A MATTER OF WHAT THE GROUND COVER WAS.

IN THIS CASE, IT WASN'T A FULL, PERHAPS PAVER PATIO.

THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FILLED IN WITH GRASS OR TURF, WITH STEPPING STONES, MORE OR LESS TO A LARGER SEATING AREA.

SO WITH THE STRICT APPLICATION OF OUR CODE, THIS IS PERMITTED, WHEREAS A IF IT WERE CONCRETE OR PAVERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE PERMITTED.

ADDITIONALLY, I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT WE DO ALLOW FOR RETAINING WALLS GREATER THAN TWO FEET IN HEIGHT, AS LONG AS THEY ARE AT LEAST FIVE FEET AWAY FROM THE PROPERTY LINE.

SO A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MEASUREMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH IN THIS INSTANCE.

THE APPLICANT IN 2025, APRIL, I BELIEVE HAD UPLOADED A NEW PLAN WITH THEIR PERMIT FOR REVIEW.

ORDINARILY WE'LL ACCEPT NEW PLANS AT ANY POINT.

IT'S JUST A MATTER OF IS THEIR ZONING CONFORMANCE OR NOT.

IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE THE PATIO HAD SHIFTED AWAY FROM THE LAKE BUT INVOLVED THE, I BELIEVE IT CONCRETE IS THE MATERIAL GOING BEYOND THE SETBACK LINE GETTING A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE SIDE, I BELIEVE IT'S ABOUT 6.3FT FROM THE SIDE PROPERTY LINE BASED ON THE SURVEYED MEASUREMENTS. AND HERE IS A AERIAL OF THE PRESENT DAY CONDITION.

THE APPLICANT PUT TOGETHER THIS GOOD GRAPHIC OF REALLY WHAT THE CHANGES HAVE BEEN SINCE THE PROJECT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED, INITIALLY APPROVED, AND THE AMENDED PLAN THAT WAS UPLOADED LAST YEAR IN BLUE, WE HAVE THE EXISTING PAVER PATIO THAT WENT EVER SO BEYOND THE DASHED RED SETBACK LINE. WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN SOLID RED IS WHAT STAFF HAD APPROVED IN AUGUST OF 2024. ALSO, JUST NOTING IN THIS LIGHT SHADED GRAY LINE THAT WE HAVE HERE, THAT THAT WOULD BE THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK FOR THE RETAINING WALLS. AND IN BLACK, WE HAVE THE PRESENT DAY PROPOSAL, WHICH IS ALL CONCRETE EXTENDING AS FAR AS THIS POINT RIGHT HERE. AND ADDITIONALLY, YES, THE YELLOW DOES COVER ABOUT 65FT² OF PATIO SPACE, WHICH IS BEYOND THE SETBACK LINE, NOT INCLUDING THE EXISTING CONDITION PRIOR TO THE PROJECT BEING APPLIED FOR.

[00:25:09]

WHEN THE PROJECT HAD STARTED, THE PROPERTY WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 30.74% HARDCOVER, AND ALTHOUGH THE HARDCOVER AMOUNT STAFF HAD APPROVED IS 29.22%, WHAT THEY HAVE PROPOSED AS THE PERMIT IS STILL ACTIVE.

ULTIMATELY IS THIS HAS TO FALL IN LINE WITH THE EXISTING 30.74 INSTEAD OF THE 22, OR THE 29.22%. AS THIS PROJECT WAS NEVER COMPLETED. STILL AN ACTIVE PERMIT, MORE OR LESS.

SO IN TERMS OF PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES, WHAT I WANT TO OUTLINE IS THAT MANY OF THE CRITERIA ARE MET.

THERE IS AGREEMENT BETWEEN STAFF AND THE APPLICANT ON A NUMBER OF THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE AT PLAY ON THE SITE, MAINLY WITH HOW THE HOUSE IS ORIENTED, WITH THE SLOPED GRADE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HOUSE, WHERE SOME OF THE ENTRIES AND EXITS TO THE BUILDING ARE IN VERY DIFFICULT LOCATIONS IN RELATION TO NOT ONLY THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, BUT WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO BUILD AROUND AS WELL.

WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE HAS BEEN ADEQUATE SCREENING OF THE PATIO AREA.

PART OF THE LANDSCAPING IN THE DEVELOPMENT HAS PUT IN NEW TREES THAT ARE SCREENING THAT PATIO FROM THE ADJACENT NEIGHBOR.

ADDITIONALLY, THE PREEXISTING PATIO THAT WAS ONCE THERE AND WITHIN THE SETBACK WAS IN THAT SIMILAR LOCATION CLOSER TO THE HOUSE, BUT ALSO IN THE SETBACK. AND WE DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THE AFFECTED NEIGHBOR TO THE NORTH DID SUBMIT AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT THE PROJECT IS GOING ON AND THAT THEY SUPPORT IT. WHAT STAFF, WHAT SUPPORTING STAFF'S OPINION, WHICH WILL BE A RECOMMENDATION OF DENIAL, IS THAT THE VARIANCE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE NECESSARY FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF THE OWNER'S PROPERTY RIGHTS, AND APPEARS TO BE A CONVENIENCE, QUALIFIED MAINLY BY THE GRAPHIC THAT WE HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, A CONFORMING PATIO, ALTHOUGH CLOSER TO THE LAKE, STILL MET REQUIREMENTS AS THE ZONING CODE IS CONCERNED.

WE'RE NOT REGULATING, I GUESS, A DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LAKE, AS LONG AS THE 75 FOOT SETBACK IS MET.

SO IN THE EYES OF THE CODE REALLY INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE PATIO DOES APPEAR TO BE A CONVENIENCE TO THE APPLICANT, NOT SUPPORTED BY PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES. BUT AGAIN, STAFF WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE SUPPORTING FACTORS BEHIND THIS VARIANCE.

BUT IN SUMMARY THIS IS AN AFTER THE FACT ACCESSORY STRUCTURE SIDE SETBACK VARIANCE FOR AN ENCROACHMENT OF 3.3FT WHERE THE TEN FEET IS REQUIRED. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS AT THIS POINT, JUST THAT ONE ACKNOWLEDGMENT FROM THE ADJACENT NEIGHBOR.

I WILL DOCUMENT THAT OUR STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL OF THE VARIANCE.

HOWEVER, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, ON A VOTE OF 6 TO 1, RECOMMENDED APPROVAL, ESSENTIALLY FINDING THAT MANY OF THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT HARD COVER DID DECREASE. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF SITE WORK THAT HAS IMPROVED THE SITE CONDITIONS OVERALL, AND PLANNING COMMISSION WAS OVERALL AMENABLE TO THE OVERALL SITE CHANGES AND HOW THAT HAS IMPROVED THE PROPERTY IN THE AREA.

SO WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR HERE, STAFF, IS THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD ULTIMATELY PROVIDE A MOTION FOR US TO DRAFT FINDINGS AND A RESOLUTION FOR YOUR JUNE 8TH MEETING, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE. DID YOU SAY THAT IN THIS AREA THERE SHOULD BE 25% HARD COVER, BUT WE'RE AT 29 AND CHANGE. THIS IS A LEGAL NONCONFORMING CONDITION AT 30.74.

AND HOW MUCH BETWEEN. I THINK YOU SAID IT WAS IN 2024 THAT THE INITIAL PLAN WITH THE PAVERS AND THE GRASS IN BETWEEN WAS PRESENTED? THAT'S CORRECT. WHAT WAS THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THAT HARD COVER VERSUS WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW? THE PATIO? YES, I BELIEVE THE. SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THIS NUMBER DOWN.

YEAH. I MAY DEFER TO THE APPLICANT AS WELL ON THAT.

I MIGHT BE ABLE TO FILL THAT IN. THAT'S FINE.

WHAT ARE OPTIONS FOR COUNCIL IN TERMS OF AND I BELIEVE THIS, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN COVERED IN PLANNING.

[00:30:02]

IF THE DESIGN IS DENIED, THE APPLICANT WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO UPLOAD A CONFORMING PLAN TO THIS PERMIT TO ALLOW IT TO MOVE FORWARD.

ADDITIONALLY, THEY COULD ALSO COMPLETE THE REMOVAL OF WHAT THEY'VE CONSTRUCTED ON THE SITE CURRENTLY TO MATCH WHAT WAS APPROVED PREVIOUSLY. COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE AERIAL SHOT FOR JUST A MOMENT? THE PRESENT DAY ONE. YES. OKAY. SO I SEE THE PATIO IS THE OTHER.

ARE THOSE PLANTINGS OR GRAVEL OR WHAT ARE THE OTHER AREAS AROUND THE PATIO? I BELIEVE THAT. IS LANDSCAPED. OKAY. MULCHING.

OKAY. LET ME THINK ABOUT THIS. I'M JUST WONDERING.

SO THIS BUT MY CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED FROM WHEN THE OTHER PLAN WAS APPROVED 2024 AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, THERE'S NO MORE GRASS, THERE'S NO MORE PAVERS.

THIS HAS GONE TO ESSENTIALLY A SOLID DESIGN OR SO IT'S AWAY FROM THE LAKE. YES. SO. NO, I UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THE OF THE ANGLE OF THE PROPERTY LINE.

YEP. BUT IT'S A IT'S A FAIRLY DIFFERENT PLAN THAN WAS SUBMITTED.

AND WHAT I'M WONDERING IS WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE INTERIM WHERE THEY'RE NOT ITERATIONS OF THESE CHANGES THAT WERE COMMUNICATED.

THAT'S WHAT I'M I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A NOT MAYBE THIS IS FOR THE APPLICANT.

I'LL I'LL SAVE THAT QUESTION. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THEN.

THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS. SO THE PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED IN 24.

THE REASON THAT IT WAS APPROVED AND IT STILL WAS THE CORNER OF IT WAS WITHIN THE TEN FEET, BUT THEY HAD PUSHED IT DOWN SO THAT THE ENTIRE PATIO, IT LOOKS LIKE, WAS OUTSIDE THE TEN FOOT.

YEAH. SO I CAN COMMENT ON THIS A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THIS PLAN CAME THROUGH PRE MATT'S TIME.

I BELIEVE MATT, NATALIE WAS HANDLING THIS ONE, BUT THE RETAINING WALLS HAVE A DIFFERENT SETBACK OF FIVE FOOT OF A FIVE FOOT SETBACK.

