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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, December 7, 2020 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 14 of 15 <br /> <br />CITY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT <br /> <br />Rief said Mayor Walsh stole his Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. He said there will be an internal <br />workday on December 16, 2020, which he sent out in a Friday memo as they have done in the last 3 <br />years. It gives an opportunity to catch up on filing and shredding and all of the things that get put off and <br />prioritized to when they have time. He noted they do not have meetings for 5 weeks and this gives an <br />opportunity. <br /> <br />Johnson said regarding the Friday updates, he does not need to see the same things every week. At least <br />for him, it is good to see what is different. The idea behind it was not for Staff to tell the Council what <br />they do all week, as there are things they do every week. Rather, include some of the things that are <br />atypical. <br /> <br />Rief explained what he was trying to do is show what was swallowing the majority of Staff’s time. If <br />they did not get to something else; elections, for example, swallows three Staff members for 30+ hours a <br />week each and that is where he was coming from on that side of things. <br /> <br />Johnson said they have a sense of what the everyday is and asked to help Council understand what is new, <br />or spending more time than a typical week. <br /> <br />Crosby feels for these people because it is tough when neighbors do not have the same pride in <br />ownership. <br /> <br />Mayor Walsh noted it is bank owned with renters. <br /> <br />Crosby said it is still good to have pride in yourself and your home even if you are renting. <br /> <br />Seals said especially when one is causing damage to the neighbor’s house - that is a whole other level. <br /> <br />The Council continued on and Johnson noted Mound is on board with the trail, and Spring Park. <br /> <br />Rief said he has heard some cursory commitments but not a full commitment and they have not asked <br />Orono to plow it. <br /> <br />Crosby noted a text he received saying that “Minnetrista is looking at raising Council and Mayor’s pay; <br />they show Orono’s pay has not changed since 1997 and he is not sure if that is historically correct, but he <br />is wondering if Orono is considering raising official’s salaries or not. He is of the opinion that serving is <br />a public service and something to supplement income but is curious about what if anything Orono is <br />planning to do in that regard.” Crosby responded they will not vote for a raise in pay as people struggle <br />under tyrant lockdowns and it will not happen. <br /> <br />Mayor Walsh said when he was on the Council and it came up, everybody thought it was a good idea <br />until they looked at him and he said he was vastly overpaid. Then they said they would move on. <br /> <br />Seals said there is the way to their heart: a philly cheesesteak every once in a while from Jersey Mikes. <br /> <br />Crosby said when they serve the people, they serve the people. When folks are struggling and there are a <br />lot of people struggling right now, whether their businesses are closed, or they are not able to work to full