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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> September 11,2023 <br /> 6:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> the meeting useful and would prefer that the City Administrator and Fire Chief not attend.Benson said <br /> she took a great interest in that committee from the time she was sworn in in January and attended <br /> meetings until the most recent one when she was advised not to attend because of the quorum issue. She <br /> said that meeting about the future of fire services,not negotiating with Long Lake,and she has been very <br /> public about her interest. She said she is the only person on the Council who is not on any commission or <br /> committee regarding fire. She asked to be considered as one of the Council members who would attend <br /> future Fire Services. <br /> Crosby said it is an expertise thing and Johnson and Veach are in the negotiation position and should be <br /> attending this meeting. Johnson has been involved for a long time and Veach is on the Fire Advisory <br /> Board,he said, adding that it just makes sense. <br /> Benson said Crosby has said before she should not be attending fire meetings because she is not <br /> experienced in fire and she sees this as a bit of a chicken and egg thing. <br /> Crosby said Benson is on more committees than he is. <br /> Johnson suggested that Benson be named as an alternate to Future Fire Services in case he or Veach could <br /> not attend,which could lead to a more permanent role. <br /> Crosby said it is concerning to him that the one Council member who votes no on anything relating to fire <br /> wants to be on a fire committee. <br /> Benson said this committee is more focused on legislation,funding, and cooperation between <br /> communities and growing relationships with surrounding cities. <br /> Walsh moved, Crosby seconded,that the representatives to the Future Fire Services Committee be <br /> Johnson and Veach with Benson as an alternate.VOTE: Ayes 3 Nays 1 (Benson). <br /> PUBLIC COMMENTS <br /> Gabriel Jabbbour, 985 Tonakawa Road, said he is very concerned that nothing has changed in the City <br /> especially regarding finances.None of the state aid for public safety went to police,he said.It's all being <br /> spent on a future fire department. He said the Council ran on total transparency but is now buying trucks <br /> with an interest rate of five or six percent when the City could pass bonds with an interest rate of 3 <br /> percent. He was also concerned when the City lent the school district$1 million at 1 percent.He said the <br /> City has four school districts within it and the Orono district has five cities in it, so Orono is taking the <br /> burden off the other cities' residents when it does that.He asked if everything is really on the table and if <br /> Orono strikes a deal with Long Lake,what do they tell the people who have been promised jobs?He said <br /> he supports Crosby's right to say anything he wants to say civilly,but he shouldn't say it as a Council <br /> member. He said he does take exception to Crosby's comments about the Nazis. <br /> Brad Erickson,Corcoran,told Crosby he really stepped in it last week. He pointed out the Council had a <br /> blue line flag displayed at the front. The blue line flag is not an official flag and should not be flying there <br /> Page 6 of 8 <br />