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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> February 27,2023 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> we hadn't publicly acknowledged the offer from Long Lake.I felt like we did. If we didn't,we did get <br /> their offer. And we're going to do our assessment that James(Van Eyll)is completing and give very <br /> public and extensive,thorough information to the public.He commented on the City Administrator's <br /> annual report.I'm really proud of this staff and their commitment to making Orono better.And they are <br /> doing it for all the right reasons, so it's nice to bring attention to that.Adam(Edwards)also has his review <br /> this evening.He's been a very important component in making the City better. <br /> Seals also congratulated the high school girls hockey team. Big kudos to make it to the finals the first <br /> time ever. Several of the girls I've known since they were four and five and played soccer. So it's pretty <br /> unique to see the young ladies they become and see how impressive they are on the ice. Good luck to the <br /> guys when they come up. We do have a Parks Commission meeting next week, a work session,March 6 <br /> at 6 pm. They are going to be talking about pickleball,where do we go next? If that's a topic you're <br /> interested in, definitely join them.And then,as I mentioned earlier,May 22, is going to be the <br /> presentation of the fire department draft proposal.Please do reach out if there's things that you really want <br /> to make sure that we address.It's really helpful to know from your perspective,what's missing. I think <br /> Kim,you mentioned we may need to go back further in the history and update people. So those nods are <br /> good for me,because sometimes when you're in it,you assume everybody else knows all the things. So <br /> please do email me and let me know your thoughts. She offered to meet with anyone interested. It is not <br /> us talking about it. We don't have the information.We're waiting for staff to put through a very thorough <br /> response. Long Lake's offer will be feathered in there and very much looked at.My hope is that gives not <br /> only the rest of the Council and the mayor,but also the community, some good optics on what all the <br /> options are. <br /> Walsh said he wanted to talk a little bit about the Northwest Hennepin League of Municipalities that <br /> Councilmember Benson had been attending. There was probably just more of a shock to know that she <br /> was going and never told anybody, so I appreciate her letting us know what was going on there. I do have <br /> a mayor friend that was there in the January meeting.In my opinion,there was some inappropriate stuff <br /> going on in that meeting from Councilmember Benson in terms of how she talked about me in the <br /> meeting,how she talked about the Council. This is a meeting of mayors having dinner. They also had a <br /> guest from Hennepin County Commissioners and I guess from the Metropolitan Council come and speak. <br /> And my friend who was a mayor who was there said he found it very inappropriate to talk negatively <br /> about people on your Council while there's guests and other mayors, and to also not only do that but also <br /> suggest to the Hennepin County Commissioner not to approve a grant that she doesn't like that was <br /> applied for, so basically undermining our staff for the work that they do, applying for grants with elected <br /> officials that we have to work with all the time. I found it inappropriate and so did the mayor that was <br /> there who was telling me about it. So that's all I have to say about that. We'll have more discussion at the <br /> meeting when I'm there next week to find out why these meetings are being run like that,because it's very <br /> inappropriate as well.I also want to say congratulations to the girls hockey,that was the first time ever. <br /> Also in the last couple of weeks,we've had the girls jazz dance team take first place. They're State <br /> championships. For jazz, it's the first time they've ever won that. The girls kick team,which my daughter <br /> is on the varsity team, also took third place.It's the first kick dance team for Orono that has ever medaled. <br /> I will also say congratulations to Mound Westonka,who actually were the State championships on the <br /> kick side. So between Orono and Mound,we have won all the dance competitions in the State of <br /> Minnesota for Double A.I want to say a shout out to Richie for the Crystal Bay meeting that he put <br /> Page 19 of 22 <br />