11-23-2020 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, November 9, 2020 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 10 of 15 Printup said it is a slippery slope. All of a sudden the neighbor becomes a neighbor from 5 cities eastward and then it gets in to boat registration and proving it, then it gets in to the 72 hour rule. All of the material is out there and it sounds like Barnhart and Attorney Mattick will have the privilege of sifting through it. He noted he does not mean to make a joke or mockery of it, but rather it is seeing it a hundred times sideways. He is okay with other members reading the material and coming up with an informed opinion. He said it sounds reasonable in this situation, but then what happens across town when it is a wider street in a more dense neighborhood and all of a sudden there are more boats. Johnson stated there is also little capacity to enforce it. Printup said unfortunately, the spotlight was put on this situation and here they are because someone was upset and that is how neighborhood fights start. He said if they find out, please don’t get into any kind of squabbles. Mr. Melander said the Rudds have the ability to have two boats, and that is all there is going to be. Either it will be their boats or someone else’s boats so he does not see that it should affect the neighbors. Johnson said if those boats are registered in the property owners’ name… Mr. Melander stated those are their two boats, and if the Rudds have the right to have two boats, it is not like they are creating more boat traffic. In 2012, the Council invented the wheel, outlined it with 1,000 feet and it was voted down. He said they are looking for the Council to take the 2012 proposal and voting yes or no. Jackie Gamboni lives across the street from Kathy and Dick Rudd and they walk to and from their boat because their house does not own the lakeshore that adjoins their property to the lake. To Matt’s point and the concerns about disturbances, disruptions, and people being unruly, she thinks that is up to the property owners’ discretion. She noted both families park their boats there, walk to and from the boats, and are not out late at night partying or doing anything crazy. Rather, it is just using their boats during the afternoon hours and they are very respectful. Johnson noted that is his point, these are people who are doing things as well as they can, yet somebody does not like it so a complaint came in. He said imagine what happens when they spread it across the whole city and that is what he thinks they must keep in mind. Ms. Gamboni asked if the complaint could have come in with concern that the Rudds were renting the dock slip without knowledge of the circumstances. Johnson said he does not have an opinion on that, but the sky is the limit – someone could have not liked how they looked…he just does not know. Ms. Gamboni noted they got a new boat and perhaps the neighbor who complained did not know who it was and raised a flag. Crosby said in talking about code enforcement, sometimes these are codes the Council cannot cut teeth into or do not proactively go out and look for violations, as no one would ever rest. He thinks this is something the Council should look at deeper. It is understandable from a neighbor’s perspective and knowing who is there for the safety of the neighbors. Regarding the short-term rental deal, it was