01-08-2024 CC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 11, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 8 of 9 Kathleen Sweetman, 475 Deborah Drive, a retired pediatrician, said she had zero opinions about anyone in the room and the accusations that had been made that evening, but during her practice she saw many children who were assaulted, and pedophilia and rape are routinely dismissed as nothing. She also said her nephew was with Jacob Wetterling when he was kidnapped, raped, and murdered. It has to be taken seriously. She said she is not saying anything about anyone in that room but it is a real thing and the most common scenario is a family member or friend and it’s not just the Orono community. It afflicts virtually every community and not just in the US, she said. It is a common problem and people turn away from it because it is ugly and you can’t fix a problem you can’t name. MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT Walsh said what had been said about him that evening is absolutely a lie. Johnson said they obviously hit an issue tonight that’s touched a lot of people in the community and asked what they can do about it as public officials except perhaps raise awareness. But the accusations directed at the Mayor are tasteless, he said. The idea of any child being harmed hurts and I’m sorry for anyone who has had that experience. He said Erickson has been doing a good job bringing his information to the Council so this was disappointing. He said he was glad another piece of the fire department is behind them tonight. None of their concerns about the budget had anything to do with the performance of the fire fighters. It had to do with being fiscally responsible and making the right decision for the City. Benson said it was very hard to listen to these statements tonight and coming from a helping profession in mental health she knows how hard these issues are to speak out about as adults, so she applauds those who are able and willing to speak out about it. She said it was hard to proceed with her planned remarks for that night’s meeting, but she did speak with the City Administrator about the comments she planned to make tonight to make sure she was not speaking out of turn about the recent closed session. At the Council’s closed session on December 4 a fellow City Council member raised a concern about the use of technology by Council members at the dais during City Council meetings, she said. This topic is not related to the legal strategy they were discussing so she wanted to bring this up to discuss going into the new year. The Council member expressed concern that other members of the Council may be texting or communicating with members of the public during the meeting. The issue was whether sending or receiving electronic communications during meetings was a possible violation of the Open Meeting Law. She said she shared those concerns and discussed the matter with the City Administrator and the League of Minnesota Cities. There are no formal policies that exist governing the use of cell phones at the dais and the attorney for the League recommended it be discussed at the Council level with the City Attorney. She proposed that it be addressed by the Council in the new year. She said a work session could be devoted to the topic of the Open Meeting Law and the use of electronics in meeting and what policies and procedures could be implemented going forward. She said she supports any measures that can be taken to comply with the Open Meeting Law at all times and if another Council member has concerns about the use of cell phones during meetings, the public may as well. This past year of service on the Orono City Council has been both challenging and tremendously gratifying, she said. She appreciates the opportunity to learn and grow in this role for which she has the utmost respect. She wished everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Crosby wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays over the next few weeks. He said be good to one another and enjoy time with family. 11