MOVE YOUR MIC [00:00:01] DOWN A LITTLE BIT CLOSER [Candidate Forum for Orono City Council Member on September 22, 2026.] TO YOUR MOUTH. KR HOT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I'M REBECCA HAWTHORNE, PRESIDENT OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF LAKE MINNETONKA PLYMOUTH AREA, AND I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR CANDIDATES, OUR AUDIENCE, AND OUR VIEWERS TO TONIGHT'S FORUM ON BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IS A 106-YEAR-OLD VOLUNTEER NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION THAT ENCOURAGES THE INFORMED AND ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF CITIZENS IN GOVERNMENT, WORKS TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF MAJOR PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES, AND INFLUENCES PUBLIC POLICY THROUGH EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY. THE LEAGUE DOES NOT SUPPORT OR OPPOSE ANY POLITICAL PARTY OR CANDIDATE. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS FORUM ARE THOSE OF THE CANDIDATES, NOT THOSE OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS. SPONSORING THIS FORUM IS A PUBLIC SERVICE, PROVIDING YOU WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR CANDIDATES DISCUSS FACE-TO-FACE THE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU. THIS IS A NON-PARTISAN FORUM, AND WE ASK THAT CAMPAIGN BUTTONS OR CAMPAIGN T-SHIRTS NOT BE WORN, NOR SIGNS OR LITERATURE BE DISTRIBUTED IN THIS ROOM. PLEASE SILENCE YOUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE IS NO PHOTOGRAPHY OR RECORDING ALLOWED DURING THE FORUM. AND NOW I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR MODERATOR FOR THIS EVENING'S FORUM, DEB BRINKMAN, A CERTIFIED LEAGUE MODERATOR AND A LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ST. LOUIS PARK MEMBER. DEB. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT'S FORUM IS PROVIDED TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR ORONO CITY COUNCIL. THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO COVER ALL OF THE ISSUES IN A SETTING SUCH AS THIS. IF YOUR QUESTIONS WERE NOT ADDRESSED, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THE CANDIDATE DIRECTLY. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS POSTS COMPLETE, UNEDITED RECORDINGS OF ALL OF ITS FORUMS. EDITING IS AUTHORIZED ONLY FOR OFFICIAL MEDIA REPORTING. ONLY THE FULL, UNEDITED RECORDING MAY BE USED BY OTHER PERSONS OR ORGANIZATIONS. THE RULES FOR THIS EVENING'S FORUM ARE AS FOLLOWS. CANDIDATES WILL BE ALLOWED AN OPENING STATEMENT WITH A MAXIMUM OF 1 MINUTE TO STATE THEIR EXPERIENCES, PLATFORMS, AND OBJECT- OBJECTIVES. A QUESTION-AND-ANSWER PERIOD WILL FOLLOW THE OPENING STATEMENTS. ANSWERS WILL BE CONFINED TO 1 MINUTE UNLESS DESIGNATED BY THE MODERATOR. OPENING STATEMENTS WILL BE GIVEN IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, AND QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED IN ROTATING ORDER. A 15-SECOND WARNING WILL BE GIVEN TO THE CANDIDATES. CANDIDATES, PLEASE FINISH YOUR SENTENCES QUICKLY IF YOU SEE THE STOP SIGN, OR YOU'LL BE INTERRUPTED. THE CANDIDATES WILL ALSO BE GIVEN A 2-MINUTE CLOSING STATEMENT. NO REFERENCE OF A PERSONAL NATURE WILL BE TOLERATED. A PERSON'S RECORD MAY BE EXAMINED, BUT NOT THEIR PERSONAL CHARACTER. THIS FORUM IS MADE AVAILABLE TO ENCOURAGE THE VOTING PUBLIC TO FOCUS ON THE ISSUES AND NOT ON PERSONALITIES. WE ASK THAT THERE BE NO DEMONSTRATIONS IN SUPPORT OF OR IN OPPOSITION TO THE CANDIDATES OR THEIR POSITIONS, AND GIVE THE CANDIDATES THEIR FULL TIME TO RESPOND AND GET THEIR POINT ACROSS. THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS ONLINE IN ADVANCE OF THIS FORUM. FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE WRITE IT ON A 3 BY 5 CARD AVAILABLE FROM OUR VOLUNTEERS. RAISE YOUR HAND TO HAVE IT PICKED UP. AUDIENCE QUESTIONS WILL BE TAKEN FOR THE, FOR THE FIRST 30 MINUTES OF THIS FORUM. THE TIMEKEEPER WILL ALERT THE MODERATOR WHEN THE 30 SECONDS HAS ELAPSED. QUESTIONS THAT ARE UNCLEAR, HOSTILE, OR ARE OF A PERSONAL NATURE WILL NOT BE USED. THOSE THAT FALL IN THE SAME GENERAL AREA MAY BE CONSOLIDATED. THE CITY OF ORONO HAS 2 CITY COUNCIL SEATS ON THE BALLOT THIS FALL. THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THOSE 2 SEATS ARE MAGGIE ARENDS, JON SCHWINGLER, AND SCOTT WELLMAN. WE WILL BEGIN WITH INTRODUCTORY M- REMARKS, AND WE'LL START FIRST WITH MAGGIE ARENDS. THANK YOU, DEB. GOOD EVENING. I'M MAGGIE ARENDS, AND I'M RUNNING FOR ORONO CITY COUNCIL. I GREW UP IN ORONO, GRADUATED FROM ORONO HIGH SCHOOL, AND NOW MY HUSBAND AND I ARE RAISING OUR 2 DAUGHTERS HERE. I'M ALSO A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER, AND THROUGH RUNNING 2 OPTICAL PRACTICES, I'VE GAINED A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE WITH BUDGETING, MANAGING PEOPLE, SOLVING PROBLEMS, AND MAKING DECISIONS THAT AFFECT BOTH EMPLOYEES AND [00:05:01] CUSTOMERS. I'M RUNNING BECAUSE OR- ORONO HAS GIVEN A GREAT DEAL TO ME AND MY FAMILY, AND I'M AT A POINT IN MY LIFE WHERE I HAVE THE TIME AND THE EXPERIENCE TO GIVE BACK. I WOULD DESCRIBE THE APPROACH I'D BRING TO COUNCIL IN THREE WORDS: THOUGHTFUL, COLLABORATIVE, AND RESOURCEFUL. I BELIEVE IN ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS, LISTENING TO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND WORKING TOWARD PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS THAT SERVE THE COMMUNITY WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAGGIE. JON SCHWINGLER, PLEASE. THANK YOU, DEB. HI, I'M JON SCHWINGLER, AND I AM A CURRENT CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, AND I HAVE WON A SPECIAL ELECTION LAST MAY, AND I HAVE LIVED IN ORONO FOR 19 YEARS, GREW UP IN MOUND, SO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LAKE, UH, AS SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY, THE WRONG SIDE OF THE LAKE, AND, UM, IT'S, UH, BEEN A PART OF THIS. MY KIDS HAVE GONE TO SCHOOL IN ORONO, AND I HAVE, UM, BEEN ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY HERE AS WELL. SERVED 11 YEARS ON THE ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION, AND NOW THE LAST 15, 16 MONTHS AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. AND UH, I ASK FOR YOUR VOTE TONIGHT. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. AND UH, MAIN THINGS THAT I FEEL IN REGARDS TO WHY I'M RUNNING FOR REELECTION IS, IS THAT WE HAVE HAD A GREAT COLLABORATION WITH OUR CURRENT COUNCIL AND WANT TO CONTINUE THAT. WE'VE HAD GREAT, I THINK, OPEN COMMUNICATION AS WELL AS, UM, COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO, UH, MANAGING OUR GOVERNMENT. SO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JON. SCOTT WELLMAN, PLEASE. THANK YOU. