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Minutes <br />City Council Work Session <br />Monday/January 27, 2025, 5:00 PM <br />City Council Chambers 12780 Kelley Parkway, Orono, MN 55356 <br />ROLL CALL <br />City Council members present: Mayor Bob Tunheim, City Council Members Alisa Benson, Steve Persian, Claire Berrett, Jacqueline Ricks <br />Staff present: City Administrator Adam Edwards, Attorney Soren Mattick, Finance Director Maggie Jin, Community Development Director Oakden, and City Clerk Christine Lusian. <br />REVIEW GOALS AND PRIORITIES <br />Mayor Tunheim introduced the topic of reviewing goals and priorities. Administrator Edwards <br />explained that he was looking for a brief review and high-level direction for future work <br />sessions. The group agreed that the mission, vision, goals, and community management plan <br />were acceptable, but each are big topics that would need their own work session in order to <br />review more closely. Edwards will schedule a future work session at least two weeks out. <br />Members raised concerns on the lack of quorum on the planning commission and asked to <br />interview applicants sooner so they can be seated for the next meeting. The group agreed to hold <br />a special meeting on Monday, February 3 at 6pm to interview applicants for planning <br />commission so that appointments could be made on February 10. <br />SPECIAL ELECTIONS <br />Tunheim introduced the topic of special election, lack of ordinance guidance, interpretation of <br />law of when a special election will be held. The group discussed the options of waiting until the <br />next general election or calling for a special election on one of the uniform election dates. <br />Mattick added that the election does not have to be held before the next general election and that. <br />the two parts to consider are 1) drafting an ordinance that defines when Orono will hold a special <br />election and 2) deciding on whether to call a special election on a uniform election date or hold it <br />at the time of the next general election. The majority of members agreed to consider at the <br />February 10 city council regular meeting: 1) a special election ordinance and 2) a resolution <br />calling for a special election and directed staff to post a draft ordinance. <br />COUNCIL CODE OF CONDUCT <br />Tunheim introduced the topic and the group agreed on the importance of holding each other <br />accountable to standards, but not policing anyone. Members discussed the points of concern, like <br />phones at the dias, conflict of interest, intellectual property use ( city logo), discourse versus <br />disrespectful behavior, and ex parte communication. The group directed staff to bring a loose <br />draft based on the Red Wing's code of conduct, the above topics, and to reference the Minnesota <br />Mayor's Handbook and include a complaint process.