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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday March 13, 2017 <br />7:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 1 of 3 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />15. #17-3897 CITY OF ORONO TEXT AMENDMENT: SPECIAL EVENTS – ORDINANCE <br />- Tabled <br /> <br />Barnhart stated the intent of the last ordinance is to close a loophole in the City’s ordinance relating to <br />special events. Last summer/fall Staff learned of an issue in a neighborhood where a property owner held <br />a series of private events in their private home. These events did not require a permit due to the patrons <br />being bused in. There was no on-street parking, no trash generated, and no loud noise so it did not fall <br />within the City’s special event requirements. The City eventually reviewed it as a home occupation and <br />denied it. <br /> <br />The events occurred on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on several weekends over the summer. At that time <br />a large bus would drive through the neighborhood and deliver the patrons to the house. The neighbors <br />felt uncomfortable with that. <br /> <br />Barnhart stated the draft ordinance is intended to define occasional private parties. The current ordinance <br />exempts private parties from special event permits. The draft ordinance adjusts the definitions of private <br />and special events and attempts to differentiate between an occasional private party and one that is more <br />impactful to neighborhoods. <br /> <br />Barnhart stated Staff’s discussion centered around the frequency of the events and what the true impact <br />was of the events. Traffic was not really an issue given the large bus delivering the patrons so it came <br />down to the frequency. The draft ordinance would allow a property to have three private events a year <br />without a permit from the City. The fourth event would require the issuance of a permit. Barnhart stated <br /> <br />Staff is not going to necessarily know about private events, but in the case where someone’s event <br />impacts the neighbors, there should be some protection to them. <br /> <br />The Planning Commission did hold a public hearing at their February meeting and no public comments <br />were received. During the Planning Commission discussion, there were questions related to the issuance <br />of permits. Special event permits are reviewed by the clerk and police chief and then issued by the clerk’s <br />office. There is no public hearing. Barnhart noted this is not a zoning code issue but actually is located <br />within the traffic section of the code. <br /> <br />Seals stated she was not on the Council when this was discussed last year, and upon reading the draft <br />ordinance, she struggled with it since it sounded like the government was trying to be big brother and <br />mandate parties at people’s homes, which she has no interest in doing. Seals asked what the true problem <br />is that they are trying to fix. Seals stated her assumption is even if you changed the ordinance and said <br />that someone cannot do three parties over the weekend, they will do two. <br /> <br />Seals stated the City Council needs to talk about this since it disrupted a whole neighborhood but that she <br />does not feel comfortable with the ordinance since it appears to be a little too invasive. Seals stated <br />theoretically fundraising parties and galas would or could fall under this. <br /> <br />Walsh stated he also struggled with the language. Walsh commented this is a complicated issue because <br />Orono has people on large lots with large driveways and their events do not cause a problem but there are <br />different issues in other neighborhoods. Walsh stated he does not know how to quantify it and that he