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO BOTH THE LEAGUE AND THE CITY OF ORONO FOR PROVIDING THIS FORUM, EVEN THOUGH EVENTS LIKE THIS MAKE ME PARTICULARLY NERVOUS. UH, ON THAT NOTE, EARLIER THIS SUMMER, WHILE WALKING THROUGH THE TRAIL AT FRENCH CREEK PRESERVE, I WAS CONSIDERING WHETHER TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL AGAIN, AND I REALIZED SOMETHING THAT OUTWEIGHED ANY HESITATION CAUSED BY THOSE NERVES. I REALIZED THAT THE PRESERVE WAS ONE OF THE VERY REASONS I WOULD WANT TO RUN, TO HELP PROTECT SOME OF OUR GREEN RESOURCES, SUCH AS THE PRESERVES, THE PARKS, AND THE LAKES. THEY'RE WORTH PROTECTING. AT THE SAME TIME, I REALIZED THAT MY DAILY WORK IN CYBERSECURITY GIVES ME UNIQUE INSIGHT ON HOW TECHNOLOGY MIGHT IMPACT SOME OF, OF THOSE SAME ASSETS. THUS, ELECTING ME MEANS ELECTING SOMEONE THAT WILL COMBINE TWO PIECES: NATURE AND TECH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NOW WE'LL START WITH OUR FIRST QUESTION. MAGGIE, YOU WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON TO RESPOND. UM, THE QUESTION IS, WHAT WORK DO YOU BELIEVE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PRESERVE THE NATURAL BEAUTY, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND RECREATIONAL ASSETS OF ORONO TO ACHIEVE THE CITY'S VISION OF BECOMING A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY OF CHOICE. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. UM, PRESERVING OUR NATURAL BEAUTY IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY. UM, WE DID A COMMUNITY SURVEY THIS SUMMER, AND UM, 93% OF OUR RESIDENTS RATED THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF OUR UM, CITY TO BE HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND HIGHLY VALUABLE TO THEM. SO, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE USE OUR RESOURCES, OUR TIME, AND OUR ENERGY TO PROTECT, UM, LAKE MINNETONKA, OUR WATER DISTRICTS, OUR PARKS, THE BEAUTIFUL NATURE THAT WE'VE ALL COME TO KNOW AND LOVE IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE, UM, COMP PLAN FOR 20 TW- 2050 IS CURRENTLY IN PROCESS, SO THAT COMP PLAN WILL HELP US FIGURE OUT WHERE WE WANT OUR TAX DOLLARS, OUR TIME, AND OUR RESOURCES TO GO IN ORDER TO CREATE A PLAN THAT WILL ALLOW FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CITY WHILE PRESERVING THE NATURAL BEAUTY WE'VE ALL COME TO KNOW AND LOVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAGGIE. SCOTT WELLMAN, PLEASE. I, I BELIEVE WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THOUGHTFUL DEVELOPMENT WHILE PROTECTING THE NATURAL RESOURCES THAT MAKE ORONO SPECIAL. UM, I THINK THAT STARTS WITH RECOGNIZING THAT OUR LAKES, OUR WETLANDS, OUR WOODLANDS, THE OPEN SPACES, UM, THEY'RE VALUABLE COMMUNITY ASSETS, BUT THEY'RE NOT SIMPLY LAND AVAILABLE TO DEVELOP. THEY HAVE TO BE SEEN AS MORE THAN THAT. UM, FRANKLY, TREES ARE HARD TO BUILD. UM, NOW IF THERE'S A PLACE WHERE A CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT MAKES SENSE, OKAY, BUT I THINK THAT ANY DISCUSSION GOING FORWARD MUST INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP OF SOMETHING TO PLAN FOR A COMMUNITY'S FUTURE, BECAUSE ONCE IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE. THANK YOU. JON SCHWINGLER, PLEASE. UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 21 PARKS HERE IN, UH, CITY OF ORONO. WE HAVE A WORK CENTER RURAL, UH, COMMUNITY, BUT YET WE'RE 20 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS. WE ARE A, A GREAT [00:10:02] NEIGHBORHOOD, GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS, AND A, AN AREA THAT I THINK IS VERY, UM, ATTRACTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE TO. WE GOT GREAT SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE'VE GOT, UM, IN FACT, I THINK 7 OR 8 OF OUR FALL SPORTS TEAMS ARE RANKED IN THE TOP 10 IN THE STATE RIGHT NOW. SO THAT IS AN ATTRACTION HERE, AS WELL AS THE BEAUTY OF WHAT WE HAVE, AND LAKE MINNETONKA BEING A BIG ATTRACTION, OUR PARKS, AND OUR RURAL ACCESS OF IT. UH, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO I SERVED ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION WITH THAT WORKED DOWNTOWN, AND SHE SAID, WHENEVER I CAME INTO ORONO, IT JUST KIND OF, AH, GOT THAT FEELING HERE AS YOU CAME IN TO THIS, YOU KNOW, RURAL YET, YOU KNOW, VIBRANT COMMUNITY, AND ITS ATTRACTION AND ENHANCING ALL OF THAT WITH PROTECTING OUR LAKES AND OUR WATERSHED. THANK YOU. UH, SCOTT, YOU WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON TO RESPOND TO OUR NEXT QUESTION. THE TOPIC IS ON THE 2050 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THE QUESTION IS, UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE PLANS ARE REQUIRED BY THE MET COUNCIL EVERY 10 YEARS. WHAT RECOMMEND- WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS DO YOU PERSONALLY HAVE FOR THE 2050 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? I LIKE THE IDEA OF SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY. UM, OVER TIME, I- I THINK THE FIRST ONE WAS WRITTEN IN THE 1970S. UH, IT SERVED THE CITY WELL IN ITS VARIOUS ITERATIONS, BUT I'VE READ IT, I'VE READ THE 2040 ONE. IT'S A LITTLE S- ALIENATING. I THINK IT C- THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND REWRITE IT IN CLEARER LANGUAGE, SIMPLER LANGUAGE, ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE, UM, THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO PLOT A FUTURE THAT SUPPORTS KEEPING WHAT, UH, WE HAVE. UM, AS JON SAID, WE'RE, WE'RE 20 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN INTO A RESIDENTIAL PARADISE. UH, I THINK OUR DOCUMENT SHOULD LET US EASILY READ THAT AND SUP- DEFEND THAT. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE JON SCH- SCHWINGLER, PLEASE. WELL, ONE THING IS, I WAS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN WE DID THE 2040 COMP PLAN, SO, UH, IT, UH, YOU KNOW, I- I- IT'S AN INTERESTING PROCESS THAT YOU GO THROUGH AS YOU WORK WITH, UH, HENNEPIN COUNTY AND GOING THROUGH THAT. AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS IS, IS THAT I BELIEVE GOING FORWARD IN HERE, AND WHEN I SAY ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING HERE SINCE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IS THAT COMMON SENSE APPROACH. I THINK CONTINUE THAT WITH OUR, UH, COMP PLAN IN 2050, AND TO BE ABLE TO, FOR US AS A CITY AND WHAT OUR, UH, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY WANT AND EXPECT AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO PRESERVE, INSTEAD OF HAVING HENNEPIN COUNTY OR SOMEONE ELSE, UH, THE, UH, MET COUNCIL TELL US WHAT WE NEED TO DO, THAT WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND COME TOGETHER ON THAT IN COMMON SENSE LANGUAGE, SO. THANK YOU. MAGGIE ARENDS, PLEASE. YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT A LOT OF US ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW IS, UM, WE'RE FEELING PRETTY SQUEEZED ON OUR BUDGET. SO, I REALLY FEEL LIKE THE 2050 