SO THIS PLAN THE RETAINING WALLS MEET THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK.

OKAY. THE PATIO ITSELF IS WHAT HAS A TEN FOOT SETBACK.

SO I DO RECALL THERE COULD BE CONVERSATIONS. I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S WITH THIS APPLICANT, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS WITH THE LANDSCAPER ON SITE GOING THROUGH ITERATIONS OF THIS AND FOUND THAT THEY WERE AMENABLE TO PUTTING STEPPERS TO THEN THE THE PATIO SPACE, WHICH ALLOWED THEM TO GET THE SPACE THEY NEEDED FOR THE PATIO THAT WAS DESIRED TO SERVE FOR, FOR THE TABLE AND EVERYTHING THAT MET THE TEN FOOT SETBACK.

SO BECAUSE THAT PATIO SPACE MEETS THE SETBACKS AND THE STEPPERS MEET THE TEN FOOT SETBACK THAT WAS A FOLLOWING OUR ZONING CODE.

SO THAT WAS ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED WITH A BUILDING PERMIT.

YEAH. YEP. SO THIS WAS AND THEN WE ISSUED THE PERMIT WITH THIS DESIGN.

OKAY. SO WHAT HAPPENED IN BETWEEN? YEAH. SO I BELIEVE AND I'M, I'M SURE THE APPLICANT CAN SPEAK TO THE HISTORY A LITTLE BIT MORE AND MORE CLEARLY, BUT I BELIEVE AN AMENDED PLAN CAME THROUGH SHOWING A DIFFERENT PATIO DESIGN STAFF PROVIDED SOME CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS.

AND THEN THE THE PATIO ESSENTIALLY WAS CONSTRUCTED.

OKAY. SO AND I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT CAN ASK, CAN SPEAK TO PLEASE, WE'D, WE'D LOVE TO.

BE ABLE TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS. I JUST WANT, I GUESS I TOO WANT TO UNDERSTAND.

SO BEFORE IT WAS CONSTRUCTED, AN AMENDED PLAN WAS PRESENTED AND.

AND IT WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING PERMIT.

IT WAS ADMINISTRATIVE ON OUR SIDE. SO THE, THE ORIGINAL PLAN WITH THE STEPPERS, THAT MEANT ZONING.

SO WE ISSUED THE BUILDING PERMIT. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, ANOTHER PLAN COMES THROUGH.

AND DID WE SAY GO FOR IT? OR DID WE SAY WE REVIEWED IT? AND WE PROVIDED COMMENT BACK ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHANGES.

SO IT WAS NEVER APPROVED ADMINISTRATIVELY. IT WASN'T FORMALLY APPROVED.

TRUE. OKAY. BUT DID WE GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS APPROVED.

AND SO YOU WENT AHEAD WITH IT OR HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? I CAN JUST ELABORATE ON ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS AND GIVE YOU KIND OF OUR PERSPECTIVE AND KIND OF SAY HOW WE GOT HERE BECAUSE

[00:35:01]

I'M THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PROJECT.

MY ADDRESS IS 3255 GARFIELD AVENUE SOUTH IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SO AGAIN, MY, MY FIRM TRAVIS FAMILIAR STUDIO WAS HIRED BY THE, THE CLIENTS STACY AND JOE MCCONNELL TO ASSIST WITH A COMPLETE LANDSCAPE REDO OF THEIR PROPERTY BACK IN 2024.

AT THAT TIME, WE KIND OF STARTED OUT GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS UNDERSTANDING KIND OF WHAT WE WERE DEALING WITH.

THERE WAS A LOT OF NON-CONFORMITIES ON THE PROPERTY THAT WERE BUILT PREVIOUSLY BEFORE WE CAME ON.

SO WE MET WITH CITY STAFF AT THE TIME. WE MET WITH MELANIE AND I BELIEVE IT WAS KATIE WAS OUR PLANNER INITIALLY.

AND WE WALKED THROUGH ALL THESE KIND OF NON-CONFORMITIES. IN 2024, WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS GET A PERMIT IN PLACE BECAUSE WE WERE BUILDING A POOL.

SO WE WERE TRYING TO ACTIVELY GET THAT CONSTRUCTION GOING SO THAT WE COULD GET THOSE THINGS GOING ON THE SITE.

WHAT WE CAME TO FIND OUT AS WE GOT INTO IT WAS THERE WAS KIND OF A COUPLE EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT KIND OF DICTATED SOME CHANGES TO THE PATIO DESIGN, WHICH I'LL KIND OF OUTLINE HERE SPECIFICALLY.

ONE WAS THAT THE CLIENTS, WE JUST CAME TO FIND OUT THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GRADE CHANGE THAT WE'RE MITIGATING FROM THEIR EGRESS DOOR, WHICH IS KIND OF ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE FOR THE UPPER LEVEL DOWN TO THE WALKOUT LEVEL.

AND THERE WAS A NEW EGRESS WINDOW THAT YOU COULD SEE IN THIS PHOTO HERE THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH.

SO WE HAD TO HAVE A BIGGER RETAINING WALL THAN WHAT WE WERE ANTICIPATING PUTTING IN.

AND WE WERE ALSO THE CLIENTS HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT STEEP SLOPES AND JUST FALLING OFF OF RETAINING WALLS. SO WE WORKED TO MITIGATE THE GRADES AND KIND OF SOFTENING THEM WITH ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING.

THE OTHER CONCERN THAT THE CLIENT HAD WAS JUST THEY FELT THAT THEY WERE KIND OF OUT ON DISPLAY WITH THE PREVIOUS DESIGN FOR THE PATIO, AND THAT GOT PUSHED OUT. AND THEY FELT THAT THEIR NEIGHBORS HAD A CLEAR VIEW OF THEM.

AND THEY, THEY REALLY KIND OF WANT TO BE MORE NESTED INTO THE SITE.

AND THE PREVIOUS PATIO KIND OF HAD THAT DESIGN.

SO WHAT WE DID WAS KIND OF HEARKENED BACK TO THE PREVIOUS DESIGN, PUSHED THE PATIO INTO KIND OF THE EXISTING GRADE.

WE PUSHED IT DOWN INTO THE GRADE SO IT WASN'T ABOVE, SO WE RECESSED IT A COUPLE FEET.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE NEW RETAINING WALL WAS. AND THERE WAS ALSO COST OVERRUNS KIND OF ON THE PROJECT.

SO WE LOOKED TO SIMPLIFY THINGS BY REDUCING RETAINING WALLS THAT WERE EXTENDING BEYOND ON THE PREVIOUS PLAN, YOU MAYBE SAW SOME OF THOSE. SO WE GOT RID OF A BUNCH OF STUFF THAT WE FELT WERE KIND OF NOT NEEDED AT THE TIME IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THIS.

THE OTHER THING WE WERE TRYING TO DO IS THERE'S A BIG BLACK WALNUT TREE THAT'S ON THE NEIGHBORING, IT KIND OF SPLITS THE TWO PROPERTIES. AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO KIND OF NOT COMPROMISE THAT BY ADDING FILL AND ALL THAT STUFF.

SO REALLY TRIED TO WORK WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS AND GIVE THE CLIENTS WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR WITH THIS DESIGN.

THE REASON THE PATIO KIND OF WIDTH CHANGED WAS WE CAME TO REALIZE REALLY QUICKLY THAT ONCE YOU PUT THE TABLE ON A TEN FOOT PATIO, AND THEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE WALKING BY NEXT TO A STEEP SLOPE AND EVERYTHING, IT BECAME REALLY CUMBERSOME AND UNSAFE IS KIND OF THE WORD THAT THE CLIENT USED FOR THEIR KIDS RUNNING UP AND DOWN. SO WE LOOK TO WIDEN THE PATIO, BUT MADE ADJUSTMENTS IN OTHER AREAS OF THE HARDCOVER TO STILL KEEP WITHIN THE NON-CONFORMING HARDCOVER USE THAT YOU'VE DONE.

SO COLLECTIVELY, WE MADE A SERIES OF CHANGES TO HELP IMPROVE WHAT THE CLIENT WAS ASKING FOR, BUT ALSO STILL REMAIN INTACT WITH THE SPIRIT OF WHAT WE INITIALLY APPROVED, WE PROVIDED AN UPDATED PLAN.

I BELIEVE IT WAS APRIL OF 2025 WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS.

WE SUBMITTED IT TO THE PORTAL. THE CONTRACTOR HANDLES THE PERMITS.

I DON'T HANDLE THE PERMITS. WE JUST ARE DOING THE DESIGN.

WE WERE GOING FORWARD WITH THE INTENTIONS AND THE ASSUMPTIONS BASED UPON OUR PAST CONVERSATIONS OF HAVING NONCONFORMING USES ALREADY EXISTING, WE TOOK OFF. THERE WAS SOME PAVING ALONG THE NORTH SIDE HOUSE USED TO BE A DOG RUN.

THERE WAS ALSO A FIRE PIT THAT WAS OUT ON THE LAKE THAT WAS A NON-CONFORMING USE.

SO WE TOOK THOSE OFF. AND PER OUR UNDERSTANDING, SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD INITIALLY WITH MELANIE AND KATIE, OUR PLANNER, WAS THAT THOSE NON-CONFORMITIES, AS LONG AS WE TOOK THOSE OFF AND AS LONG AS WE WERE KIND OF NOT ENCROACHING BEYOND WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY THERE, THAT'S WHAT WE ASSUMED WAS THE CORRECT ASSUMPTION.

WE KEPT ON GOING FORWARD WITH THE INSTALLATION.

WE DIDN'T COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE THE PLAN.

THERE WAS SOME BACK AND FORTH. THE CONTRACTOR APPARENTLY DIDN'T GET THE EMAIL OR THE SAY THAT BECAUSE IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD THAT AT THIS TIME, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GONE THROUGH A VARIANCE PROCESS LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME. SO WE DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND UNTIL WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROJECT CLOSEOUT TO CLOSE THE PERMIT THAT WE HAD THIS ISSUE AND HENCE WHY WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

SO WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WORKING IN THE BEST EFFORT TO KIND OF RECTIFY WHAT WE DO.

