02-14-2022 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, January 24, 2022 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 3 of 5 a committee to take back the conversation and get some facts out there. She noted the park is City-owned and the City should come up with a plan for the park. She would like the committee to be comprised of the Park Commission, Planning Commission, Seals herself as the Park liaison, and Staff to look at Summit Beach Park and get into the meat-and-potatoes and decide what they want to do. Seals clarified that the job of the government, at least this City Council, is not to censor people from making requests. While people did not want to hear the request, Seals thinks it is good that it came out so people can see what it looks like. She noted if people only rely on social media and Facebook without reaching out to the City, they will not get the entire story or education on the matter. She does not have a special interest in Summit Beach Park and noted the community is fortunate to have 24 parks and a lot of acreage to enjoy. She mentioned Lake View Golf Course, which was not City-owned, was not being used, and is now gone. The job of the City is to make parks more accessible to more people so they will stay that way. Crosby would like to have discussion during a work session, noting it is important to get kids out of the house and the job of this Council is to take the parks, improve upon them, and get people out and using the parks so that one day they will not be barren land that is consumed by something else. He shared that the positive things that happen at the park will envelope the negative things. He thinks the Park Commission have been wonderful and passionate. Johnson watched the Planning Commission meeting live and thought the conversation was embarrassing with the clapping and antics and stated that is not how one exchanges ideas and opposite opinions. He noted when things like this come forward, it is clear that people do not understand the process. He clarified that nothing was getting pushed through, it was typical notice, then on to the Planning Commission and City Council and it has not come before either party at this point. In his mind, this does not deserve a committee because there is not a proposal in front of them as it was just a conversation to see what the City was interested in doing, including finding ways through public-private partnerships to make shared spaces more usable; Johnson is a supporter of that concept. He is in favor of people bringing ideas, giving feedback, involving the public, and seeing where it goes and they do not have to form a committee every time someone objects to an issue. Edwards clarified the Park Commission sends out a list of their goals for the year and they finished the list at the last work session and will vote at the February session. The Commission also establishes sub- committees to focus on particular issues or parks. He suggested getting the Park Commission at a City Council work session to share their list and the City Council can then give some guidance and direction. Printup agrees with getting things back on the rails and having transparency. Seals moved, Crosby seconded, to create a committee comprised of Councilmember Seals, Park Commissioner Rick Carter, Park Commission Chair Brian Roath, Planning Commissioner Mark McCutcheon, and City Administrator Adam Edwards to look into the Summit Beach Park project objectives, come up with an overarching plan, and bring the results and recommendation back before the City Council. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0.