COMP PLAN SHOULD DEFINITELY HAVE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A PRIMARY PILLAR. UM, WHATEVER OUR LOCAL G- GOVERNMENT CAN, CAN DO TO, UM, MINIMIZE TAX INCREASES, I THINK WE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE FOCUSING ON THAT, UM, AS A PRIMARY PRIORITY. AT THE SAME TIME, WE STILL NEED TO, UM, PRESERVE OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THAT WE ALL LOVE AND WANT TO PROTECT DEEPLY FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND WE WANT TO EXPLAIN OUR CHOICES TRANSPARENTLY. SO NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LOVE WHAT COMES OUT OF THE 2050 COMP PLAN, BUT CAN WE EXPLAIN IT TO OUR CITIZENS IN A WAY THAT'S RESPECTFUL, TRANSPARENT, AND CONTAINS THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE VISION FOR ORONO'S FUTURE? THANK YOU, MAGGIE. OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE ON PUBLIC SAFTY. JON, WE'LL START WITH YOU TO RESPOND TO THIS QUESTION FIRST. THE QUESTION IS, ORONO CURRENTLY USES AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS KNOWN AS FLOCK CAMERAS. WHAT BENEFITS AND CONCERNS DO YOU SEE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY, AND WHAT POLICIES OR SAFEGUARDS SHOULD GOVERN THEIR USE? WELL, IT'S, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S NEW THAT'S COME OUT HERE. WE'VE GOT A CONTRACT RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE 3 CAMERAS IN THE CITY OF ORONO. WE HAVE 2 STATIONARY, 1 MOBILE, AND, UH, I KNOW THAT CONTRACT COMES UP IN JANUARY, AND, UH, UH, POLICE CHIEF STENSRUD, UM, WILL REVIEW THAT, AND US AS THE COUNCIL, WILL REVIEW THAT [00:15:02] ON WHAT IT IS. AND, YOU KNOW, CURRENTLY, AS IT STANDS AS THE CURRENT, UM, FLOCK CAMERA, UH, IS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, PARTIAL READER, AND THE SHARING OF THE INFORMATION IS VERY LIMITED, AND IT IS WITHIN OTHER COMMUNITIES THERE. SO, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE GOING FORWARD, UH, IT IS NOT AS IT APPARENTLY, UH, UH, REGARDS TO WHAT IS ON THE, UM, IT'S NOT SHARING OF INFORMATION ONLY OTHER WITH OTHER, UH, POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND THAT THEN THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR ON THE SAME THING TO HELP ON THAT, SO PROTECTING THAT AND THE SAFETY OF THAT AS FAR AS THE BREACHING TOO AND THE SECURITY. THANK YOU, JON. MAGGIE ARENDS. UM, I'M GLAD THIS QUESTION CAME UP BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S ONE THAT A LOT OF RESIDENTS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT. WE HAVE, UM, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, RECORDS, UH, LICENSE PLATES, BUT DOESN'T TAKE IMAGES OF THE DRIVER. SO THAT INFORMATION COULD BE USEFUL FOR OUR LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I, TOO, HAVE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT HOW THAT INFORMATION IS BEING DISSEMINATED AND HOW IT CAN BE ACCESSED. SO, IT IS AN AREA THAT I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT IF I WERE TO BE ELECTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE IT'S CRITICAL, NOT JUST THAT, UM, THE COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS AND IS AWARE, BUT THAT WE'RE EXPLAINING IT TO THE CITIZENS, BECAUSE IT'S CLEARLY A REALLY IMPORTANT AND FAIRLY CONCERNING ASPECT OF, UM, OUR CITIZENS' RIGHT TO AUTONOMY AND PRIVACY. THANK YOU. SCOTT WELLMAN, PLEASE. WELL, FOR ANY CHARGED TOPIC LIKE THESE, I FIND ACCURATE INFORMATION IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. SO, I STARTED RESEARCHING, AND I WAS ACTUALLY SUR- HAPPILY SURPRISED AT THE AMOUNT ORONO ALREADY PUBLISHES. THEY, THERE'S A POLICY IN PLACE. THERE'S AN AUDIT THAT WAS DONE TO SHOW THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DID LIVE UP TO THAT POLICY, AND THEY DESERVE CREDIT FOR THAT. THERE IS A ORONO FLOCK TRANSPARENCY PORTAL THAT ANYONE CAN LOG INTO AND SEE HOW THEY'RE BEING USED. BUT WITH ALL TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S ALWAYS THE QUESTION, THE BALANCE BETWEEN PRIVACY AND PROTECTION. SO, IF I WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CONTRACT CAME UP, I WOULD ASK: DOES THE DATA STAY WITH ORONO, OR DOES THE VENDOR GET TO KEEP SOME OF IT? IS THE VENDOR KEEPING THE SYSTEM CYBER SECURE, OR IS OUR DATA REALLY PRIVATE? SOME CITIES HAVE DISCOVERED OTHERWISE. AND WHAT'S THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S ASSESSMENT OF COST VERSUS VA- VALUE? IS IT A GOOD BANG FOR OUR BUCK? THANK YOU, SCOTT. SCOTT, WE'LL START WITH YOU ON THIS NEXT QUESTION, OR YOU'LL BE THE FIRST TO RESPOND. WE'LL STAY ON THE TOPIC OF PUBLIC SAFETY. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES, IF ANY, DO YOU BELIEVE NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN ORONO, AND HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES? I'M NOT SURE HOW TO ADDRESS IT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU MY PERSONAL, UH, WHERE I WAS MOST IN DANGER IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS, UH, WAS CAR, DEER. THEY DON'T GO TO GET IT WELL. UH, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT LANDS IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DIRECTLY DO VERSUS WORKING WITH PARTNERSHIPS, REACHING OUT TO PLACES LIKE THE DNR AND ASKING, WHAT ARE THE STEPS WE CAN TAKE? UH, BUT I CERTAINLY WOULD LOOK INTO THAT, UH, BECAUSE MAY- IT'S AN INCREASING PROBLEM. WE, WE DRIVE OUR 45-MILE HOUR ROAD AT 15 MILES AN HOUR SIMPLY TO AVOID THE REPEAT OF OUR EXPERIENCE A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. THANK YOU, SCOTT. CANDIDATE JON SCHWINGLER, PLEASE. I TOO HAD THAT SAME ACCIDENT. DEER JUMPED OUT IN FRONT OF ME, AND LO AND BEHOLD. AND UH, YEAH, YOU SEE IT ALL THE TIME. YOU SEE THE DEER ON THE ROAD, SO IT IS, UM, WE NEED TO TRAIN OUR DEER BETTER, I THINK. AND THOSE, OUR POLICIES AND WHAT IT CAN BE. BUT UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF WHERE WE LIVE IN A RURAL NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S UH, AS FAR AS THAT GOES. I THINK WHAT HAS GONE ON WITH THE, WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE JPA THAT WE HAVE WITH LONG LAKE AND WHAT'S CREATED THERE, AND TO CONTINUE TO GROW ON THAT. I MEAN, THAT'S BEEN, UH, A YEAR, UH, PLUS IN TOGETHER, AND I THINK FOR WHAT I HEAR FROM CITIZENS IS, IS THAT SAFETY IS AN IMPORTANT THING. I MEAN, IS IT, HOW MANY OF THOSE CALLS ARE FOR FIRES? NOT AS MANY AS THERE ARE FOR, [00:20:01] YOU KNOW, ELDERLY SLIPPING AND FALLING AND OR ISSUES AT HOME OR, YOU KNOW, CAR ACCIDENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THAT CONTINUED GROWTH AND THAT CONTINUED COLLABORATION, UH, WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE MAGGIE ARENDS. UH, I AGREE WITH YOU. UM, MY HUSBAND, MATT COLSETH, HAS, UM, BEEN ON THE LONG LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT, NOW