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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,June 22,2020 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> Johnson indicated that is what he was thinking. He noted that would be a chipping-away approach. He is <br /> shocked it is such a big issue. He said it will not get cheaper and the Met Council gets to write their own <br /> bill. <br /> Walsh stated he has not seen the Met Council reduce their bills. <br /> Johnson said the City's constituents do not realize the cost. <br /> Crosby stated it has to be about the communication. The City needs to identify what needs to be done and <br /> keep pushing it. <br /> Johnson said the City did very well at taking extra money for the cost of water out of the general fund. <br /> That meant that people that were on wells were subsidizing the cost for people that were getting City <br /> water. By segregating,they are telling their constituents, "This is your expense and you have to be <br /> responsible for it."He stated that people have control over water usage and it's usually only when the <br /> water bill gets really high that they care about it. If somebody is subsidizing it, it shortens the reaction <br /> time. This does not affect anyone with a septic system,because they are not contributing to the problem. <br /> It is only people that are on City sewer. He suggested Staff/Council continue to think about other ways for <br /> incentives to save money on their bill. <br /> Walsh said it is the City's responsibility to make sure it gets done, and there has to be a forced approach <br /> because otherwise it will never get done. <br /> Rief noted one thing that has been done in the past is sump pump inspections house-by-house,which is <br /> part of the process whenever the City goes in for whatever reason. <br /> Johnson stated that can be done as a function of this inspection, which is why he is saying it might take <br /> more time to uncover where people are putting their discharges for their sump pumps,because they could <br /> be running them underground and into the curb, and so forth. <br /> Crosby wished everyone a post-Happy Father's Day. He gave a shout out to the Police and First <br /> Responders,thanking them during these very trying times. He said their hard work does not go unnoticed. <br /> Seals stated the LMCD upsets her because, for instance, she doesn't understand how an entity can spend <br /> $150,000 on a study. <br /> Crosby suggested the entire City Council should show up for a meeting. <br /> Johnson said the LMCD does not care. The question really becomes, how does Orono get other cities to <br /> care. <br /> Crosby said if they watch,the funding is going into testing and public relations, and that is taxpayer <br /> dollars. <br /> Walsh stated that is why he thinks, as they get more and more LIDs, it is going to erode the need for the <br /> organization. <br /> Seals said she would have no problem shifting the City's funds to the LMA, because they are <br /> accomplishing something. She said she took her boat out on Stubbs Bay, and there were so many weeds <br /> Page 11 of 13 <br />