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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday,May 23,2011 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> (9. #11-3503 PUBLIC HEARING-CITY OF ORONO-ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT <br /> LAKESHORE RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS: DOCK RENTAL, Continued) <br /> Jabbour stated he would like to see every single citizen of the United States have access to Lake <br /> Minnetonka but at the same time the neighbors should be taken into consideration. The LMCD Code is <br /> being reviewed, but you currently can have two boats and they can belong to anyone. Four boats have to <br /> be registered to the property owner. Jabbour commented it is virtually impossible for the City's attorney <br /> to enforce the code based on who is there. By the time it gets in front of the judge,it is December and <br /> next year you start all over. Jabbour reiterated that enforcement of the code is very difficult. <br /> Jabbour stated the Council should understand why the City's policies and regulations were enacted in the <br /> first place. Moody's gives the City a phenomenal rating based on past Councils who have rejected <br /> excessive spending. Jabbour encouraged the council members to talk to people,particularly Ex-Mayor <br /> Callahan and Charlie Kelley, on how Orono got here instead of figuring out each issue the night of the <br /> City Council meeting. The Council should first determine if the City has the money available for a <br /> project, such as exotic species. If the answer is yes,the Council should then weigh the decision based on <br /> the individual request. <br /> Printupnotedvideotape the needs to be changed. <br /> (Recess taken from 9:03 p.m.to 9:09 p.m.) <br /> Jabbour commented the City of Orono has been conservative in the past but that we have lost our way. <br /> Orono is no longer a leader among the local communities. Jabbour noted in the past over 50 people <br /> gathered together at the LaFayette Club to discuss items of interest. When the City of Orono called a <br /> meeting,the people knew we were calling for a righteous reason. The City also got awards for public <br /> access and including everyone in the community. <br /> Jabbour noted that Orono has had 1,500 acres of park land given to the City by its residents,but yet the <br /> City cannot open the sliding hill for the kids at the golf course and does not have a problem spending <br /> millions of dollars on issues that do not fit into our lifestyles. <br /> Jabbour indicated he would like to see this Council united and that he would invite Mr. Walsh to be an <br /> agent of uniting instead of divisiveness. He asked Council to work together in order to bring Orono back <br /> to the days when it led the Lake Minnetonka area. Orono has a profound role to play in the area. There <br /> are 13 other cities around the lake. Orono either encompasses, shares borders or shares bays with other <br /> cities like Mound and Wayzata. Orono needs to reclaim their position,give the Orono residents what <br /> they deserve,and have a strong,positive impact on the lake. Jabbour noted Orono no longer has a <br /> representative on some of the regional agencies and that he would like to see Orono regain their <br /> leadership in the community. <br /> Jabbour stated the City Council needs to figure out what the City stands for and weigh the applications <br /> against those standards. If the City's bond rating is driven down,all city projects will cost more. Jabbour <br /> indicated he personally met with representatives of Moody's and that they did not give Orono that rating <br /> based on our balances but they gave it to us because we convinced them on our philosophy. When <br /> different organizations asked for money,the Council voted the requests down. Those prudent decisions <br /> helped Orono obtain their AAA rating. Jabbour requested the Council think twice about their projects <br /> and recommended that they revisit their assessment policy. <br /> Page 20 of 24 <br />