SHORELINE FIRE DEPARTMENT, FOR THE LAST 7 YEARS. SO, WE HAVE KIND OF EXPERIENCED THE TRANSITION, UM, FROM ONE TO THE OTHER AS A FAMILY AND NOT JUST A COMMUNITY. UM, BUT I TOO AGREE THAT, UM, MONITORING OUR RESPONSE TIMES, UM, WITH THE CHANGE IN THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT. I'M ALSO CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT HOW OUR CITIZENS FEEL ABOUT THEIR SATISFACTION LEVELS WITH THE DEPARTMENT NOW THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF REMODELING, UM, AND MANY OF THE, UM, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED IN THE DEPARTMENT, I FEEL LIKE ARE DEFINITELY FOR THE ULTIMATE GOOD OF ORONO RESIDENTS. BUT SINCE IT'S BEEN SUCH A BIG CHANGE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP THOSE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, OUR FIRE AND EMS IS, UM, PERCEIVED AS BEING, UH, WIDELY HELPFUL TO OUR PUBLIC. THANK YOU, MAGGIE. MAGGIE, WE'LL START WITH YOU FOR THIS NEXT QUESTION. WE'LL SWITCH TOPICS. THE TOPIC WILL BE ON COMMUNICATION. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY, AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING- INCLUDING OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, THE LAKE MINNETONKA COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, THE LAKE MINNETONKA CON- CONSERVATION DISTRICT, THE LEAGUE OF MINNESOTA CITIES, THE MET COUNCIL, AND OTHERS. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. UM, I THINK COMMUNICATION IS CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY IN OUR FAST-CHANGING WORLD. UM, IT CAN BE HARD TO SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE WE HAVE, UM, THE DOWN LOAN ON, ON EVERYTHING HAPPENING. UM, I AM CURIOUS ABOUT THE WAYS THAT WE CAN USE NEW TECHNOLOGY LIKE AI, UM, TO, UM, MAYBE MORE CLEARLY SUMMARIZE OUR MEETINGS OR MAKE CLEAR SOME OF THE, UM, POTENTIAL OPTIONS FOR, UM, WHAT THE COUNCIL IS DOING TO HELP COMMUNICATE BETWEEN MULTIPLE PARTNERS. UM, COMMUNICATION CAN ALWAYS BE A LITTLE BIT COMPLEX, BUT I THINK THERE ARE NEWER TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE CAN CONSIDER AND TRY TO USE TO TRY TO SIMPLIFY, SAVE TIME, AND SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS ULTIMATELY IN MAKING THINGS MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE CLEAR. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE SCOTT WELLMAN. I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF TOOLS WE CAN USE. UH, I THINK THAT STARTS WITH GOING TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUILT CHANNELS FOR YEARS, THE, THE HIDDEN HEROES OF THE CITY, THE, THE STAFF, THAT THEY HAVE DECADES OF INSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCE. SO, USING THE PEOPLE RATHER THAN REINVENTING THE WHEEL, ASKING THEM, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO APPROACH? WHAT ARE THOSE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, CITIES LOOKING FOR FROM, FROM US? AND THEN INTERNALLY, UM, THAT SURVEY THAT WAS MENTIONED, IT HAD SOME VERY GOOD RESULTS, BUT IT ALSO HAD SOME VERY, UH, WELL, AREAS THAT COULD BE IMPROVED. SO, I'M WONDERING, WHAT ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN, UM, GO TO THE PEOPLE WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, 34% OF THE GOVERNMENT ISN'T, UH, 34% OF THE RESPONDENTS SAID THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ISN'T TRANSPARENT. WHY IS THAT? UH, HOW CAN WE REACH OUT? AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE WORTHY OF A LOT OF DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE JON SCHWINGLER. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, HAS WE BROUGHT IN A DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, AND I THINK SHE HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB AND HAS BEEN A GREAT JOB OF PUSHING INFORMATION OUT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND USING THE DIFFERENT TOOLS, WHETHER IT BE SOCIAL MEDIA AND, UH, OUR NEWSLETTER THAT GOES OUT, AND IT CAN ALWAYS BE MORE OPEN COMMUNICATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'VE BEEN MARRIED 25 YEARS, AND, YOU KNOW, MY WIFE SAID, COULD ALWAYS SAY I NEED BETTER COMMUNICATION. BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO WELL HERE, AND AGAIN, CAN IMPROVE UPON, IS GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE. WE'RE BEING, YOU KNOW, UH, PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE, AND ALSO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, SHARE THE GOOD THINGS THAT GO ON AND ALSO SHARE THE CONCERNS. WE DID THAT SURVEY THAT CAME OUT, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT. I MEAN, THE, THE, UH, ROAD TO PERFECTION IS ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE ROAD TO EXCELLENCE, I SHOULD SAY, BECAUSE WE'LL NEVER ACHIEVE PERFECTION, BUT THAT EXCELLENCE, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS WE'VE HAD AS A CITY, AS THE COUNCIL. THANK YOU, JON. AND JON, WE'LL START WITH YOU TO RESPOND FIRST [00:25:01] TO THIS NEXT QUESTION. WE'LL SWITCH TOPICS. WE'LL TALK ABOUT WATER MANAGEMENT. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON LAKE MINNETONKA AND FRESHWATER MANAGEMENT? WELL, YOU'RE TALKING, I GREW UP ON LAKE MINNETONKA IN MOUND, LIKE I SAID, AND UH, LAKE MINNETONKA, FOR ME, IS ONE OF OUR TREASURED RESOURCES. AND UH, I, GROWING UP ON THE LAKE, I SAW A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PEOPLE MANAGE THEIR OWN PROPERTIES AND HOW THEY LOOKED AT THAT. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE CONCERNS OF, YOU KNOW, FROM THE RUNOFF THAT GOES ON AND ALL THE CHEMICALS THAT ARE USED ON LAWNS TO, UH, DIFFERENT WAYS TO HELP MANAGE THAT. AND I THINK AS A CITY, UH, WE'VE GONE THROUGH DIFFERENT ITERATIONS IN REGARDS TO THAT, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS, AS I KIND OF SEE IT, AS A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS AS WE'VE LOOKED AT IT. AND I THINK THAT CONTINUES TO GO ON THERE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THERE'S A ONE SIZE THAT FITS ALL. AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR BIG CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S AFFECTING LAKE MINNETONKA OR LONG LAKE, I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF IT. WE HAVE THE LARGEST 40% LAND OF THE LAND ON LAKE MINNETONKA IS IN ORONO, AND LARGE PART OF LONG LAKE IS IN ORONO, SO. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE MAGGIE ARENDS, PLEASE. OUR LAKES, UM, BOTH LAKE MINNETONKA, UM, AND LONG LAKE ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR, UM, WILDLIFE, TO OUR WAY OF LIFE, UM, AS HUMANS TOO. UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD REALLY BE THINKING ABOUT IS, UM, ACCESS ISSUES. UM, I'VE HEARD FROM SOME OF OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT, UM, SOME ACCESS POINTS ON, UM, LAKE MINNETONKA HAVE BEEN USED BY, UM, LIKE LARGER BUSINESS ORIENTED, UM, UH, INDIVIDUALS, AND WE WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING OUR LAKE FOR ENJOYMENT AND USAGE OF, UM, OUR CONSTITUENTS. MY OTHER CONCERN ABOUT FRESHWATER MANAGEMENT IS, UM, KIND OF CHEMICAL RUNOFF, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, STRONG PROTECTIONS IN PLACE TO KEEP OUR WATER CLEAN AND SAFE FOR ALL LONG INTO THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE SCOTT WELLMAN. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT BOTH SAID. UH, ANOTHER PIECE OF IT, THOUGH, IS LAKE ACCESSIBILITY IN TERMS OF... WELL, I BIKE AROUND THE LAKE. I LIKE LOOKING AT THE LAKE. I LIKE HAVING THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. I LIKE HAVING THE ABILITY TO GET INTO THE WATER AND SWIM. UM, THERE ARE ANY NUMBER OF OTHER INTERESTS, UH, WHETHER PERSONAL OR COMMERCIAL, THAT MIGHT WANT SHORT-TERM GAIN FOR SACRIFICING LONG-TERM COMMUNITY ACCESS. AND I THINK IF WE WERE TO GO DOWN THAT PATH, IF WE WERE TO LOSE COMMUNITY ACCESS, WE WOULD LOSE INTEREST IN WATER MANAGEMENT, WHICH THEN WOULD HAVE LET THE LAKE MORE EASILY BE, UH, NOT WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE. THANK YOU, SCOTT. UM, MAGGIE, YOU WILL ANSWER THIS NEXT QUESTION FIRST. WE'LL STAY ON THE TOPIC OF WATER MANAGEMENT. THE QUESTION IS, WHAT CRITERIA WOULD YOU USE TO GRANT VARIANCES FOR LAKESHORE PROPERTIES? UM, VARIANCES SEEM TO BE, UM, A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF BEING ON COUNCIL. UM, HAVING ATTENDED A FEW MEETINGS MYSELF, IT'S DEFINITELY, UM, SOMETHING THAT, UM, DESERVES A LOT OF ATTENTION. UM, MY UNDERSTANDING OF VARIANCES, ALTHOUGH SOMEWHAT LIMITED, UM, UP UNTIL NOW, I HAVE A LOT TO LEARN, UM, BUT VARIANCES ARE BASED IN, UM, HISTORY AND THE LAW. AND SO, WHENEVER WE'RE TALKING VARIANCES, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, WHAT THE LAWS SAY ABOUT, UM, HOW WE BUILD OUR BUILDINGS AND HOW WE HAVE, UH, CODES PERTAINING TO OUR PROPERTIES. UM, IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE THAT WE, UH, GOVERN AND WHAT ARE THEIR PREFERENCES, WHAT ARE THEIR GOALS. UM, A PROPER APPROACH TO VARIANCE TRIES TO LISTEN, ASK QUESTIONS, AND HONOR PEOPLE'S, UM, CONCERNS, WHILE ALSO STAYING TRUE TO, UH, THE CHARACTER OF ORONO, WHICH IS RURAL, AND OUR LAWS. THANK YOU. UM, BEFORE WE ASK FOR SCOTT WELLMAN TO ANSWER, I'LL JUST DO A QUICK PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS A LAST CALL FOR ANY NEW QUESTIONS. SO, IF YOU HAVE ANY NEW QUESTIONS, PLEASE GET THEM TO A LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, UM, VOLUNTEER, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT MINUTE OR TWO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NOW WE'LL GO BACK TO OUR QUESTIONS, [00:30:01] AND WE'LL ASK SCOTT WELLMAN TO ANSWER. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO REPEAT THE QUESTION? THE QUESTION IS, WHAT CRITERIA WOULD YOU USE TO GRANT THE VARIANCES FOR LAKESHORE PROPERTIES? SO, THE FRAMEWORK THE CITY HAS FOR VARIANCES IS MEANT TO BE FAIR AND TO BALANCE SPECIFIC REQUESTS WITH THE COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. THIS INCLUDES SOMETHING CALLED THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES WORKSHEET THAT REFLECTS THIS VISION, AND WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MANY DETAILS, IT'S PART OF THE PROCESS THAT SHOWS THAT VARIANCES TO OUR ORDINANCES ARE POSSIBLE, BUT SHOULD BE EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE. EVEN SO, EVERY CASE SHOULD BE GIVEN DUE HEARING, UH, WHETHER IT'S LAKESHORE PROPERTY OR OTHERWISE. BUT I WILL ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT VARIANCES RUN WITH THE PROPERTY, MEANING THAT IF THE CITY COUNCIL GIVES A VARIANCE ON A PROPERTY, IT'S FOREVER, UH, AND EVEN IF THE OWNERS SELL THAT PROPERTY. UH, AND SO THERE CAN BE A LONG, THERE CAN BE A NUMBER OF UNINTENDED LONG-TERM IMPACTS TO CONSIDER WITH EVERY CHOICE. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE JON SCHWINGLER. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS I THINK THAT HAPPENS WITH THE CITY, UH, IN OUR PROCESSES WE HAVE, WE HAVE OUR PLANNING COMMISSION THAT GOES THROUGH IT, AND STAFF RECOMMENDATION, PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THEIR VOTE ON ANYTHING THAT COMES TO COUNCIL FOR GRANTING A VARIANCE AS PEOPLE ARE LOOK, UM, COMING TO US. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE UNIQUE PROPERTIES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN ORONO, YOU HAVE ODD LOTS, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PLACES, YOU HAVE PLACES LIKE NAVARRE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, BALDA ROAD, WHERE JUST THESE SMALL LOTS THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT AT TIMES. AND THE WAY I'VE ALWAYS LOOKED AT IT, WHETHER I WAS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, WHETHER I'VE BEEN ON CITY COUNCIL, IS IT'S A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. AND THOSE VARIANCES ARE A TOOL TO BE ABLE TO USE AND, UH, AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE USED IN, IN THE PROPER WAY. AND, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE DO, AS SCOTT MENTIONED ABOUT PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES, YOU KNOW, YOU GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, GO THROUGH WITH WHAT WORKING CLOSELY WITH BOTH STAFF, PLANNING COMMISSION, AND SOMETIMES WE DON'T AGREE, AND THAT'S OKAY. THANK YOU, JON. SCOTT WELLMAN WILL ANSWER THE NEXT QUESTION FIRST. WE'LL SWITCH TOPICS. THE TOPIC WILL BE ON THE BUDGET. AND THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS FOR MANAGING CITY REVENUES AND EXPENSES, BOTH OPERATING AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, AS WELL AS BORROWING? WELL, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TRUSTS THAT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE GIVEN IS THE BUDGET, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A LICENSE. I THINK THAT'S AN ASK TO BE RESPONSIBLE, TO PLAN, UH, WHICH CAN BE MULTIFACETED. SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO SPEND, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY THAT SPENDING. YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE IT, UH, MAKE SURE THAT IT MAKES SENSE, THAT IT'S EFFECTIVE, THAT IT'S NOT JUST AN IDEA OUT OF THE WOODWORK. IT HAS TO BE TRIED AND TESTED. UM, AND IF IT'S NOT WORKING, THEN THE NEXT YEAR IS A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT AND COME BACK TO THAT. UM, SO CAUTION, I GUESS, IS A KEY WORD THERE. UH, BALANCING WITH THE EARLIER YOU DEAL WITH THINGS THAT COULD BECOME EMERGENCIES, THE MORE OPTIONS YOU HAVE. SO SOMETIMES EARLY CONSIDERATION WITH SHORT-TERM COSTS IS BETTER THAN A LOT OF LONG-TERM COSTS. THANK YOU, SCOTT. CANDIDATE JON SCHWINGLER. YOU