01-09-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING DECEMBER 12, 2022 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 10 of 14 Daniel Iverson, 4640 North Arm Drive, does not live near the property but wonders why consistently the City Council seems to ignore engineer and DNR recommendations and dismiss that as routine. Is the DNR lacking in intelligence or expertise that they do not need to be listened to? Is public comment unnecessary and does not need to be listened to? He thinks comments made about propriety are justified, it does not look right, and leaves suspicion of the City government. They may be well-advised to proceed with caution and consideration for the rest of the people in the City. He was impressed with the City budget noting Finance Director Olson knows what he is doing. Mr. Johnson, Applicant, received an email from a resident who was against this and they had a phone conversation about the process and what Mr. Johnson is trying to do. After talking, the man sent an email in favor of what Mr. Johnson is trying to do. The application has been interesting as these people will be his neighbors, and after learning about a neighborhood meeting he said he would come and share his knowledge, and they said Mr. Johnson was not welcome. He called multiple people with the offer to talk to them so they could learn more about it and they do not return his call. Then he hears stories that he is trying to extend the property from North Branch Road noting he is trying to vacate the road so a road does not go through there and Mr. Johnson is trying to prevent future development through there. It would make zero sense. Mr. Johnson is not offering to sell these to anyone, this is for his use, and the most fair and honest thing he heard tonight was that this is a piece of private property, not a park. People might want to know what he is doing, and Mr. Johnson is curious about what Igor is doing as he has been building a house for a long time, but Mr. Johnson does not have a right to know what Igor is doing inside his house. Mr. Johnson is a pro-property rights person and has extended that to every resident that has come before the City Council and he wants it extended to him because he is a resident. The idea that he should be penalized because he is an elected official is a foreign concept. He appreciates that people want to make sure he is not getting a privilege that someone else is not and he respects that. That can be answered by the 2018 application that did occur, Mr. Johnson wasn’t a part of it, and the City Council was in agreement with the vacation because it is reasonable, it is consistent with the past whether the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, or even the past couple of years around this neighborhood. He understands that people might like the open space they have enjoyed when the Morgarts owned it. At the same time this is zoned for a use. Mr. Johnson addressed the question regarding if this is vacated why is it going to him and noted this property has three PIDs, and right now it is allowed to have three different properties on it. All the vacations that have occurred have already been given to the plots of land around this property. The only vacations left are for Mr. Johnson’s plot of land and the City does not dictate where the vacated property goes, rather it is the County and asked the City Attorney for comment. Attorney Mattick replied in the affirmative. Mr. Johnson stated the City of Orono is not dictating that he gets it, rather it is through the County. He noted this is a vacation to impede future development, not to enhance it as he heard tonight. Ms. Hamblin appreciates what Mr. Johnson says about owning the land and can do what he wants with the land as they all have that right. As a populace, they have not heard exactly what the plan for the land is, they have heard a lot of rumors, she has a neighbor who was contacted about the potential of a road going in next to her property to access Hattie Lane across the marsh. These are not rumors, these are facts,