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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />July 24, 2023 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 7 of 11 <br /> <br />Edwards said anywhere from July of next year to sometime in 2026. Looking at concerns such as the <br />school would be part of the process if the Council authorizes staff to continue. <br /> <br />Benson asked if the City did not have to go out for bids on an architect. <br /> <br />Edwards explained the City currently has a service agreement with the architect working on the new <br />public works facility and has the authority to go directly to that firm for service, but any contract and <br />expense would still need to come before the Council. <br /> <br />Johnson moved, Veach seconded, to direct staff to engage with Oertel Architects to provide <br />architectural services for a design proposal to remodel the old public works facility as a temporary <br />fire station. VOTE: Ayes 4 Nays 1 (Benson). <br /> <br />12. PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY (21-039)- CHANGE ORDER 1 <br /> <br />Edwards said this is the first change order request for the public works facility. Some needed changes <br />were identified in the building process in the amount of $153,836.23. He recommended removing the <br />natural gas generator from the project at this time, saving $490,000 to fund this and possible future <br />change orders. It would be replaced with a diesel generator after construction which would be less <br />expensive, especially since it could be sized to actual electrical load. Additionally, the City’s other <br />generators are diesel. <br /> <br />Crosby moved, Johnson seconded, to approve the change orders and the removal of the natural gas <br />generator for the new public works facility. VOTE: Ayes 5 Nays 0. <br /> <br />13. NEXT WORK SESSION DRAFT AGENDA <br /> <br />Edwards said this would be the standard work session agenda for Aug.14 including the average lakeshore <br />setback process. He recommended using the whole hour. He also proposed adding a Council Committee <br />Report header to the agenda in the future so Council members could report on any meetings of a <br />committee on which they served. The Council agreed that would be a good idea. <br /> <br />Veach moved, Crosby seconded, to approve the Work Session draft agenda as proposed. VOTE: <br />Ayes 5, Nays 0 <br /> <br />RECESS & RECONVENE <br />Mayor Walsh recessed the meeting at 8:28 p.m. The meeting was reconvened at 8:38 p.m. <br />PUBLIC COMMENTS <br /> <br />Evelyn Knapp, 85 Cristofori Circle, said she has been a resident of Orono for 33 years and never felt the <br />need to come to City Council meetings to see what’s going on until about four years ago. She said she is <br />very unhappy with the attitude of some of the members of this Council and would like to see community <br />input mean something. She said she is not in favor of starting a new fire department and doesn’t feel <br />adequate reasons to do that have been given, and that is not where she wants her tax dollars going. She <br />said the situation is tearing the community apart and urged the Council to make some real compromises