THE PATIO IS ALREADY INSTALLED. BUT THERE'S REASONS AS TO WHY WE KIND OF WENT FORWARD WITH THAT,

[00:40:04]

I HAVE ONE AND IT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING AT EARLIER.

YOU'VE MENTIONED THE FORMER PLANNER OR SOMEBODY ELSE WAS HANDLING THIS BACK IN 2024, WHICH HAPPENS.

I'M INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING HOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CURRENT PLANNER, MATTHEW CARNEY, WHO'S HANDLING THIS, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT HE LIKELY HAS HAD QUESTIONS OR MAYBE DURING THE PLANNING MEETING, I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED THAT SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WAS REQUESTED AND WHATNOT.

SO IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN. YEAH. SO THIS PROCESS, I DON'T THINK I'VE WORKED WITH HIM.

I'VE WORKED WITH HIM ON ANOTHER PROJECT AND WE DO SEVERAL PROJECTS IN THE AREA.

WE'VE WORKED THROUGH VARIANTS. SO MATTHEW, I'VE WORKED WITH HIM ON PREVIOUS STUFF ON THIS. I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY CONVERSATIONS UNTIL THE CONTRACTOR WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAD THIS ISSUE. SO THEN THE CONTRACTOR NOTIFIED US THAT, HEY, WE HAVE THIS ISSUE WHERE WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION BACK AND FORTH, AND WE CONNECTED WITH MATTHEW. I THINK IT WAS IN THE FALL LAST YEAR.

AND THEN WE KIND OF WENT THROUGH KIND OF THE PROCESS OF WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT DOING.

WE WERE STILL TRYING TO CLOSE OUT THE PROJECT LAST YEAR, AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE DIDN'T GET TO THAT. THE CLIENTS ARE DEALING WITH SOME OLD ABATEMENT ISSUES IN THEIR BASEMENT, SO IT'S KIND OF BEEN PUTTING THEM THROUGH A CAN OF WORMS. SO OUR GOAL THIS SUMMER, THIS NEXT MONTH, IS TO KIND OF WRAP UP EVERYTHING WITH A PRETTY BOWL IF WE CAN AND GET ON WITH OUR LIVES SO THEY CAN USE THE PROPERTY THE WAY THEY WANT TO. YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SIMPLY NOTE THAT THE CONTRACTOR THAT TRAVIS IS ALLUDING TO WAS WHO I HAD SENT THAT EMAIL TO. SO HE WASN'T IN RECEIPT OF THE EMAIL THAT I HAD PREVENTED OR PRESENTED LAST YEAR.

SO IT WENT TO THE CONTRACTOR AND HE WAS NOT AWARE OF THOSE PLAN REVIEW COMMENTS.

HE WASN'T AN APPLICANT ON THAT PERMIT PER SE.

BUT YOU NEVER GOT A RESPONSE TO THAT EMAIL. SO THE CONTRACTOR IS THE POINT OF CONTACT AND SERVE.

SO THAT'S WHO WE SEND OUR EMAILS TO. NOT NECESSARILY ALL TEAM MEMBERS WHO WORK ON THE PROJECT.

SO AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO THOSE QUESTIONS.

NO. TRUE. OKAY. AND I DON'T KNOW, IT'S HE WAS NOT GETTING EMAILS OR BECAUSE WE KEPT ON ASKING, WE SUBMIT TO A PORTAL AND THEN YOU BASICALLY GO ONLINE AND YOU KEEP CHECKING TO SEE IF THERE'S FEEDBACK OR COMMENTS. YEAH.

AND WE WERE JUST KIND OF MARCHING ALONG AND WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE HAD FEEDBACK.

AND THAT'S WHEN WE STOPPED AND SAID, OKAY, LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS PART OF IT.

SO. OKAY. IT'S OUR MISTAKE. I MEAN, WE, WE, WE DID WE, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TO RECTIFY IT.

YEAH. SO HOW MANY FEET WOULD HAVE TO BE ELIMINATED TO BRING IT INTO.

ITS KIND OF A WEIRD TRAPEZOID. IT'S ABOUT THREE FEET ON THE ON THE WEST SIDE AND IT GOES TO ABOUT 18IN.

THE HARD PART IS, AND THIS IS, I THINK WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE COUNCIL IS LIKE, IF WE CUT THIS OUT, WHICH WE COULD DO, IT BECOMES KIND OF THIS NO MAN'S LAND OF STUFF.

AND LIKE ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS MADE A COMMENT LIKE, WALLS ARE PERMITTED. YOU COULD BUILD A WIDER WALL IF YOU WANTED TO AND MAKE IT LIKE A BENCH SEAT.

SO LIKE, THERE'S KIND OF THESE WEIRD AND SOME MUNICIPALITIES, I FORGOT TO BRING THIS UP AT OUR PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, BUT LIKE CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES WE WORK WITH IN OTHER AREAS, THEY HAVE LIKE THEY'LL ALLOW LIKE A CERTAIN PERCENT OF ENCROACHMENTS TO LIKE 50 OR 100FT² OF ENCROACHMENT WITHIN TO A SETBACK AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T EXCEED THAT.

I KNOW ORONO DOESN'T HAVE THAT. SO IT'S KIND OF A WEIRD GRAY AREA.

AND AGAIN, WE WERE INTERPRETING OFF OF PREVIOUS NON ENCROACHMENTS THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH AND WE ASSUMED WERE CORRECT.

YEAH. WELL, AND PLUS, DIDN'T YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE MITIGATION.

YOU DID TAKE OFF SOME HARD COVER THAT WAS THERE, THE DOG RUN ON THAT SIDE.

YEP. AND INTO THE HILL. YEP. WE WE WE REDUCED THE HARDCOVER.

WE PULLED EVERYTHING FROM THE LAKE. THAT WAS A NONCONFORMITY. OUT OF THE OUT OF THE DESIGN.

WE REDUCED RETAINING WALLS, WHICH I KNOW RETAINING WALLS AREN'T COUNTED AS HARDCOVER, BUT THAT WE TOOK TWO WALLS THAT WERE PROBABLY EASILY OVER 100FT², WHICH IS OVER THIS AMOUNT THAT WE'RE REACHING IN HERE.

SO I THINK THERE'S SOME SOME PROS THAT WE TRIED TO PROVIDE TO KIND OF OFFSET SOME OF THIS.

BUT YEAH. DID THE PATIO SHRINK IN SIZE AT ALL OR JUST.

NO, THE PATIO ACTUALLY GAINED IN SIZE. AND PART OF THAT WAS JUST BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAM, WE INITIALLY WERE GOING TO HAVE KIND OF A TIERED PATIO THAT KIND OF STEPPED DOWN TO A FIRE PIT AREA. WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING WAS COMBINING THE PATIO INTO ONE GIANT USE SO THAT THEY COULD PUT THEIR UMBRELLA AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.

SO WHAT WE HAVE NOW, THAT CIRCLE THAT YOU SEE IN THAT COMBINED PLAN IS A FIRE PIT THAT SITS IN THE GRASS.

BUT THE, THE PATIO IN ITSELF, I'VE GOT THE, THE TOTALS HERE.

I THINK SOMEBODY ASKED THE ORIGINAL PERMITTED PATIO WAS 242.

THAT DIDN'T COUNT THE THE STEPPERS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

OUR NEW PATIO KIND OF THAT WE SUBMITTED FOR PERMIT WAS 350.

[00:45:04]

AND THEN THE ORIGINAL PATIO JUST THAT CIRCULAR AREA DIDN'T INCLUDE A COUPLE OTHER THINGS WAS 314.

SO WE'RE KIND OF SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOTH OF WHAT WAS THERE.

LET ME ASK YOU SORT OF A HYPOTHETICAL. SO KNOWING THAT THAT THIS WAS NONCONFORMING, WOULD YOU HAVE DESIGNED IT DIFFERENTLY IN TERMS OF PULLING THAT RETAINING WALL CLOSER TOWARD THE HOUSE, OR WOULD THAT HAVE MADE IT AN UNUSABLE SPACE? NO, BECAUSE IT JUST REALLY IT'S KIND OF LIKE PUSHING EVERYTHING UP TO THE EDGE OF A CLIFF, LIKE THE HILL.

AND THAT'S WHAT CREATES THERE'S, THERE'S A SAFETY CONCERN WITH THAT EDGE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE HEDGE THAT WE PUT IN THAT EVENTUALLY WILL GROW IN.

AND IT'S MEANT TO KEEP THE DOGS AND THE KIDS KIND OF AT BAY.

BUT THE CONCERN WAS, IF WE BROUGHT THIS IN THREE FEET, THE WALL WOULD BE BASICALLY ON THE BACKSIDE OF WHERE THE BACK, THE THE CLOSEST CHAIR IS ON THE. YEAH. RIGHT.

AND IT JUST BECOMES KIND OF A NARROW CORRIDOR. AND IT JUST FELT UNFUNCTIONAL. AND THE CLIENT WAS JUST, SHE DIDN'T WANT THAT.

SO. YEAH, IT PUTS US IN A TOUGH, TOUGH SPOT THOUGH. WE WERE SORT OF LOATH TO GIVE AFTER THE FACT.

I KNOW VARIANCES. BUT IT, YOU KNOW, IT SENDS A MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT, HEY, JUST GO AHEAD AND DO IT.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GET, WE'LL DEAL WITH IT LATER.

AND AND I RESPECT THAT. WE'RE NOT LIKE WE OWN UP TO THAT.

THIS IS AN ANOMALY. AND MY NAME'S ON THE DESIGN.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE DOING THINGS CORRECTLY.

AND THAT'S WHY WE MEET WITH MATTHEW AND MELANIE ON EVERYTHING WE DO, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY GIVE US GUIDANCE TO THE MOST PART THAT WE INTERPRET SOME SOME OF THE STUFF AND WE KEEP HAVING DAILY CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.

IF WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS AT THE TIME, I THINK IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR OR WHENEVER WE SUBMITTED, WHEN MATTHEW GAVE HIS COMMENT, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE APPLIED FOR A VARIANCE AT THE SAME POINT IN TIME. SO IT IS A UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE IN THAT IT'S ALREADY BUILT, BUT I THINK WE'VE KIND OF SHOWN THAT WE ARE MAKING THE BEST EFFORT TO RECTIFY THIS IF WE CAN.

