11-13-1995 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR ORONO Cm' COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON OCTOBER 23. 1995 PARK COMMISSION COMMENTS Park Commissiotier Howells invited the Council to attend the Park Commission meeting of November 6, 1995, at 7:00 p.m. for the Friends of the Park Av^ard Callahan intormcd the public that this award is given to citizens in appreciation for their service to parks in Orono. PLANNING COMMISSION COMMENTS No representative of the Planning Commission was present. PUBLIC COMMENTS Scott Brown, 2673 Pheasant Road, who lives in the Mound VVestonka School District area of Orono, asked for Council’s support of the school levy up for vote on November 7. Baown noted the financial problems within the district He said in polling the citizens, those that are for the levy understand it; those who are opposed are unable to e.xplain what the levy is for It is his opinion that if the levy was e.xplatned to the citizens, they would in turn vote for the levy Brown said if the levy was voted down in the upcoming election, the school district has said they would reduce the school week to four days, reduce the number of teachers by 19 (reduced by 9 teachers last year), and the classroom size would increase to 44 pupils per class He said this would probably result in the reduction in home value for homeowners living in the district. It is his goal to campaign to inform the citizens of the need to vote for the levy. Callahan noted that people who voted in his area for the last referendum w ere generally in favor of it and most school votes are very close in numbers for or against. Hurt asked if it was not a state law requiring a five-day school w eek Brown said he understood it to be a matter of school hours versus days He cited the e.xample if the levy was turned down, the kinderganen classes would go to full days .Another problem with four-dav school weeks according to Brown is that it would losult in increased costs to m families for day care costs James Nystrom of 1745 Concordia on West Arm Bay of Lake ,\linnetonka asked the Council to reconsider his application ??2057. which was denied at the September 31 meeting of the Council It was his suggestion that it was no accident that the Planning Commission had unanimously voted for his application Nystrom said he has spent alot of time and money on this application and ask that the full Council consider it Only three members of the Council had reviewed the application at the time it was denied. Nystrom said the rebuilding of the house was a S400-500.000 project, and the application involved the need for additional 6" on each side of the home.