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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />June 26, 2023 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 10 of 11 <br /> <br />Veach said she would like to see the matter discussed and asked if it were to be added as an agenda item <br />would the staff vet the information. <br /> <br />Edwards said if a Council Member wants an item added to the agenda the advice from staff is that you do <br />it at the beginning of the meeting or request it at a future meeting during Mayor and Council Reports as <br />was done this evening. <br /> <br />Benson explained one Council Member cannot direct staff to do anything, it has to be done by the <br />majority of the Council. <br /> <br />Edwards pointed out that at the beginning of the meeting, the Council sets the agenda and that would be <br />the time to have a motion and a second to add an item. <br /> <br />Walsh said the number one problem is this is propaganda, and he won’t add something to the agenda that <br />is propaganda. It is inappropriate to ask that one’s own opinion become an agenda item or to take 10 <br />minutes during the Council Reports. <br /> <br />Benson said if the Council wants to discuss the materials as an agenda item or direct staff to vet them, she <br />would support that. <br /> <br />Crosby said his concern was the lack of transparency of having the handouts in the gallery without the <br />rest of the Council’s knowledge. He said to have one person go through the comment cards is like having <br />one person count the votes, noting it is a small sampling of a large population. It is violating the oath of <br />office trying to undermine the Council as a whole. The point is, he said, he didn’t see it. The people out <br />there saw it and he was furnished with it. He said if he decided to put something he believed in on every <br />chair without discussing it with the Council, he would be undermining the whole Council and the staff <br />and it would not be good. <br /> <br />Edwards said he would take some of the responsibility for getting overwhelmed with work this afternoon <br />and for the work session and not making sure a copy was placed at every Council member’s place at the <br />table. <br /> <br />Walsh said he would not sully the Council meeting with an agenda with people putting up their own <br />opinions. <br /> <br />Veach said she would love to know the options for process going forward, and she also believes in open <br />meetings as trust is built and trust is earned. She asked about the options if one doesn’t feel they are being <br />heard to get something on the agenda. <br /> <br />Edwards said it could be a consensus or a vote of the Council to get something on the agenda. The other <br />way would be at the beginning of the meeting during the approval of the agenda. Usually, it is something <br />that other people know about or know is needed, he said, and it takes a second and a vote. <br /> <br />Walsh said the Council needs to direct staff to put together information, not a Council member. If at least <br />three think it’s a worthy topic, they can ask staff to vet it and bring it back to a work session. That is <br />different than one Council Member bringing their own information to the table and saying staff vet that, <br />he said. <br />