SO HYPOTHETICALLY, IF THEY WERE TO LEAVE THE RETAINING WALL, BUT TAKE OUT A LINE OF PAVERS, IT WOULD BE CONFORMING TO THE RETAINING WALL IS IN CONFORMANCE CURRENTLY.

OKAY, SO IT'S JUST THE PATIO SPACE THAT'S BEING THAT'S THE ENCROACHMENT.

YEAH. AND IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, WE KEEP THE CIRCULAR BULB PART OF THAT PATIO BECAUSE THAT WAS A NONCONFORMITY THAT EXISTED PREVIOUSLY.

SO WE WERE REPLACING IT IN KIND. COULD YOU POINT OUT ON THE OVERHEAD AGAIN.

WHAT'S THERE NOW? WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS WE DISCUSS IT.

SO WHAT'S THERE NOW IS WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE BLACK SHADE.

YEP. SO THAT IS THE THE EXTENT OF THE PATIO THAT YOU SEE IN THIS IMAGE.

SO THE CORNER THAT YOU HAVE HERE WILL ALIGN WITH THIS CORNER RIGHT HERE WHERE THE STAIRS ULTIMATELY BEGIN. THE ENCROACHMENT THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING THAT THE VARIANCE IS FOR IS FOR THE SPACE HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW. YELLOW. YES. AND SO THERE WOULD BE NO RESTRICTIONS WHERE THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT PAVERS, IT'S CEMENT. IS THAT RIGHT? IT'S STONE VENEER.

SO STONE. OKAY, CUT OUT THE STONE. OKAY, BUT THERE'S NOTHING.

YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT A WIRE OR A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WALL THAT WOULD BE IN CONFORMANCE OR COMPLIANCE.

WHAT WAS THAT WAS ONE OF THE COUNCIL OR ONE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS MADE A COMMENT THAT THE WALL COULD BECOME LIKE A BENCH, A BENCH SEAT, OR IT COULD FILL THAT SPACE IT NEEDS LIKE THAT WOULD BE A CONFORMING USE.

AND IT'S STILL TAKING UP THAT SPACE. SO THAT WAS KIND OF JUST A COMMENT AND IT IS KIND OF ODD.

I KIND OF POINTED THIS OUT TO MELANIE AND THAT WALLS AND PATIOS HAVE A DIFFERENT SETBACK.

SO THAT'S AGAIN, A WEIRD JUST ANOMALY, BUT IT'S STUFF THAT WE DEAL WITH AND WE KIND OF POINT TO IT.

SO MY JOB IS TO CRITIQUE THEIR CODE AND THEIR JOB.

SO IF WE DID SAY PUT A BENCH ALONG THE SIDE THERE, WOULD THAT BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE TO THE HOMEOWNER? I, I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD LIKE TO, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THE SOLUTION OR GET TO A SOLUTION THAT MAKES EVERYBODY HAPPY. AND WOULD THAT MAKE IT LESS USEFUL FOR THEM? I KNOW THERE'S A TABLE SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT. YEAH.

I THINK THE HARD PART IS THE TABLE SITS IN THE MIDDLE.

AND THEN IT WOULD BE LIKE THE CHAIRS THAT WOULD BE ON THE WESTERN SIDE AND KIND OF HANG OFF THAT IN THERE, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A STAIR THAT GOES DOWN TO THE POOL, WHICH AGAIN, WE CAN'T PUSH THE TABLE KIND OF FURTHER NORTH.

LIKE WE HAVE OUR PREVIOUS DESIGN BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP EVERYTHING KIND OF MORE CONTAINED AND TIGHT. SO IT'S A UNIQUE CAN OF WORMS.

[00:50:05]

AND IF IT DOES MAKE I MEAN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT POTS HAS BEEN, I THINK A DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE MADE A COMMENT TO SOFTEN IT.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF OTHER AREAS TO BRING LANDSCAPING INTO IT TO HELP DEAL WITH IT.

BUT I THINK. YEAH. THIS IS WHAT IT IS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? WELL, I GUESS I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

IF WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT MORE PERHAPS OR MAKE A MOTION.

THANK YOU. WE MAY CALL YOU BACK UP AGAIN FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. THE TOUGH ONE. I CAN SEE WHERE THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAME OUT ON IT.

BUT LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I'M LOATHE TO SAY AFTER THE FACT.

IT'S OKAY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AND COME BACK AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS VERSUS GETTING APPROVAL ON THE FRONT END.

I AGREE WITH THAT. AND I FEEL THAT THE IDEA OF WHAT IS REASONABLE USE OF THE SPACE.

I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A NICE TABLE AND CHAIR SET AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT THOSE ARE CHOICES THAT SHOULDN'T BE DRIVING OUR DESIGN.

WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ASKING FOR A VARIANCE BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE THINGS COULD BE ADJUSTED IF NEEDED.

AND I AGREE THAT IT GETS A LOT HARDER IN THE FUTURE TO TALK TO APPLICANTS ABOUT WHY WE HAVE THE VARIANCE PROCESS IF WE ARE WILLING. THIS IS MY OPINION TO THEN ONCE SOMETHING'S BUILT, SAY IT'S, IT'S NOT WHAT WAS DESIGNED.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS APPROVED AND IT'S MOVING INTO SPACES THAT WE DON'T ALLOW AND WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE IT. DESPITE ALL THOSE THINGS, AND I UNDERSTAND IT MEETS 9 OF THE 11 CRITERIA, BUT THERE'S A WAY OF WORKING THIS RIGHT NOW WHERE IT WOULD NOT NEED A VARIANCE.

AND IN FACT, THE INITIAL DESIGN DID NOT. AND WE CAN DEBATE WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS CLOSER OR FURTHER BACK, BUT THE INITIAL DESIGN WAS APPROVED. SO I, I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE OUR PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL DIDN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO SEE THIS ONE IF IT HAD FOLLOWED THE PATH THAT IT WAS ALREADY ON.

AND SO THAT'S, I, I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ONE AS IT STANDS.

SO IF THEY WERE TO PUT TEAR UP THE, THE STONE, THEY HAVE TO PUT GRASS IN.

YEAH. SOMETHING THAT'S NOT HARDCOVER. SO I MEAN THEY COULD PUT GRASS.

YEAH. YEAH. GRASS. THEY COULD PUT SOME LANDSCAPING.

IT COULD BE MULCH, IT COULD BE PLANTS, IT COULD BE SOMETHING, BUT IT COULDN'T BE SOMETHING AS DEFINED BY OUR LIKE ACCESSORY STRUCTURES BECAUSE THE, THE ACCESSORY STRUCTURE IS WHAT HAS THE TEN FOOT SETBACK, WHICH IS THE PATIO SPACE, RIGHT? SO IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'D HAVE TO DIG UP THAT CONCRETE AND THEIR STONE AND STONE.

YEP. IN THE YELLOW SPACE. RIGHT. AND PUT THAT IN WITH MULCH OR WHATEVER.

TO BE CONFORMING. CORRECT. BUT THE WALL STAYS, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE DON'T. BECAUSE THE WALL IS FINE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I LOOK AT IT AND, AND I ALWAYS GO CASE BY CASE BASIS IN REGARDS TO VARIANCES AND AFTER THE FACT.

YES. CONCERNED ABOUT THAT PRECEDENCE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS IN TAKING WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION SAID, AND THEY LOOKED AT THIS GOING, IF WE SAW THIS AHEAD OF TIME, THIS IS PROBABLY A VARIANCE.

YOU KNOW, THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE GRANTED. AND LOOKED AT THAT WHETHER, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THEY'RE RECOMMENDING BODY WORK ON THAT WITH NINE OF THE 11 CRITERIA MET AND ESPECIALLY THE PART IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE NEIGHBOR NOT AFFECTING THAT, I WOULD SUPPORT THIS.

AND TAKING WHAT, YOU KNOW, TAKING THAT FEEDBACK IN FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

COUNCIL MEMBER EXPERT. I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH IT BECAUSE THE WALL IS THERE ALREADY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, DOES IT MAKE THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE PAVER THERE RATHER THAN, THAN LIKE, YOU KNOW, A ROW OF SOD? I, I HAVE A VERY HARD TIME THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR A VARIANCE AFTER THE FACT.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY TRIED VERY HARD PULLING EVERYTHING AWAY FROM THE LAKE.

I APPRECIATE THAT I CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE HOMEOWNER IS COMING THAT THERE IS QUITE A,

[00:55:05]

SO I WENT AND TOOK A LOOK AT IT TODAY AND I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SHOVED RIGHT NEXT TO THE HOUSE.

IT'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SPACE TO MANEUVER THERE AND STUFF, SO.

I'D ALMOST HAVE TO SAY I AGREE WITH JOHN ON THIS ONE BECAUSE I AM.

BECAUSE OF THAT WALL. IF YOU HAD TO DIG UP, YOU KNOW, MOVE THE WALL.

I LIKE THE IDEA OF MAYBE MAKING IT WIDER, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT REALLY ACCOMPLISHES.

YOU'D HAVE TO MAKE IT QUITE WIDE. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M AT.

NOW. WELL. I CAN'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT EITHER ONE OF YOU SAID, AND I CAN'T DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU'VE SAID AS WELL.

COUNCIL MEMBER BENSON. I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S AN AFTER THE FACT REQUEST.

AND I'D AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. AND I THINK THAT MESSAGE NEEDS TO BE DELIVERED TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE DO NOT LOOK KINDLY ON THAT.

BUT BUT I THINK GIVEN THE ALTERNATIVES, THAT WALL IS NOT GOING TO COME DOWN.

IT'S BASICALLY TELLING THE HOMEOWNER THAT YOU'VE GOT 65FT² OF USELESS SPACE, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY IMPACT THE, YOU KNOW, THE. THE STORM WATER THAT WILL FLOW OFF OF THAT.

SO I'D BE INCLINED TO, IN THIS INSTANCE, APPROVE IT AGAIN, BASED MOSTLY ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION ON THAT. SO DOES ANYBODY CARE TO MAKE A MOTION. I'LL MAKE A LITTLE REMINDER THAT THE MOTION IS SPECIFICALLY TO DRAFT FINDINGS. IT'S YEAH. IT'S A IT'S IT'S IT'S GUIDING YOU TO DRAFT RESOLUTIONS.

ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE THAT MOTION? WANTS TO. NOBODY WANTS TO.

IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A MAJORITY HERE, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BE MAKING THIS MOTION TO DIRECT STAFF.

IF THAT'S THE MAJORITY'S OPINION. I WILL ALSO JUST SAY AGAIN, I DID SEE WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION SAID, AND I GO BACK TO THE FACT THAT THIS THERE WAS REASONABLE USE AND THAT A PLAN THAT WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION CAME FORWARD.

AND WHAT I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH, HAVING SEEN A NUMBER OF THESE, IS THE IDEA THAT WE CAN TRADE OFF ONE THING OR ANOTHER.

WE HAVE SETBACKS FOR A REASON, AND I THINK IT IS ADMIRABLE WHEN HARDCOVER IS REDUCED OR WHEN YOU'RE TAKING AWAY THINGS THAT WEREN'T DONE TO CODE AND SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT I DON'T WANT TO CONFUSE THAT WITH FOLLOWING THE RULES, BECAUSE I THINK WHILE THAT'S NOTEWORTHY, IT'S NOT THE SAME THING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE. AND THAT'S WHY I COME DOWN FAIRLY FIRMLY ON THIS, BECAUSE THE NEXT ONE THAT COMES IN AND THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ONE.

I PERSONALLY AM NOT COMFORTABLE TRYING TO ARGUE WHY THIS PARTICULAR ONE AGAIN, WHEN IT WAS ALREADY APPROVED, WHEN IT LOOKED DIFFERENT, SHOULD BE GRANTED AND AFTER THE FACT VARIANCE.

THAT'S NOT AN ARGUMENT THAT I'M COMFORTABLE MAKING.

BECAUSE THIS THIS THE APPLICANT WHO'S INTERESTED IN ENJOYING THE PROPERTY AS THEY, AS THEY WOULD BE HAD THE ABILITY TO PROBABLY HAVE HAD THIS WRAPPED UP BY NOW. IT'S 2026. THIS WAS STARTED IN 2024 AND IT WAS APPROVED.

SO THAT'S WHERE I COME BACK TO NOT HOW HAVE WE REDUCED HERE OR GIVEN UP THIS AND THAT TYPE OF THING.

WE ARE WHERE WE ARE BECAUSE THE PROCESS THAT OUR STAFF HAD GIVEN FEEDBACK ON WAS DEVIATED FROM WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE.

SO THAT'S WHY I'M NOT COMFORTABLE AND I WON'T BE MAKING THIS MOTION.

OKAY. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THOUGH. SO IF THEY CUT OUT THAT SECTION AND THEY WERE TO PUT IN, SAY, CRUSHED MARBLE, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, LOOKS THE SAME COLOR AS THE PATIO, THAT'S OKAY.

THAT WOULD STILL BE HARDCOVER. OR IS THAT HARDCOVER? YEAH. IT CAN'T BE ANYTHING THAT'S CONSIDERED HARDCOVER. SO IT CAN'T BE STONE.

IT CAN BE MULCH OR IT CAN BE GRASS. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR ON THAT POINT.

ALL RIGHT.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION? YEAH, I'M JUST TRYING TO HOW DO WE WORD THAT MOTION? IT'S JUST A DIRECT STAFF TO TO MAKE TO PREPARE FINDINGS IN A RESOLUTION THAT WE WOULD BE ADOPTING IN A FUTURE MEETING

[01:00:10]

OH. THEY'RE OKAY. I WAS LOOKING IN THE WRONG SPOT.

SO IF YOU DID CUT IT OUT AND YOU PUT IN. YOU WOULD STILL BE.

THAT WOULD CONFORM. THAT WOULD THAT WOULD COME TO US.

BUT YOU'D ALSO BE ABLE TO STEP ON THAT. LIKE IF YOU WERE SITTING AT THE TABLE.

SO YOU'D BE ABLE TO STEP AROUND THE TABLE NOW.

SO WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THAT ESSENTIALLY. I KNOW IT'S NOT PROBABLY WHAT THEY WANT TO LOOK AT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

INTO IT. I MEAN, YES, WE COULD DO THAT. BUT LIKE, I THINK IT WOULD BE A DIFFICULT THING TO DO.

WELL, IT'S EASY TO DO. IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN.

AND THEN THERE IS COST FOR HAVING IT ALL CUT OUT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

OF COURSE. YEAH. YOU COULD LOOK AT SOME NO MOW OPTIONS.

YEAH. NOT NECESSARILY. BUT. YEAH. AND I JUST I STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE THE BREAKDOWN WAS. SO YOU GUYS HAD TO UPLOAD SOMETHING INTO A PORTAL AND THE PORTAL JUST NEVER REGISTERED IT.

IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING US? WE HAD A DIFFERENT PLANNER. MATTHEW CAME ON AND I THINK THEY THERE WAS A LACK OF COMMUNICATION IS WHAT I'M HEARING, THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THE INFORMATION THAT MATTHEW CONVEYED THROUGH EITHER THE [INAUDIBLE] EMAIL.

AND THAT WAS WHAT CAME ABOUT. AND THAT'S WHERE WE UNDERSTOOD TO FIND THAT THIS WAS A NON.

WE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS NON-CONFORMING UNTIL SEPTEMBER, I THINK IS WHEN WE GOT THIS NOTIFICATION OR OUR FIRST [INAUDIBLE].

AND THE PATIO WAS ALREADY IN BY THAT POINT. SO DID THE CONTRACTOR, WHAT WAS YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONTRACTOR? WAS THERE ANY DID YOU. YOU WERE UNDER. YEAH. GO AHEAD.

BUT WE LET THEM KIND OF PROVIDE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE ALL THE BONDS AND WHATEVER INSURANCE AND ALL THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS.

SO THEY KIND OF HANDLE THAT SIDE OF THINGS. WE STAY OUT OF THAT STUFF.

AND THERE ARE LARGE FIRM IN THE CITY. THEIR SELF-VIEW IS THE LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR.

SO I DON'T THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN EMAIL THE THING THAT HE DID BLOCKED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE CONTACT INFORMATION BECAUSE THE OTHER SIDE HAD NO IDEA. I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT HIS CONVERSATIONS WERE.

YEAH. RIGHT. OKAY. SO THAT WOULD BE.

A MOTION AND DIRECT STAFF TO PREPARE FINDINGS TO APPROVE THIS VARIANCE FOR 1520 BOHNS POINT ROAD. YES. IS THAT A MOTION? THAT IS A MOTION. OKAY. WE HAVE A SECOND? I DON'T KNOW.

I'M SORRY. LIKE I SAID, IT'S HARD. NO, IT IS HARD.

IT IS. I JUST THINK FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT.

I LOOK AT IT FROM THE COMMON SENSE STANDPOINT, AND I TOTALLY AGREE ON IN REGARDS TO AFTER THE FACT VARIANCE.

YEAH. AND DON'T LIKE TO SEE THAT RIGHT. NOW.

THAT'S WHAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS THE AFTER THE FACT.

AND. BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY DON'T HAVE TO MOVE THE WALL.

RIGHT. RIGHT. THAT'S GOOFY. RIGHT. YOU GOT THIS WALL SITTING THERE AND YOU SOME.

THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT. RIGHT. AND YOU PUT SOME SLOT IN THERE OR MULCH OR WHATEVER.

THE WALL IS TO CODE. AND THAT HAPPENS TO BE OUR CODES, RIGHT? YEAH I UNDERSTAND. YEAH. THE OTHER IS NOT TOTALLY.

YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO A CODE REVIEW RIGHT NOW.

NO NO NO. I'M NOT. YEAH. YEAH. SO IF YOU WERE TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE RETAINING WALL, ALL.

[01:05:02]

I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO DO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A COST THAT I DON'T THINK THEY WANT TO INCUR AND IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.

IT WOULD JUST LOOK ODD. AND SO. IT DOESN'T REALLY BENEFIT THE CITY AT ALL REALLY.

AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCE.

BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. WE'RE NOT DOING IT AFTER THE FACT TYPE OF THING, LIKE WHERE WE CLOSE OUT THE PERMIT.

AND I KNOW PEOPLE COME IN AND DO STUFF AFTER THE FACT.

THAT'S NOT US. WE'RE WE'RE HERE TO RECTIFY THAT.

CAN I SEE A PICTURE OF THE PATIO AGAIN, PLEASE? THE ONE FROM THE TOP LOOKING AT THE. OKAY, THERE WE GO.

SHALL WE POINT OUT THAT THIS PHOTO WAS DURING CONSTRUCTION? THERE'S WAY MORE LANDSCAPING IN THIS IN THE MULCH AREA THAN SOD IN THIS AREA HERE.

SURE. YEAH, I THINK I TOOK THIS ABOUT 2 OR 3 WEEKS AGO, I THINK.

SO THE DIVIDING LINE WOULD PROBABLY COME SOMEWHERE ALONG HERE.

YEAH. AND THAT'S THAT BLACK WALNUT TREE RIGHT THERE.

RIGHT. THE LARGE ONE ON THE LEFT. YEAH. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? OR DOES IT FAIL? FOR LACK OF A SECOND? I WILL NOTE THAT THIS IS JUST BEING ABLE. THIS IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DRAFT FINDINGS.

SO A FINAL RESOLUTION WILL STILL NEED TO BE ACTED ON AND BE BROUGHT BACK FOR FORWARD.

WE INTEND ON JUNE 8TH AT THIS CURRENT RATE. BUT WE THIS.

WE COULD DENY. ACTION. THIS IS JUST GIVING US DIRECTION TO DRAFT A DOCUMENT.

AND SO FOR THEN YOU GUYS TO REVIEW THOSE FINDINGS BEFORE MAKING YOUR FINAL ACTION.

GOOD POINT. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. GIVEN THAT I WILL SECOND IT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I THINK WE KNOW WHERE WE ALL STAND ON THIS.

YEAH. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED.

SAME SIGN. AYE. MOTION CARRIES 3 TO 1. THANK YOU.

TOUGH, TOUGH. THANK YOU. ANALYSIS. THANKS. NEXT ONE IS ITEM 16, THE MASTER PLAN FOR ANTOINE PARK.

