08-28-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 14, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 of 6 20. POLICE COMMISSION Johnson said he wanted to start by endorsing the decision to add Council Committee reports to the agenda, noting for those wondering about placement that this was the first time for this addition. He and Benson are on this committee and attended the last meeting. Switching to topics of the recent police commission meeting, Johnson said there has been an increase in car thefts and people are urged not to leave their keys in their cars and even at home, to make sure their fobs are not close enough for thieves to be able to start cars and steal them. He said they also talked about the embedded social worker program. This was started as a trial program with the County where there is a social worker available as needed to help with some of the mental health issues which takes that away from the police and gives them a resource. He said it is important that this remains a County resource and that they continue to support it instead of pushing it back down to the cities. Hennepin County's getting a significant amount of taxes, he said, and this is a good way to provide service in exchange for those taxes. Johnson said in one year the police had referred 73 cases to the social workers so it is effective and necessary and the police are in support of it. He added the police department is committed to community outreach. One example his family experienced recently is that three of his nieces and nephews were stopped by the police while biking and the two who were wearing helmets received praise and ice cream certificates. He called it a great experience for the kids. There was also discussion of the changes in the legalization of marijuana. Lastly, he said, it was evident at the meeting that the cities in attendance are proud to be served by the Orono Police Department. Benson added her praise for the community engagement program and said it was great to see officers at events like National Night Out and the high school wellness fair. There was a report at the meeting that recruitment and retention of police continues to be a state-wide and national problem although Orono is still known to be a great place to work and currently only has one position to fill. The police also have a cadet program. MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT Crosby said he recently was able to golf at Orono Orchards and enjoyed the facility. The fire advisory meeting went as well as could be expected without the chief present, he said. Benson said she had the privilege of attending several community events recently including the Fire Department Fun Run. She said it was very well-organized and she continues to be impressed by the commitment of the fire fighters to the community. She was also able to ride along with police for National Night Out or Night to Unite. She said some people approach her at these events to share a concern and almost apologetically say they don’t want to complain. She said her message is that she does not view any engagement or interaction with residents as complaints but rather an opportunity to connect, listen and understand, and she hopes people won’t hesitate to bring concerns to her. She said she heard a lot about the GreenStep Cities program at the League of Cities meeting in June and would welcome the opportunity to discuss that in the future. Johnson said the LMCD is working through the issue of being able to levy fines but it is unclear if their charter allows them to do that. He has noticed a lot of wildlife including deer and turkeys in the roads.