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Orono City Council <br />Work Session Minutes <br />Monday, November 23, 2020 <br />Council Chambers <br />5:00 p.m. <br />PRESENT: Mayor Dennis Walsh, Council Members Richard F. Crosby II, Victoria Seals, Aaron <br />Printup and Matt Johnson. Staff members present were City Administrator Dustin Rief, Police <br />Chief Correy Farniok, Public Works Director/City Engineer Adam Edwards, Community <br />Development Director Jeremy Barnhart, and City Clerk Anna Carlson. <br />1.Drug Paraphernalia <br />City Administrator Dustin Rief opened discussion by requesting input from the Council in <br />regards to what they would like to see done with the regulation of drug paraphernalia within <br />Orono. <br />City Attorney Soren Mattick presented a background about regulating drug paraphernalia. He <br />noted that the Council has authority to create and choose to regulate it or not. <br />There was discussion about the possibilities for future legalization of marijuana and what <br />decisions the City may see overtime. <br />Council Member Aaron Printup mentioned that he didn’t think that Orono would want to <br />allow drug paraphernalia in the City. <br />Council member Richard F. Crosby II agreed with Printup. <br />Mayor Dennis Walsh asked if the City wants to make a decision about this tonight. <br />Council Member Matthew Johnson added that one of the good things about addressing this <br />now is that we would have the advantage of having something in the books to address it. <br />The City Council gave guidance to staff to begin the process to move it forward and to get the <br />Police Chief’s perspective on it. <br />2.Utility Rate Study <br />Interim Finance Director Maggie Ung presented the Utility Rate Study. She mentioned staff <br />had looked into the recycling rates and discovered that the rates could possibly be dropped <br />slightly. The original 10% increase could be decreased to 8%. <br />There was discussion of labeling the recycling on the bills as Hennepin County mandated. <br />Staff will look educating residents about how recycling is mandated by the county. <br />3.Second Amendment Dedicated City <br />City Attorney Soren Mattick commented that MN Legislature has legislated City’s not being <br />able to ban guns or put other restrictions or regulations on them. He stated that if federal