KNOW, WE JUST HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS BUDGETING PROCESS, AND I LOVE HOW WE LEARNING EXPERIENCE ON THAT, BUT HOW WE GO THROUGH IT HERE AT THE CITY, AND WE WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM, WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR STAFF ON GOING THROUGH ON THOSE THINGS, AND UH, IT'S A BIG CONCERN, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE- WE'VE GOT A BIG BUDGET, UH, AND OUR CITY HAS PROVIDED A LOT OF THINGS FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR OUR UH, RESIDENTS WHO LIVE HERE, AND VERY THOUGHTFUL IN THAT APPROACH, AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN VERY GOOD STEWARDS AND C- AND NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE STEWARDS. LOOK AT EVERY ITEM THAT WE LOOK AT AND LOOK AT UH, EACH SPENDING AS IT DOES, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, AND IT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS FLEXIBILITY TO IT, AND WE LOOK AT THAT YEAR TO YEAR, AND, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE INFLATION, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT COME INTO THAT, AND WE HAVE OUR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, WHETHER IT BE, YOU KNOW, POLICE, UM, OUR STAFF, AND ON THAT, AND THEN YOU TRY TO BUILD IN VARIABLES FOR THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED, AND THEN WE IDENTIFY THOSE AND R- RANK THEM AND PUT THEM INTO THE BUDGET. [00:35:02] THANK YOU, JON. CANDIDATE MAGGIE ARENDS, PLEASE. UM, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I'M MOST INTERESTED IN DIGGING INTO. EXCUSE ME, SORRY. EXCUSE ME. UM, THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I'M MOST INTERESTED IN DIGGING IN- DIGGING INTO. AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, I FEEL LIKE, UM, BUDGETING IS CRITICAL TO HAVING A THRIVING SYSTEM. UM, ONE OF THE WORDS THAT REALLY STICKS OUT TO ME IS, UM, AN INTEREST IN RESOURCEFULNESS. SO HOW CAN WE USE WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN TO TAKE THE BEST CARE OF WHAT WE HAVE SO THAT WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN THE FUTURE, ESSENTIALLY MAINTAINING WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE FAILURE, SO THAT WE'RE NOT IN A, UM, A BUDGET CRUNCH AT SOME POINT. UM, I ALSO REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS. SO WHAT IS THE THING WE ARE CONSIDERING INVESTING, AND NOT ONLY WHAT WILL THE COST TO US BE NOW, BUT WHAT WILL THE COST TO OUR CONSTITUENTS BE IN 10, 20, 30 YEARS? THANK YOU, MAGGIE. CANDIDATE JON SCHWINGLER, YOU WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON TO ANSWER THE NEXT QUESTION. THE TOPIC IS ON CYBERSECURITY. AND THE QUESTION IS: RECENT CYBERSECURITY ATTACKS ON CITY WATER SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN IN THE NEWS. HOW SHOULD ORONO ADDRESS CYBER CITY ISSUES RELATED TO CITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES? WELL, WE'VE HAD SOME EXPERIENCES HERE RECENT LOCALLY, I MEAN, WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORS HERE, AND UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT ON THE BUDGETING SIDE OF THINGS, WE TALK, AND THAT IS WHERE, WHERE WE SPEND OUR IT, AND THAT HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S WITH THAT THE CYBERSECURITY, AND IT IS AN AREA THAT I THINK IS MORE AND MORE GETTING ATTENTION AND MORE AND MORE CONCERN, UH, FOR MYSELF AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND FOR, UH, OUR RESIDENTS HERE. SO IT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK INTO THAT MORE, MAKE SURE THE SAFEGUARDS ARE IN PLACE, UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT IS, BECAUSE IT'S, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS I KNOW, RIGHT? AND, UH, THAT IS NOT MY TECHNICAL EXPERTISE ON THAT. BUT I, I LOVE OUR INTERNAL STAFF THAT WE HAVE HERE AT, IN OUR IT STAFF, AND HAVE VERY GOOD FAITH AND TRUST IN THEM AND CONTINUE TO GROW WITH THEM. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE MAGGIE ARENDS, PLEASE. UH, CYBERSECURITY IS, IS GOING TO BE A REALLY BIG THING, NOT JUST FOR OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, BUT, UM, FOR LARGER COMMUNITIES THAT WE ALL BELONG TO TOO. SO, I'M GLAD THIS QUESTION WAS ASKED. UM, I REALLY DO THINK THAT IT WILL BE A HUGE IMPORTANT PIECE IN OUR 2050 COMP PLAN, SO I THINK IT'S A PERFECT TIME FOR US TO BE CONSIDERING OUR BUDGET FOR HOW WE WOULD INVEST IN ENHANCED IT AND CYBERSECURITY. UM, THERE WAS AN ATTACK ON A NEIGHBOR THAT, THAT BORDERS US, SO THE THREAT IS VERY REAL, AND WE DO NEED TO TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY. LUCKILY, I REALLY, I'VE HAD THE, UM, GOOD FORTUNE OF BEING ABLE TO MEET A NUMBER OF OUR, UM, CITY ADMINISTRATORS, AND WE HAVE AN AMAZING ADMINISTRATOR TEAM AND, UM, PEOPLE THAT, UH, WORK FOR OUR GOVERNMENT THAT ARE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, THAT I THINK WE CAN REALLY ENTRUST TO GUIDE US WELL IN MAKING THESE DECISIONS, BECAUSE THEY WILL BE COMPLEX, UM, AND THEY WILL NOT COME EASY. THANK YOU, MAGGIE. CANDIDATE SCOTT WELLMAN. I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT ORNO SERIOUSLY NEEDS TO CONSIDER DOING AN INDEPENDENT CYBERSECURITY ASSESSMENT. THAT'S A LONG WORD, BUT IT'S BASICALLY TAKING AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTING COMPANY AND LOOKING AT HOW IT WORKS. THIS IS NO REFLECTION OF ANYBODY'S CURRENT ROLE OR THEIR, THEIR POSITIONS. THIS IS WHAT I DO AT WORK. I GO TO COMPANIES AND LOOK AT COMPANIES THAT DO CYBERSECURITY, AND WE FIND ISSUES. SO INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENTS ARE HIGHLY VALUABLE. UM, THEY, WE SAY DURING AT WORK THAT A PENNY OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE. UH, AN ASSESSMENT WOULD MAKE US, OR MOVE US INTO A POSITION WHERE WE CAN SEE EXACTLY HOW VULNERABLE WE ACTUALLY ARE AND MAKE CHOICES TO ADDRESS THAT. THE EARLIER WE KNOW, THE MORE OPTIONS WE WILL HAVE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, OUR NEXT QUESTION WILL BE ON PARK PLANNING. UM, CANDIDATE SCOTT WELLMAN, WE'LL START WITH YOU FIRST TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON PRESERVING EXISTING TREES IN PARK PLANNING? [00:40:04] TWO SIDES. AS I'VE SAID, I HAVE A LOVE OF THE PARKS HERE. I USE THEM A LOT. UM, BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE SOME CHALLENGES. UH, AND ONE OF THOSE AREAS OF PARKS, I WON'T TOUCH EVERYTHING, IS THE ASH TREES. I'VE FELT A LOT OF PAIN THIS YEAR WITH, UH, 2 DAUGHTERS IN COLLEGE, PLUS ASH TREES. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COUNCIL AND STAFF EXPLORE IF THERE ARE OPTIONS AND LIKE, UH, PREFERRED VENDOR LISTS, SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHICH VENDORS THEY CAN TRUST TO MAKE SOME CHANGES, UM, ON THEIR PRIVATE LAND, BUT ALSO FOR THE CITY, AND EXPLORE PROGRAMS LIKE THE MONTICELLO'S RELIEF PROGRAM AND OTHER WAYS OF LOOKING FOR PARTNERS TO HELP US, BECAUSE OTHER CITIES ALREADY HAVE DONE SOME THINGS. THEY KNOW BEST HOW TO DO SOME THINGS, SO LET'S LEARN FROM THEM. