07-24-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING July 10, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 8 of 8 agenda has been set by vote, she said, including at the last meeting on June 26, 2023 both in the Mayor Council Report and again after the closed session was reopened. Going forward, she asked the Council to abide by the process recommended by staff by adhering to the agenda as adopted and by refraining from the practice of adding new items during the course of meetings. She said she also wanted to discuss decorum at the dais. Robert's Rules of Order are clear that discussion at the dais should under no circumstances involve attacking and questioning the motives of another Councilmember, she said. She noted Councilmember Crosby reiterated the importance of decorum at the last meeting and it's a point well taken. She asked the Council going forward to commit to engaging in discussion while refraining from the use of pejorative language and inferences to the motives of others. In response to the concerns expressed by Councilmember Veach, she said the comment cards were one of just a few opportunities for the public to weigh in on fire service in this City and her intent in presenting the information publicly was that asking for input from citizens and not utilizing it, especially in the issue of fire service, is not helpful. She invited Veach to offer clarifications on the document she presented at the last meeting. She also said she will attend this week's Future Fire Service group meeting. Veach noted Benson said the Council should not question one another’s motives but she felt that inferring her motives is what Benson had done in print. Benson could have asked her what she meant, she said, instead of making this her first introduction to many people and especially coming from someone who is well-respected in the community. She added she would like to have been able to discuss this with Benson privately. Johnson said there has been a fire negotiations meeting but the Committee didn’t get to the data from the comment cards. They plan to look at that at the next meeting. He mentioned an open house that week at the EOC for anyone interested in becoming a fire fighter. Crosby said he was tired after a wonderful family weekend celebrating the marriage of his daughter. His other daughter will be having a baby soon so he will be a grandfather. He told the assembly life moves fast and they should enjoy the ride. Walsh said the Fourth of July was mostly a safe and fun celebration in town except for the unfortunate incident at the boat club resulting in several boats being burned due to a fireworks accident. He said the rain dampened the fun a bit, probably reducing the size of the crowd in Excelsior for the fireworks. He invited everyone to Coffee with the Mayor the next Wednesday morning. He concluded with quotes from Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. adding that the recent Supreme Court decision that took race out of admissions to colleges is a return to Dr. King’s dream that his children will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. ADJOURNMENT Walsh moved, Crosby seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 7:42 p.m. VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ATTEST: _____________________________________ _______________________________________ Anna Carlson, City Clerk Dennis Walsh, Mayor