[16) Master Plan - Antoine Park]

WHO IS COMING UP. ALL RIGHT. WE GET JOE. GREAT.

YOU'RE ALL WARMED UP NOW. YOU'RE READY? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH. THANKS SO MUCH. THANKS, MATT.

THE FLOOR IS YOURS, JOE. LET ME JUST GET THE PLAN HERE, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW.

SO WE DIRECTED BOLTON & MENK TO DO AN, A MASTER PLAN FOR ANTOINE PARK.

THIS CAME ON THE PRECURSOR A COUPLE YEARS AGO FROM COMMENTS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, THAT WAS A PARK THAT WAS LOOKED AT FOR THAT NEEDED REFRESHER. SO LAST SUMMER WE DID A SURVEY ONLINE SURVEY AND A WRITTEN SURVEY THAT PEOPLE COULD, AND WE HAD A A MEETING AT THE PARK WITH RESIDENTS, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY WELL ATTENDED WITH PARK COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF, AND MOSTLY THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS THERE.

SO I THOUGHT THAT WENT REALLY WELL. AND WE GOT A LOT OF GOOD COMMENTS ABOUT WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS LOOKING FOR IN THE PARK.

MOVE ON HERE. SO SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, EXISTING ISSUES AT THE PARK BOTH FROM A DESIGN ASPECT AND FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WAS REMOVAL OF ASH TREES A COMMON OCCURRENCE.

THE ADDITIONAL, ADDITION OF ADDITIONAL TREES, EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE ONES THAT WOULD BE REPLACED THAT WERE, ARE DEAD OUT THERE. SMALL, SMALL SHELTER, SOME ADDITIONAL PLAYGROUNDS, ADDITIONAL PARK SIGNS A BIKE RACK SOME MORE SEATING AREA AROUND THE PLAYGROUND WHICH THEY KIND OF INCLUDED AS A SEAT WALL.

[01:10:03]

SO THAT WOULDN'T BE ANY ADDITIONAL LIKE AMENITIES OUTSIDE OF THAT SHELTER OR SOME SMALL ASPECTS.

SO KEEPING THE FIELD OPEN THERE FOR KIDS TO PLAY IN.

AND, YOU KNOW, NOT ADDING PARKING OR A PARKING LOT OR, YOU KNOW, A FIELD SPACE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR THAT. THE OTHER COMMENT WE DID HEAR DURING THE OPEN HOUSE WAS WITH THE SIZE OF THE ROAD AROUND THE PARK, A LOT OF CONTRACTORS, DELIVERY PEOPLE WILL PULL UP ONTO THE GRASS THERE.

IT GETS RUTTED PRETTY BAD. SO ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THIS WAS GRASS PAVERS I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT FROM HACKBERRY. YEP. BUT THAT COULD BE A GOOD SOLUTION TO STILL KEEP THE PARK NATURAL AND NOT ADDING, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE TO IT, BUT ALSO KEEPING THAT AREA FREE OF RUTS AND KIND OF KEEPING WHAT IT'S LIKE NOW.

THAT'S JUST AN OVERVIEW OF PARK. IT'S OBVIOUSLY A PRETTY SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD PARK. SO WE HAVE LIMITED SPACE TO DO THERE.

AND WITH, YOU KNOW, THE DESIRE TO KEEP THE, THE OPEN SPACE OPEN FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

WELL, I'M THINKING ABOUT, CAN I INTERRUPT YOU AND ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE GRASS PAVING PAVERS? I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS AFTER OUR LAST DISCUSSION ABOUT HACKBERRY.

AND IS THAT THE TYPE OF THING WHERE THE GRASS ON TOP IS ALL YOU SEE AND ALL YOU'LL EVER SEE, OR IS THE TYPE OF THING WHERE A KID RUNNING IN A, IN A PAIR OF CLEATS IS GOING TO THE CLEATS ARE GOING TO GO DOWN THE GROOVE AND THEY'RE GOING TO TRIP OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I THINK WHEN IT INITIALLY COMES IN, YOU WILL SEE IT.

IT WON'T BE STICKING OUT BECAUSE KIND OF THE PURPOSE OF IT IS YOU'LL BE ABLE TO MOW, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOW IT AND IT WON'T DAMAGE IT.

SO IT'LL BE ABLE TO OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT SHOULDN'T.

THAT KIND OF IS PURPOSE TO STRENGTHEN THE GROUND.

SO IT SHOULDN'T BE NOTICEABLE WHEN YOU'RE WALKING ON IT.

YOU MIGHT SEE THE GRID PATTERN BECAUSE THE GRASS MIGHT NOT GROW IN THAT.

BUT ONCE IT, YOU KNOW, GIVE IT A COUPLE OF YEARS.

HOW DEEP IS IT? I THINK THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE LIKE 12 TO 18IN DEEP.

OH IT IS. OH IT IS, IT'S THAT MUCH. OKAY. SO THEY'RE IN THERE.

YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. I WAS THINKING MAYBE 4 TO 6.

I WAS THINKING IT WAS NEARER TO THE SURFACE AND KIND OF WEAR OUT.

RIGHT? YEAH. YEAH. SO I WAS THINKING EVEN THE 4 TO 6.

THEY'RE SUBSTANTIAL AND THEY SHOULD LAST, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME IF WE'RE SORRY TO SIDETRACK YOU.

OH IT'S GOOD. GOOD. LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS WERE JUST IMPROVING THE TREE, PLANTING TREES, THEIR LANDSCAPING PLAN. THERE IS SOME TALK OF MAYBE DOING A SIDEWALK AROUND THE PLAYGROUND.

SO THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. WE HEARD SOME CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT SOME PEOPLE LOVE THE PLAYGROUND AND WANTED US NOT TO TOUCH IT.

AND THEN THERE WAS SOME WHO SAID, WELL, WE COULD USE SOME IMPROVEMENT. SO YOU KNOW, THAT THAT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY.

SOUNDED LIKE THEY NEEDED SOME REPAIRS. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK WHAT WE WHAT THE KIND OF THE, WHAT THEY REALLY WANT IS THEY WANT THE PARK TO STAY HOW IT IS.

AND I THINK SMALL IMPROVEMENT NOT PUTTING IN A WHOLE NEW PLAYGROUND.

BUT I THINK IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE WELCOME, JUST, YOU KNOW, BIKE RACKS KIND OF THINGS WE'RE DOING AT OTHER PARKS, TRASH AND RECYCLING BINS. POSSIBLY THE INCLUDING OF A PORTA JOHN OUT THERE AND KIND OF ENCLOSED STRUCTURE.

I'M GOING. SO THESE ARE A COUPLE OF THE, THE OPTIONS THAT WERE DRAWN UP.

THESE OF COURSE, ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, PRELIMINARY, THIS IS NOT THE FINAL PLAN OR KIND OF WHAT WAS GOING, BUT JUST KIND OF HOW IT COULD BE SET UP. SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING IS PRETTY SIMILAR.

ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, THE ADDITION OF THE SHELTER AND SOME ADDITIONAL TREES AND LANDSCAPING AND POSSIBLY THE SIDEWALK AROUND THERE.

AND THEN OPTION B, OPTION B IS PRETTY SIMILAR, JUST LIKE A DIFFERENT LOCATION OF THE SHELTER.

THE SEATING IS NOT PART OF THAT TOO. RIGHT. OR IS IT SEATING PART OF BOTH.

SEAT. YEAH. SO BENCHES WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT.

THAT'S, AND THEN THE OTHER SEATING COULD BE THE SEATING WALL THAT KIND OF GOES AROUND ON THE EDGES.

AND THEN HERE'S JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF SOME SHELTERS THAT HAVE TO BE OUT THERE.

IT IS A SMALL PARK. BUT THIS PAST WEEKEND THEY HAVE THEIR MEMORIAL DAY PARADE.

SO PEOPLE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOES GATHER OUT THERE AND THEY GET A SIZABLE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.

[01:15:04]

I'M KIND OF SURPRISED BY THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD 5 OR 6 TENTS OF THEIR OWN YESTERDAY.

SO EVERYTHING WAS COVERED. THERE ARE TWO BENCHES THERE RIGHT NOW.

THERE ARE TWO PICNIC TABLES. THEY COULD PROBABLY USE ANOTHER PICNIC TABLE.

WHEN PEOPLE APPROACHED ME YESTERDAY AT THE PICNIC AND I, I'M SORRY IF I INTERRUPTED YOU.

NO NO NO. TREES? YEAH, EXACTLY. PRETTY MUCH LIKE YOU SET UP.

THEY WERE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE TREES BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S THREE BIG TREES THAT ARE COMING DOWN. AND TO HAVE THE TREES AROUND THE BORDER SO THAT THEY STILL HAVE THEIR OPEN PLAY, WHICH THEY WERE USING YESTERDAY FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GAMES AND STUFF.

SO I THINK THEY REALLY ENJOY THAT. I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY SAY ANYTHING ABOUT A SIDEWALK.

I KNOW THAT LIKE I SAID, THERE'S TWO BENCHES THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE. WE COULD JUST ADD SOME MORE BENCHES.

AND THEY REALLY LIKED THE IDEA OF THE PARKING.

YEAH, THE PAVERS AROUND THE EDGE. YES. THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY AND I SAID, I KNOW FOR SURE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HAVING IT ON THE SOUTH SIDE AND I DIDN'T KNOW IN THE DESIGN THAT IT WAS ALSO GOING TO BE KIND OF ON THE WEST SIDE AS WELL.

THE SOUTH SIDE IS THE ONE THEY WERE MOSTLY CONCERNED ABOUT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE PARK WITH THE SCHOOL BUS.

AND YEAH, SO THE SCHOOL BUS IS RIGHT THERE AT THE CORNER HERE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN OUT THERE, THIS IS THIS AREA HERE IS HEAVILY USED BY LANDSCAPERS, AMAZON, WHOEVER'S OUT THERE. SO YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST THE INITIAL PLANNING TO KIND OF FOR US TO START BUDGETING AND TO GET AN IDEA OF KIND OF WHAT'S GOING FORWARD. SO NOTHING IS SET. THIS IS KIND OF JUST WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, PLANNERS PUT IN AS OPTIONS.

