11-27-2023 CC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING November 27, 2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. not have to do large-scale assessments. Orono budgets for road and infrastructure improvements rather than leveling assessments, he said. It was necessary to pre -spend money to get the Fire Department going, he said. The City considered that in deciding the best path forward. The City is purchasing equipment that are long-term assets and have real value going forward. He said his comments that voting against Fire Department is irresponsible is because the decision to start the City's own Fite Department has been made and now it is necessary to make the purchases to fund it. This puts the City on the best path going forward. He said he doesn't want to pay more taxes either but he also thinks the City is on the right path and this is the equation that gets the City into the best stability in the future. Crosby said the Fire Department is a very emotional issue and that he himself was part of the Long Lake Fire Department for 10 years and considers many of the firefighters as family. This topic has been pushed back and forth from City to City. People question how Orono can afford it. Going from funding 87 percent to 100 percent is getting questioned, he said. Long Lake is going from 7 percent to 100 percent when Orono drops off and they are not having these discussions. This Council voted to move ahead with the Orono Fire Department, he said. It is happening. To not fiind it appropriately would be a dereliction of duty. He also pointed to Orono having one of the lowest tax rates in the area. He said it's all tied to the property values, stating residents should be contacting Hennepin County. Veach said this is her first budget meeting and she is learning. She said she is sensitive to fixed incomes and people who have lived and worked and want to retire here. She said she believes in what the City is doing. The budget is the maximum you can spend, she said. Benson said it comes down to what the Council has control over and what they don't. She said she wants to take responsibility for what they can control. The Hennepin County assessor is legally responsible for keeping property values within five percent either way, she said. It's not a number pulled out of the ether. The Council does have control over the levy. Property tax formulas are confiising. Her responsibility, she said, is to help make it clear to the public. She explained there can be a flat rate of taxes from one year to the next but because of value increases, an individual can have a higher tax bill. 13. ORDINANCE 285 CANNABIS MORATORIUM Community Development Director Oakden said during the 20221egislative session, the Minnesota Legislahrre amended its code to permit the sale of edible and nonedible cannabinoid products that contain no more than 0.3 % of Tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC ("THC Products"). The City's ordinance setting regulations for the sale of lower -potency hemp products containing THC products has now expired. The new law establishes that the sale of cannabis and THC-containing products are still subject to local planning and zoning restrictions and must comply with local zoning code. The new law provides no guidance on how cities are to zone the new businesses, leaving it to local control, she said. Pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 342.13(e), a unit of local government may adopt an interim ordinance to protect the planning process and the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. Prior to adopting the interim ordinance, the governing body must hold a public hearing on the topic. The interim ordinance can regulate, restrict, or prohibit the operation of any cannabis business within the local government's jurisdiction until January 1, 2025. She said a moratorium on this new type of business will allow staff time to develop potential parameters and recommendations for future text amendments to the City Code regarding zoning, including setbacks, district requirements, and any licensing standards. It is hoped the new State agency, the Office of Cannabis Management, will provide some guidance for municipal regulations and licensing programs. Oakden said staff recommends approval of an interim ordinance prohibiting the operation of cannabis businesses until Jan. 1, 2025. Page 4 of 10