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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 />_____________________________________________________________________________________
<br />Page 3 of 13
<br />Johnson asked Mr. Anderson if he was talking about the 2% increase as being a rounding error.
<br />Mr. Anderson stated all of it is because the City has never complained and they are paying the LMCD
<br />$50,000. He clarified and said Orono complains but doesn’t do anything about it.
<br />Walsh noted there is nothing the City can do about it.
<br />Mr. Anderson said it then becomes a non-factor. He stated there are some factors. For instance, at the last
<br />meeting the Water Patrol (WP) was looking for $42,000 because they wanted to hire another Deputy full-
<br />time. There was a discussion with the Save the Lake, who has the money for that. The Chairman of the
<br />Save the Lake Board made a motion for $35,000. He noted that Libbs Lake was previously shut down for
<br />$3,000. After the motion was made for $35,000, he himself amended it to the full $42,000 and had strong
<br />support for the $42,000. Another guy made a motion for $38,000, which was simple math because the
<br />$3,000 was already there. He stated previous to the discussion of this meeting, Mr. Jabbour and he were
<br />going to make up the difference between what the Save the Lake gave them and the $42,000 the WP
<br />wanted. He said it was really strange, defunding the police, and he does not get it. If the WP wants
<br />$42,000, they should get it. The WP is out there taking care of things, and the Board wants to cut them
<br />short and make them beg for $7,000. He made a motion for $42,000 and had a lot of support. The
<br />Chairman allowed an amendment to the amendment for $38,000, and that is what was voted on.
<br />Walsh asked if that motion passed.
<br />Mr. Anderson said it passed for $38,000, an amendment to the amendment. The attorney present indicated
<br />he does not like to do that, and the Chairman said he would not do it again. He stated he made a personal
<br />donation of $2,500, which was more than the City of Minnetonka Beach. Mr. Jabbour and he funded
<br />$2,000 each for their marinas, and the WP got the full $42,000. The Save the Lake fund has $157,000,
<br />and they cannot fund the WP for a full-time Deputy, which is unbelievable. He displayed an aerial photo
<br />where flowering rush is problematic and said the LMCD will not spend one dime to help deal with the
<br />treatment. Mr. Jabbour took on the treatment of Big Island at his cost. He suggested to Mr. Jabbour that
<br />they partner with the LMA, and they each donated up to $5,000 for the Orono area. He indicated the
<br />flowering rush resides where the harvesting occurred. He said the LMA, Mr. Jabbour, and he funded the
<br />eradication of flowering rush and that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is starting to figure
<br />out the LMA is the entity on the lake for getting stuff done. He stated the thinking has to change, because
<br />if there is any way to get funds to the LMA, he would like to do so.
<br />Crosby asked if there was any flowering rush in Carman Bay.
<br />Mr. Anderson, after locating Carman Bay on the document, stated they apparently did not. He noted the
<br />data received from the $100,000 spent was already in existence and another $50,000 is being spent this
<br />year and $75,000 more is being contemplated.
<br />Seals asked how Walsh could start working with the LMA and stop working with the LMCD.
<br />Mr. Anderson said he did not know. He stated if he could change the Council’s thinking as to who the
<br />group is, the group should be the LMA.
<br />Walsh stated they did not need government units, that private units will take care of it. He noted LIDs is
<br />essentially the same way, that it is almost a public-private partnership. As far as what to do with the
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