09-12-2022 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, August 22, 2022 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 6 of 9 Council has a tough job in running the City. He, too, had a tough job in 2020. He noted Mr. Edwards, Mr. Printup, and Mr. Crosby have all seen the video, they know who Mr. Erickson is, who his father is, and who his grandparents are. When one sends something like this to someone like Mr. Erickson it is very much like Gabriel Jabbour said at the previous meeting: it is like throwing gasoline on the living room floor of a burning home. He said without further ado, they should play the video to clean up some misconceptions that have been happening as Mr. Erickson has been getting a lot of bad press and he does not like it. He pulled up his phone and played audio which said: “Do you know what is coming next? It’s just a vaccine. Come on, it’s for the greater good. Wait until you’re told that you can’t enter any store… [inaudible]…wait until you can’t go to public events or get on a plane without proof of receiving the vaccine. Well you already allowed the government to say when you can go outside, where you’re allowed to go [inaudible]…and accepting a new digital education for your kids in the last 100 days. You follow blindly because you were told to do so. You’re kidding yourself [inaudible]….with the vaccine or whatever the next step is. I don’t follow politics, I don’t hear about that stuff, I don’t think about it. Six million Jewish people were exterminated in Germany because 97% of the population [inaudible].” Mayor Walsh noted the three minute time limit is up and asked Mr. Erickson to sit down. He noted the podium microphone is off. [Mr. Erickson continued speaking into the microphone while it was turned off.] Mr. Erickson stated they will be voting on this message, this miserable man, it is coming. It is coming, know that. He asked, “Why don’t you file a suit against me, Mr. Walsh? Why don’t you file a suit against me?” Mr. Erickson said to sue him, see what happens, do it. Barbara Peterson, 1261 Arbor Street, would like to thank Councilmembers Johnson and Seals for all the work they have done on the Fire Department. She was involved in the contract they are dealing with in 2002 and the construction of Station 2. Having gone through it, she knows it is difficult and wants to thank them as she and Mr. Jabbour put many hours into the contract many years ago and she is hopeful they will come to a fair and equitable resolution to continue the contract. She said thank you and she appreciates it. Barbara Schmidt, 50 Landmark Drive, has a few rhetorical questions. The citizens of Orono want to know what is ethical and what is not? Is it ethical for a sitting Planning Commissioner to sell himself land from which he governs? Is it ethical for City officials to change land use behind the scenes and then try to grandfather in new private interests? Is it ethical to call citizens fools, clowns, “Karen’s”, crazies, and insinuate they are child-abusers? Is it ethical for City officials to disappear during contentious voting or discussion? Is it ethical for a few City officials to make drastic changes that affect the taxpayers without the citizens’ vote? Is it ethical to ask taxpayers to pay for administration for the above issues when it is not their desire to take the City in this direction? These are the questions we need to ask our City officials, whether elected or appointed. She stated the citizens of Orono ask the City Council to rescind the sale of 345 West Lake Street, Stubbs Bay public access, and Resolution #7195 allowing mountain biking in Bederwood Park. These are deals that the citizens of Orono did not agree to, nor did they have the opportunity to vote on in a fair public hearing. Ms. Schmidt said they also ask that Mr. Bob Erickson offer his resignation from the Planning Commission effective immediately.