BUT I THINK PLANTINGS ARE BIG FOR THEM. I MEAN, I BUT WHAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT IS ALSO A PLAN FOR MAINTENANCE, WHICH I KNOW WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING WITH THAT AT ALL OF OUR PARKS.

AND SO AS MUCH AS I I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING ALL THESE PLANTS AND STUFF, I REALLY WOULD LOVE IT IF WE DID IT, YOU KNOW, AT THE SAME TIME, REALLY HAD A PLAN FOR MAINTENANCE.

YEAH. FOR SURE. SO BASICALLY WHAT I'M ASKING IS JUST FOR THIS TO KIND OF BE ADOPTED AS A PLAN PARTIALLY WHY WE WANT TO KIND OF GET THIS ON THE RECORD IS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FIRST WITH THE TREE GRANT TO BE ABLE TO ADD TREES AS PART OF THAT GRANT TO THIS PARK.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO IMMEDIATELY IN AN UPGRADE KIND OF RIGHT AWAY.

THE OTHER THING ADAM WANTED ME TO INCLUDE WAS WITH THE STREET PROJECT THAT IS COMING UP, THAT WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GRASS PAVERS TO BE ADDED AT THAT TIME TO SAVE CONSTRUCTION COSTS. ALL OF THAT.

BUT YOU KNOW, WE WOULD STILL GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS.

WE'RE VERY EARLY. IT WOULD, THERE WOULD STILL BE A PLAN THAT WOULD BE WORKED WITH THE, WITH THE PUBLIC AND WITH COUNCIL AND WITH THE PARKS COMMISSION NOT NECESSARILY ASKING US FOR NO OPTION A OR OPTION B. NO, THIS IS MORE JUST.

GO YEAH. I LIKE THE IDEA OF GETTING TO THAT TREE GRANT.

YEAH. AND DOING IT WELL. YEAH. THAT'S. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A NO BRAINER.

GET THOSE IN. WE HAVE WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT.

AND AND, YOU KNOW, SAVE ON FUTURE PROJECTS AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AS EVERYONE SAID, THEY WANT MORE TREES TO KIND OF PROTECT THAT PARK, GIVE MORE SHADE. IT'S GOING TO LOOK A LOT BETTER.

YEAH. I THINK THE BIGGEST THINGS LIKE I HEARD WERE THE PARKING IN THE, IN THE TREES.

YEAH. NAILED THAT. I THINK SO. YEAH. I LIKE I'VE BEEN OUT THERE A NUMBER OF TIMES AS WELL.

AND I KNOW VERY WELL THE PARKING ISSUES. SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE PAVERS.

AND REALLY THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT IT IS WHAT, WHAT ARE WE SOLVING HERE? THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS PART OF THIS PLAN.

THE PARKING IS HUGE. THE OTHER THING, JUST READING THROUGH THE COMMENTS ON THE SURVEY, AND IT WAS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY HOMES ARE OUT THERE. DO WE KNOW HOW MANY FOLKS LIVE OUT? 54 SOMETHING.

54. THE NUMBER YESTERDAY. OKAY. AND THERE WAS 36 RESPONDENTS TO THIS.

BUT WHAT I SAW AS A THEME IN THAT WAS HOW ARE WE MAINTAINING.

LET'S KEEP IT. LET'S KEEP THE CHARACTER AND THE OPEN SPACE, THE, THE TREES AND THAT TYPE OF THING.

SO MY I SUPPORT THE IDEA OF LOOKING AT THIS AND GETTING IT, YOU KNOW, UP TO STANDARD AND, AND REWORKING WHAT WE HAVE THERE. I'M, I'M LESS INTERESTED IN THE IDEA OF ADDING MORE INFRASTRUCTURE AGAIN,

[01:20:06]

I DO BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE OFTENTIMES WILL PUT UP A TENT OR RENT SOMETHING FOR A GRAD PARTY OR WHATEVER ELSE.

SO I'M, I'M LESS INCLINED AT THIS JUNCTURE TO SUPPORT PUTTING IN MORE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEN HAS TO BE MAINTAINED, THAT MAY OR MAY NOT GET USED VERY MUCH WHEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE FOCUS IS ON THE OPEN SPACE AND THE GREEN ASSETS.

SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW. BUT IT'S WHAT'S THE BENEFIT OF THIS COMMUNITY IS THAT, AS YOU SAY, WITH THE WITH THE PARADE, THEY'RE VERY TIGHT KNIT.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S WONDERFUL ABOUT A PARK LIKE THIS, IS THAT THAT MAINTENANCE OF THE PLANTINGS AND WHATNOT ARE GOING TO COME AS A NATURAL PART OF WHAT IS ADDED IN HERE, BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS TAKE SUCH OWNERSHIP AND PRIDE IN THAT AREA, WHICH IS GREAT. SO YEAH. ANYONE CARE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT THE MASTER PLAN? I THINK THAT'S WHAT IS BEING REQUESTED. I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT THE MASTER PLAN FOR ANTOINE PARK.

I'LL SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.

THANK YOU. JOE. THANKS, JOE. OKAY. LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE FUNDING REQUEST FROM LONG LAKE FOR THE HIGHWAY 12 ACCESS GATE

[17) Funding Request from Long Lake - Hwy 12 Access Gate Repairs]

AND I GUESS GOING BACK A NUMBER OF MONTHS THIS WAS IDENTIFIED ACTUALLY BY CHIEF FARNIOK AS A, AS A MAJOR NEED AT A HIGHWAY 12 SAFETY CORRIDOR MEETING THAT A COUPLE OF MEETINGS THAT I WENT TO, WE TALKED ABOUT NEEDING TO REPAIR THAT THE GATE WAS NO LONGER OPERABLE.

AND THE OLD GATE ACTUALLY WAS CODE OPERATED, SO EVEN AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE THAT WAS TRYING TO GET OUT TO HIGHWAY 12 WOULD HAVE TO STOP, PUT IN A CODE AND THEN THE GATE WOULD OPEN. THIS ONE HAS A DEVICE AS PART OF IT THAT CAN BE INSERTED INTO EMERGENCY VEHICLES SO THAT JUST AS THEY DRIVE UP, IT WILL OPEN AND AND WE'LL LET THEM OUT ON TO THAT STRETCH OF HIGHWAY 12.

THIS WAS FIRST RAISED BY THE WAYZATA MAYOR AS IN A MEETING THAT, THAT THAT I ATTENDED ALONG WITH LONG LAKE MAYOR MINOR AND IT WAS DISCUSSED THAT IT REALLY WAS A SHARED RESOURCE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT, ORONO POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THAT NEEDS TO GET OUT THERE ONCE IN A WHILE.

IF THERE IS A, AN EMERGENCY ON THAT, ON THAT STRETCH OF ROAD, WHICH OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN PLENTY OF THEM, SOME FATAL AND ALSO FOR THE SHORELINE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ONE OF THE OTHER IMPROVEMENTS THAT'S BEING MADE IS TO WIDEN THE, THE GAP IN THE MEDIAN TO ALLOW FIRE TRUCKS TO GET IN AND OUT OF THERE.

PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS A LITTLE TOO NARROW FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, BUT THAT'S TAKING PLACE NOW AS WELL.

SO ANYWAY, REQUESTS WERE MADE TO MNDOT TO FUND THIS AND TO HENNEPIN COUNTY.

AND I THINK OUR OUR LEGISLATORS GOT INVOLVED REALLY.

AND OUR HENNEPIN COUNTY COMMISSIONER GOT INVOLVED.

ULTIMATELY, WHEN WE WERE GETTING PUSHBACK, THE WAYZATA MAYOR PROPOSED TO MAYOR MINOR AND MYSELF THAT WE SHARE WHATEVER THE COSTS WERE THAT WEREN'T FUNDED BY THE STATE OR THE COUNTY. I BALKED AT THAT, SAYING, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO COMMIT OUR CITY TO A THIRD OF THIS PROJECT, BUT IF WE CAN GET FUNDING FROM THE STATE AND GET FUNDING FROM HENNEPIN COUNTY, WHICH WE DID, WE GOT A THIRD OF IT PAID FOR BY THE STATE, A THIRD OF IT PAID FOR BY THE COUNTY.

AND SO IT WAS LEFT TO THE THREE CITIES TO SHARE THAT ONE THIRD.

SO WE'RE LEFT WITH A ONE NINTH OF THE COST. AND IT WILL BE, I THINK, A GREAT BENEFIT TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TO HAVE THAT GATE OPERABLE.

LIKE I SAID, OPENING AUTOMATICALLY AS OUR AS OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY, OTHER EMERGENCY VEHICLES AMBULANCE APPROACHES THAT IT OPENS AUTOMATICALLY.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN, THAT ISSUES HAVE BEEN RAISED AT THE LAST MEETING AND IN A LETTER THAT COUNCIL MEMBER

[01:25:04]

I DON'T VIEW IT THAT WAY. I VIEW THIS AS A SHARED RESOURCE THAT IMPROVES OUR PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND SO I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF SPENDING $2,400, WHICH IS NOT MUCH TO IMPROVE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SO.

WHO OWNS THE FENCE? YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I THINK THE, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE, FOR THE FENCE BY CONTRACT IS WITH THE CITY OF LONG LAKE.

SO IF WE SAID NO CITY OF LONG LAKE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.

I VIEW THIS AS ALSO A NICE WAY OF WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY.

SO BECAUSE I WAS THINKING THAT WAS PROBABLY A MNDOT.

WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE THOUGHT TO BEGIN WITH. AND THEN THEY CAME BACK AND SAID, NO, THAT'S THAT'S THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY.

EVEN THOUGH THEY BOUGHT IT OR THEY BUILT IT, THEY BUILT IT.

YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. NO, I THINK WE DID GET MNDOT PRICING FOR IT.

SO IT CAME CHEAPER THAN IT WOULD HAVE IF LONG LAKE HAD GONE OUT AND BOUGHT IT ON ITS OWN.

SO ANYWAY, I AT THE MEETING, OUR PREVIOUS MEETING, WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS, I, I SAID AS MUCH AT THAT TIME, WHICH WAS THAT I SUPPORT IT IN THE INTERESTS OF A SHARED PURPOSE AND IN PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND I THINK IT'S AGAIN, YES, I UNDERSTAND THE IDEA OF PRECEDENT.