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE JON SCHWINGLER. YOU KNOW, I THINK TREE MANAGEMENT IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING, AND UH, WE'VE DONE GREAT WORK AT HACKBERRY PARK. IF YOU SEE THAT, IT HAD, YOU KNOW, COMPLETE DRAINAGE ISSUES AND REALLY MADE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT THERE. AND THEN WITH THAT CAME A, UM, SOME TREE MANAGEMENT EXPENSES. AND UH, I THINK ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS WE HAVE DONE, JOE, IN OUR PARKS COMMISSION, IS HAS TAKEN AN INVENTORY OF THE ASH TREES AND OF WHAT OUR TREES ARE, AND LOOKING AT THAT, WHAT WE HAVE GOING FORWARD. BIG PART OF OUR BUDGET THIS PAST YEAR WAS, YOU KNOW, TREE REMOVAL BUDGET FOR THE ASH TREES IN PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, WHETHER IN OUR PARKS. BUT ANOTHER THING THAT JOE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB WITH, AND STAFF CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR THESE OPPORTUNITIES, IS FINDING GRANTS, UH, FOR TREE REMOVAL, AND WE'VE BEEN RESOURCEFUL IN DOING THAT. SO NEVER LIKE TO LOSE A TREE, BUT SOME TREES, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE ASH BORER TREE, AND I TOO HAVE HAD A LOT OF THEM TAKEN DOWN AND STILL HAVE MORE TO TAKE DOWN. THANK YOU, JON. CANDIDATE MAGGIE ARENDS, PLEASE. UM, I, YEAH, I THINK THE QUESTION PROBABLY REFERS DIRECTLY TO, UM, SEVERAL OF THE GIANT OAK TREES THAT WERE REMOVED, UM, FROM HACKBERRY, HACKBERRY PARK. UM, I WAS REALLY SAD TO SEE THOSE GO, HONESTLY. SO, UM, FOR ME, TRYING TO PRESERVE AS MANY TREES AS WE CAN IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. UM, THEY'RE A HUGE PART OF WHAT MAKES OUR NATURAL, UH, AREAS LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL, SO LUSH, AND SO VERDANT. UM, SO FOR, FOR ME, TRYING TO PRESERVE THEM IS, IS SORT OF THE NUMBER ONE GOAL. UM, AS OUR OTHER CANDIDATES HAVE MENTIONED, THOUGH, THE TREES THAT ARE ALREADY DEAD, OBVIOUSLY WE NEED REALLY GOOD PLANS TO REMOVE THOSE AS QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY AS WE CAN. UM, AND I, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT THE COUNCIL HAS REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON THAT ALREADY, SO I WOULD BE EXCITED TO CONTINUE THAT WORK AS WELL. THANK YOU, MAGGIE. ALL RIGHT, I, THIS NEXT QUESTION WILL BE YOUR LAST QUESTION BEFORE WE GO TO CLOSING REMARKS. UM, WE WILL START WITH MAGGIE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. THE QUESTION IS, UH, OR THE TOPIC IS JUST A TOPIC OF CHOICE. THE QUESTION IS, IS THERE A TOPIC THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED IN THIS FORUM? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. LAST BUT NOT LEAST. UM... YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE REALLY COVERED A LOT. UM... I WOULD SAY, UM, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN WORKING ON, ON THE COUNCIL IS, UM, WHAT WE CAN REALLY DO TO INCREASE OUR, UM, TRAILS AND OUR PARKS. UH, I WAS LOOKING AT AND LISTENING TO ONE OF THE, UM, MEETINGS THAT WE DISCUSSED HAVING A BIKE PARK RIGHT NEXT TO ORONO GOLF COURSE. ULTIMATELY, THE COUNCIL DECIDED NOT TO CONTINUE THE- THAT DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIKE PARK, BUT IT REALLY GOT ME THINKING ABOUT, UM, MULTI-USE AREAS THAT WE COULD TRY TO, UM, WORK ON, AND JUST RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S SO MANY INTERESTS THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS SHARE, UM, THAT IT WOULD BE NICE TO OFFER SOME MORE SPECIFIC USE AREAS, UM, LIKE THAT BIKE TRAIL. THANK YOU, MAGGIE. CANDIDATE SCOTT WELLMAN. SO, WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT ECOLOGY AND, AND RESIDENTIAL, BUT WE DO HAVE, UH, COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY ZONED IN ORONO, AND I THINK SOMETIMES THOSE INTERESTS CAN BE [00:45:01] FORGOTTEN. AND I- I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE NEED TO ATTRACT A LOT MORE. WE, WE HAVE A LIMITED ZONE. WE ONLY HAVE SO MUCH LAND, AND WE WANT, I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS TO KEEP THE RESIDENTIAL CHARACTER. BUT THE COUNCIL SHOULD DEFINITELY REMEMBER TO KEEP, UM, THE INTERESTS OF THOSE, OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THERE, UH, IN MIND. WE ALL BENEFIT FROM IT, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE JUST FORGOTTEN, AND I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE SCOTT OR JON SCHWINGLER, PLEASE. YEAH, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, IN- I LOVE ALL THE TOPICS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP AND, AND, UH, GREAT ANSWERS BY, UH, FELLOW CANDIDATES. BUT ONE AREA THAT, JUST TO KIND OF EMBARK ON OR ENHANCE ON, IS THAT IN OUR PARKS, IT, BOTH COUNCILMEMBER BENSON AND RICKS HAVE BEEN VERY, UH, GREAT WITH THIS IDEA OF ADOPTING A PARK AND FOR US TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE 21 PARKS. IF WE HAVE AND BEAUTIFY THOSE PARKS, THOSE ARE A BIG SIGNATURE STATEMENT FOR WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY, WITH IT BEING A RURAL CITY, AND ALSO WITH THE LAKE, AND UH, THOSE TWO GO HAND IN HAND, AND UH, WE'VE UH, COUNCILMEMBER BENSON HAS BEEN GREAT IN LEADING THE UM, WITH THE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES AND THE UM, POLLINATORS, AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT GO ON AND CONTINUE WITH THOSE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR US, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT COMMUNITY EVENT COMING UP HERE FOR CHRISTMAS TIME. SO, WE'RE LOOKING AT MORE OF THOSE AND CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THOSE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, WE WILL NOW PROCEED WITH OUR CLOSING STATEMENT. UM, WE WILL BE ACTUALLY WORKING IN REVERSE ORDER FROM WHAT WE ORIGINALLY STARTED WITH FOR OUR OPENING STATEMENTS. SO, CANDIDATE SCOTT WELLMAN WILL BEGIN FIRST, AND I BELIEVE WE'VE GOT A 2-MINUTE CLOSING STATEMENT. 