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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, July 11, 2022 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 5 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br />Mayor Walsh thinks Ms. Peterson should be more respectful and the people that come up to the podium <br />should be more respectful. He asked Ms. Peterson if she knows the people that come up to the podium <br />have sued for defamation because they made things up about him and they yell at the City Council? <br /> <br />Ms. Peterson replied this is her time for public comments, Mr. Mayor, and she is only referring to him as <br />Mr. Mayor because she respects the office, not him. She continued saying the fire department has become <br />an issue and when the department was moved Ms. Peterson was involved in that and she would like to <br />volunteer to help with those negotiations. When it happened years ago both sides had to give and take, she <br />thinks it may be worthwhile for another side to be put into the mix to come to a resolution. She has <br />received comments and phone calls about the issue and thinks Orono can do better than this, which is why <br />she would like to volunteer her time to help with it. She said this was her time to speak and she asked the <br />Mayor respectfully that in the future he will not interrupt the residents when they come to speak before <br />him. <br /> <br />FINANCE DIRECTOR REPORT <br />Finance Director Olson gave a presentation on the building permit revenue, noting June was a very good <br />month with $95,500 in building permit revenue. They are now ahead of the budget at 56%. He has been <br />trying to figure out what interest rates will do and he is hearing they will continue to rise but not quite as <br />far as it had been predicted. <br /> <br />CITY ATTORNEY REPORT <br />Attorney Mattick provided the Council with a written update on some litigation they are handling and if <br />there are questions they can continue in a closed session at the next meeting. In addition, he and Mr. <br />Edwards are working on renegotiating the collective bargaining agreements and will present counter - <br />offers the following day to the four groups. <br /> <br />CITY ADMINISTRATOR/ENGINEER REPORT <br />Edwards had nothing to report. <br /> <br />MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT <br />Crosby noted there has been a lot of turbulence at the last couple of meetings. He thinks the important <br />thing to recognize is that the citizens address the City Council in a respectful manner, not to interrupt, <br />respect the people in the gallery, and he noted they can agree to disagree but attacking members of the <br />Council or the Mayor is not warranted. If people can do it in a constructive manner and have a <br />disagreement or issue they would like to discuss, that is what the time is for. However to attack so meone <br />in a personal manner is really beneath people and embarrassing to themselves. For past Mayors to come <br />up and explain how disruptive it is that the Mayor has chatted back…Crosby does not think anyone has <br />had to sit in that spot and take that on a constant basis. He stated they are all better than that, they are <br />adults, and they know how to talk to each other in a respectful manner. The City Council Chambers is still <br />a sacred area to the City of Orono so they all need to respect it. Crosby stated people do not have to vote <br />for the Mayor again, but they should respect the office, the Chambers, and the other citizens of Orono that <br />are here. <br /> <br />ADJOURNMENT <br />