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. his livelihood depends on. Orono is a lovely community, but the Council is breaking it apart and spending millions and millions of dollars to do it. Denise Reilley, 3405 High Lane quoted the judge's recent order for contempt directing parties to resume mediation and mediate in good faith and said if the judge could hear this meeting with some Council Members saying the City is going forward, she wonders if the judge would hold the Council in contempt again. She said she did not think contemptuous behavior is entitled to official immunity, suggesting if the Council continues to not follow the judge's order, Council Members will be paying themselves; the City will not pay it. Kathy Sweetman, 475 Deborah Drive, quoted Thomas Jefferson as saying the govermnent you elect is the government you deserve. She said she now could see tonight what her previous inattention to the functioning of the City government has wrought. She said the meeting that night was a display of disfunetion, obfuscation, and gaslighting. The citizens are responsible for electing them, she said, calling on all residents of Orono to pay attention to what is happening and vote to replace this Mayor and his acolytes in the next election. Kr-ista Berbig, Long Lake, said this topic is very emotional for her. She said the Fire Department has an amazing, well -trained group of men and women who are serving the community. Just last week they responded in the middle of the night and saved a house from burning down, she said. It's those on the outside promoting the narrative that they are being pitted against one another. Most people don't understand that firefighters aren't sitting at the station waiting to respond. They have to get in their cars, come to the station, put on gear, and wait until they have a crew, she said. Long Lake is trying to test duty crews and so far, Orono is not paying a dime for that. She added, to expect the Long Lake Chief to come into this hostile environment is outrageous. He can read what was written in the paper about Cody Farley. Why would he come here, she asked? Kelly Grady, Long Lake, said at the last meeting the Mayor claimed Cody Farley fabricated his affidavit to the court and that it was a complete lie. Anyone who knows Farley knows he would not put himself and his farnily in that position facing a Mayor who is currently involved in litigation with residents, she said. She said the court found interactions between Orono and Farley violated the injunction and were attempts to intirnidate him. Orono's allegations that Long Lake is creating a hostile work environment for the firefighters is based on nothing more than hearsay and is refuted by the sworn depositions, she said, adding that is a quote from the judge. Orono is attempting to blame Long Lake for the loss of a Long Lake recruit when that was entirely due to the actions of Orono, she said, calling on the Council to stop using firefighters as pawns to further their narrative. Brad Erickson, Corcoran, offered congratulations to Long Lake for the court ruling. He said Crosby made his case for him by calling him out a few meetings ago. He said now he's being called an anti-Semite. Crosby called him a Nazi and now people on Nextdoor are calling him an anti-Semite, he said. He said he just wants to know what Crosby was doing in Washington DC on Jan. 6, 2021. He said he has video of Crosby at the Minnesota Governor's mansion. He said the Council couldn't make a good decision if it slapped them in the head, adding judges don't award legal fees for no reason. MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT Crosby said he was looking forward to the City tree lighting. When it comes to the Fire Department there have been a lot ofhalf-truths going on. Page 9 of 10