2 MINUTES, PLEASE. SO, AFTER DECIDING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RUN AGAIN THAT DAY IN FRENCH CREEK, I SPOKE TO MY WIFE, HOLLY, AS THIS WOULD AFFECT HER TOO, BEING ON THE COM- BEING ON THE COUNCIL HAS A LOT OF TIME COMMITMENTS, AND BECAUSE SHE'S USUALLY RIGHT IN WHEN WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS. UM, SHE POINTED OUT THAT IT MADE SENSE TO HER FOR ME TO DO THIS. UH, WE BOTH COME FA- COME FROM FAMILIES THAT VALUE PUBLIC SERVICE. UH, IN FACT, BOTH OF MY PARENTS WERE IN THE MILITARY, AND THEY ALWAYS REFERRED TO IT AS THE SERVICE. UM, THAT EXAMPLE STAYED WITH ME, AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I FEEL CALLED TO RUN A SECOND TIME. I'VE PREPARED BY REGULARLY ATTENDING COUNCIL MEETINGS, TALKING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, DIVING INTO S- TO HOW THE CITY WORKS AND SEEING HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE. I'VE APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES AND LEARN THAT LISTENING TO STAFF AND RESIDENTS IS KEY TO LEARNING THE DIRECTION THAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO GO IN AND HOW TO GET THERE. I'VE LISTENED WITH THAT MIXED PERSPECTIVE I MENTIONED BEFORE. A BALANCED APPRECIATION FOR PRESERVING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THAT DREW MY FAMILY TO ORONO IN THE FIRST PLACE, COMBINED WITH MY EXPERIENCE IN TECH AND IN CYBERSECURITY THAT MAY IMPACT THAT SAME ENVIRONMENT IN THE FUTURE. I'VE INVESTED IN ORONO OR IN ORONO AND HAVE RETURNED, UH, TO RUN A SECOND TIME, NOT BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO DO A FORUM LIKE THIS, BUT BECAUSE I WANT TO PUT MY SKILLS TO WORK FOR THE CITY. I'M ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON NOVEMBER TO 3RD TO LET ME BRING THAT APPRECIATION AND EXPERIENCE TO THE COUNCIL TO HELP MAINTAIN WHAT MAKES ORONO, ORONO SPECIAL NOW, WHILE PREPARING THOUGHTFULLY FOR WHAT COMES NEXT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CANDIDATE JON SCHWINGLER, PLEASE. YOU KNOW, HE'S MADE THAT DECISION TO RUN FOR REELECTION AFTER 15, 16 MONTHS HERE, UH, SITTING IN THIS COUNCIL, SITTING WITH THE CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE, AND WITH THE LEADERSHIP AND THE MAYOR AND THE STAFF. REALLY, IN MY FEEL- FEELING IS THAT WE'VE REALLY COMMUNICATED WELL. WE'VE BUILT A COLLABORATION. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS, TOUGH DECISIONS, AND LOOK AT THINGS, AND WE LOOK AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS IS, IS THAT WE CAN DISAGREE WITHOUT BEING DISAGREEABLE, BUT WE'RE ALSO VERY AGREEABLE, AND, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN A GREAT COLLABORATION SO FAR. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF THAT, AND SO I'M ASKING FOR YOUR VOTE, UH, ON NOVEMBER 3RD FOR US TO CONTINUE TAKING ORONO INTO THE NEXT PHASE, THAT IS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO GO, AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GREAT JOB HERE. WE'VE GOT A GREAT COMMUNITY. YEAH, LIKE I SAID, I'VE RAISED 3 KIDS HERE NOW. I'VE GOT 2 KIDS STILL IN S- IN SCHOOL AT ORONO, AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT COMMUNITY GROW AND ENHANCE AND BE AS ATTRACTIVE AS IT IS, [00:50:01] BECAUSE IT'S, WE ARE, I BELIEVE, IN TALKING WITH FELLOW COMMUNITIES IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, VERY ATTRACTIVE COMMUNITY, AND UH, THE WAY OUR GOVERNMENT IS BEING RUN HAS BEEN VERY UM, EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY KEY THINGS IS THE COMMON SENSE APPROACH, AND, UH, WE'RE REALLY, UH, I FEEL WITH THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP THAT THERE HAS BEEN THAT, AND I WANT TO CONTINUE THAT AND KEEP THAT GOING FORWARD. I ASK FOR YOUR VOTE AND, UH, WANT TO THANK THE LEAGUE. THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR TAKING A TUESDAY NIGHT OUT OF YOUR LIFE TO BE HERE, AND, UM, GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOU GUYS HAVE DONE AND FOR THE FELLOW CANDIDATES, AND UH, I'M DONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CANDIDATE MAGGIE ARENDS, PLEASE. UH, THANK YOU TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, TO EVERYONE WHO SUBMITTED QUESTIONS, AND TO ALL THE REST OF YOU WHO TOOK TIME TO BE HERE TONIGHT, INCLUDING MY FELLOW CANDIDATES. THANK YOU FOR A REALLY GOOD DISCUSSION. UM, I'M RUNNING BECAUSE I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY AND ABOUT THE DECI- THE DECISIONS THAT WILL MAKE OVER THE NEXT SEV- SEVERAL YEARS. ORONO IS A WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE, AND I BELIEVE WE CAN PRESERVE ITS NATURAL BEAUTY, STRONG SERVICES, AND CHARACTER THAT RESIDENTS VALUE, WHILE ALSO PLANNING THOUGHTFULLY FOR THE FUTURE. IF I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, I WOULD APPROACH THE ROLE THE SAME WAY I APPROACH IMPORTANT DECISIONS IN MY PERSONAL LIFE. COME PREPARED, ASK GOOD QUESTIONS, LISTEN CAREFULLY, UNDERSTAND THE COSTS AND CONSEQUENCES, AND WORK COLLABORATIVE- COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THAT HELPED SHAPED ME- SHAPE ME AND THAT MY FAMILY NOW CALLS HOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAGGIE. THIS CONCLUDES THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM. WE CLOSE WITH SEVERAL THANK YOUS. FIRST, ON BEHALF OF THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS VOLUNTEERS, PLEASE JOIN ME IN THANKING THE CANDIDATES FOR BEING PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS BY RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND FOR BEING WILLING TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU ALSO TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS VOLUNTEERS, OUR AUDIENCE HERE TONIGHT, AND THOSE VIEWING THIS EVENT VIRTUALLY FOR YOUR PAT- FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS CANDIDATE FORUM. THANK YOU TO THE CITY, ORONO CITY STAFF, FOR SUPPORTING THIS EVENT AND RECORDING TONIGHT'S FORUM. ON-DEMAND VIEWING CAN BE ACCESSED AT LWVLMPA.ORG. FOR ADDITIONAL ELECTION INFORMATION, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT VOTE411.ORG, THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WA- AWARD-WINNING ONE-STOP SHOP, WHERE VOTERS CAN REGISTER TO VOTE, FIND THEIR POLLING PLACE, AND LEARN HOW CANDIDATES STAND ON ISSUE. ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT, MINNESOTA VOTERS WILL BE ASKED TO VOTE ON A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT ASKS: SHALL THE MINNESOTA CONSTITUTION BE AMENDED TO INCREASE FUNDING GOING TO ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM THE PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND, WHICH IS A FUND THAT SUPPORTS SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITHOUT RAISING INDIVIDUAL OR PROPERTY TAXES, EFFECTIVE JULY 01, 2027. OVER 50% OF THE VOTERS MUST VOTE YES TO APPROVE THIS CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR IT TO PASS. LEADING- LEAVING THE QUESTION BLANK COUNTS AS A NO VOTE. PLEASE BE SURE TO LOOK FOR THE AMENDMENT AND VOTE. EARLY ABSENTEE VOTING BY MAIL IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING RUNS OCTOBER 16 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2ND AT ORONO CITY HALL. THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS, BOTH WOMEN AND MEN, AT LWVLMPA.ORG. THANK YOU, AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. GREAT. THAT'S GREAT. YEAH. THANK YOU, MAGGIE. YEAH, THAT WAS WONDERFUL. SCOTT. THANKS. GOOD CALL. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.