IT'S A RELATIVELY LOW DOLLAR VALUE. AND I FEEL THAT NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO SET A NEW TRAJECTORY FOR OUR RELATIONSHIPS. AND THIS IS A NICE WAY OF DOING THAT.

SO I'M, I'M IN SUPPORT AS WELL. YEAH. I MEAN, THE FACT IS MAJOR CHUNKS OF THAT BYPASS ARE IN ORONO AND COVERED BY OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND ALL OF IT'S COVERED BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

SO I GUESS WHAT IMPRESSED ME TOO, IS THAT THE FACT THAT THE STATE AND THE COUNTY BOTH CAME IN ON IT.

SO TO ME, IT WAS JUST A LONG LAKE ISSUE, THOSE TWO ENTITIES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WILLING TO CHIP IN, ESPECIALLY AS MUCH AS THEY DID. IT TOOK AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF LOBBYING TO GET THE COUNTY WITH A $3 BILLION BUDGET TO PAY WHAT? $9,000 FOR THIS THING. AND THE STATE WITH AN EVEN LARGER BUDGET, OBVIOUSLY.

WHEN PUBLIC SAFETY IS CONCERNED. I WAS SURPRISED AT THEIR REACTION, FRANKLY, BUT I'M SUPPORTIVE OF US PITCHING IN.

THE, THE AMOUNT THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED TO, TO SUPPORT THIS.

ANY OPPOSITION? YEAH. AND HERE'S WHAT I'D SAY.

I OPPOSED IT BEGINNING HERE IN THE BACK STORY AND ALWAYS FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND, TRUE, THE DOLLARS AREN'T THAT MUCH IS A SETTING OF PRECEDENCE AGAIN.

I THINK WE ALWAYS LOOK AT THIS STUFF AS CASE BY CASE BASIS.

THERE IS GOING TO BE ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT.

WITH HEARING THE BACKGROUND OF IT AND THE BACK STORY AND IN AGREEING WITH THE IMPORTANCE AND THAT IT IS A GOOD CHUNK OF CITY OF ORONO THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR, AND IT IS OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT IS ON THAT I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT IT.

YEAH. I'LL MAKE A MOTION. MOVE MOTION TO APPROVE.

CONTRIBUTING $2,439.33 TO LONG LAKE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE HIGHWAY 12 EMERGENCY ACCESS GATE FROM THE GENERAL FUND.

IS THERE A SECOND? THANK YOU. I'LL SECOND IT.

THERE WAS PUBLIC COMMENT EARLIER, BUT FINE. SURE.

COME ON UP. THANK YOU. SORRY, I WAS JUST HAVING HIM CORRECT THE AUDIT.

HE HAD MENTIONED CARVER COUNTY. I HAD TOLD HIM IT'S PROBABLY BEST TO UPDATE THAT TO HENNEPIN COUNTY TO MATCH.

MARIA VEACH, 1065 WILLOW VIEW DRIVE. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

AND I KNOW I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE ALL SAW THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO LONG LAKE OUTLINING THIS.

AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING HEARING RETROACTIVE ASKS FROM OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT BEING FROWNED UPON AND DELIBERATION.

RIGHTFULLY SO, RIGHT? WE'RE COMMON SENSE, BUT ALSO RULES MATTER.

PROCESS MATTERS. AND HEARING HOW WE APPROACH THAT THROUGH A VARIANCE WITH A LOT OF THOUGHT.

I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT AN AFTER THE FACT, ASK WHERE I HAD SUPPLIED YOU ALL WITH THE, THE RESOLUTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL WHERE IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT MNDOT WAS GOING TO PAY.

THAT'S ACTUALLY IN THEIR CONTRACT. SO THAT THAT SHOULDN'T BE SURPRISING.

THE CONTRACT WAS BETWEEN MNDOT AND THE CITY OF LONG LAKE.

THEY'VE ALSO SAID DURING THEIR MEETING, ONE, THAT THEY HAD KNOWN THIS FOR OVER A YEAR.

THEY'VE ALREADY PAID FOR IT. THEY ARE NOW ASKING RETROACTIVELY FOR PAYMENT.

[01:30:02]

THANK YOU. YEAH. I'LL JUST RESPOND TO THE RETROACTIVE NATURE OF THIS.

THIS WAS DISCUSSED AMONG THE MAYORS WELL BEFORE LONG LAKE ORDERED IT.

IN FACT, WE TALKED ABOUT THE BELLS AND WHISTLES THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN IT, WHETHER THEY SHOULD GET THIS SORT OF AUTOMATIC GATE OPENING MECHANISM AS PART OF IT. AND AND SO IT WASN'T AFTER THE FACT, IT WAS DISCUSSED IN ADVANCE.

WHAT WAS AFTER THE FACT WAS HOW MUCH WAS HENNEPIN COUNTY AND, AND THE STATE GOING TO PAY? AND IF THEY HADN'T STEPPED UP TO PAY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE PAID A THIRD OF IT SO.

UNDERSTOOD. I JUST SAID I WOULD SUPPORT IT. I DIDN'T SAY AS ADAM HAD SAID, AND MY STAFF SAYS. RIGHT. BECAUSE IT WASN'T SO IT WAS ONE PERSON.

IT WASN'T AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY. UNDERSTOOD.

ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? NOT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

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

MAYOR, WOULD YOU ALSO LIKE US TO SEND A FORMAL LETTER TO CLARIFY THAT THIS IS A ONE TIME PAYMENT, PLEASE? YEAH. YES. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT. WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST TIME.

MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS YEAH WE'RE NOT AGREEING TO TO, TO PAY FOR MAINTENANCE ON THIS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

RIGHT. YEAH. PLEASE. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

CITY ADMINISTRATOR ENGINEER REPORT IS, UNLESS HE'S PASSED IT ALONG TO ONE OF, YOU?

[City Administrator/Engineer Report]

I JUST WANTED TO TAKE NOTE OF IT. IT WAS IN THE NEWSLETTER.

BUT JUST A COMP PLAN OPEN HOUSE IS SCHEDULED FOR I BELIEVE JUNE 10TH.

I WILL BE HERE IN CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS FROM 5 TO 7.

JUST TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BACKGROUND ON THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE PROCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERESTED PARTIES TO ADD THEIR NAME TO A LISTSERV, OR MAYBE POTENTIALLY PUT THEIR NAME IN TO JOIN A STEERING COMMITTEE FOR IT AND JUST GET SOME GENERAL FEEDBACK.

OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE SURVEY. SO WANTED TO PUT A PLUG IN FOR THE COMP PLAN OPEN HOUSE THAT'S COMING UP IN A FEW WEEKS UP HERE TO THE COUNCIL.

THANK YOU. NEW CHIEF STARTED TODAY AS WELL. YES.

THANK YOU MAGGIE. AND THEN CORREY'S RETIREMENT PARTY IS THURSDAY HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS FROM 2:30 TO 4 P.M..

OKAY. 2:30 TO 430. YEAH. GREAT. THANKS. MAYOR AND COUNCIL REPORT.

[Mayor and Council Report]

WELL, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU. DO YOU HAVE A REPORT? NO, I WAS JUST NO, I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT.

I WAS TRYING TO BE THERE FOR THE [INAUDIBLE] POINT YESTERDAY AND GOT WAYLAID IN DALLAS.

OH, MY. OKAY, SO I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT. WHAT'S THAT? AND THE NIGHT. WELL, I GOT I GOT OUT OF THERE BEFORE MIDNIGHT.

COUNCIL MEMBER RICKS, ANYTHING? I DID ATTEND THE THE [INAUDIBLE] GATHERING.

THAT WAS OUR 45TH ANNUAL. WOW. THEY HAVE MEMORY BOOKS OF YEARS AND YEARS OF THIS TAKING PLACE. SO I GAVE A SMALL TALK, I GUESS JUST REFERENCING MEMORIAL DAY AND WE HAD A MOMENT OF SILENCE. SO I THINK THAT WAS VERY SPECIAL. AND HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE APPROACH ME ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE PARK.

SO THAT WAS PERFECT TIMING FOR THAT. AND IT REALLY WAS A NICE EVENT.

SO I WAS VERY HAPPY TO, TO ATTEND. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THAT.

I WAS JUST ARRIVING ON MY FLIGHT FROM TOKYO AT THAT POINT, SO I WAS IN NO SHAPE TO GO TO GO ADDRESS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

RIGHT? I DO WANT TO MENTION THE STATE OF THE REGION.

YES. YES. LAST WEEK, COUNCIL MEMBER AND I ATTENDED THE 2026 STATE OF THE REGION BY THE MET COUNCIL.

THE ADDRESS, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING.

IT WAS TALKING A LOT ABOUT THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

AND I DID NOT KNOW THIS, BUT 100 YEARS AGO, THAT RIVER WAS CONSIDERED DEAD.

YES. THREE FISH, YOU KNOW, LONG STORY, LOTS OF IMPROVEMENT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHARED CONNECTEDNESS AND COMMUNICATION AND WORK BETWEEN MUNICIPALITIES IN ORDER TO MAKE GOOD CHANGE. AND THAT WAS REALLY THE CLEAR MESSAGE.

THERE WAS A NUMBER OF WATER EXPERTS AND FOLKS WHO ARE EITHER INVOLVED IN NONPROFIT OR MUNICIPAL WORK WITH WATER QUALITY.

OBVIOUSLY, IT'S A HUGE CONCERN OUT HERE AT THE LAKES AS WELL.

AND IT WAS THE CLEAR MESSAGE OF WORKING WITH NEIGHBORS TO SOLVE BIG PROBLEMS BECAUSE THE RIVERS AND THE WATERWAYS DO NOT RESPECT CITY BOUNDARIES.

[01:35:09]

IT WAS VERY ENJOYABLE. YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. ANYTHING ELSE? NO. THAT'S IT. I DON'T HAVE A REPORT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN OUT OF TOWN FOR TWO AND A HALF WEEKS ANYWAY.

APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT WHILE I WAS AWAY AND THE AND HANDLING THE MEETING LAST, LAST COUNCIL MEETING.

ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO COME BEFORE THE MEETING? IF NOTHING ELSE, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

I WILL MOVE TO ADJOURN. IS THERE A SECOND? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. ANY OPPOSED? SAME SIGN. MOTION CARRIES. WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 7:37 P.M..

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.