04-25-2016 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, April 25, 2016 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 19 of 22 15. BIRCHES MN SPRING RIDE EVENT – HENNEPIN COUNTY WATER PATROL (continued) McMillan stated she is not sure if the Long Lake City Council will want to reconsider this after Orono’s determination, but that she hopes the Long Lake Council listens to the audio tape of tonight’s meeting so they hear some of the concerns that were raised. VOTE: Ayes 3, Nays 2, Cornick and Printup Opposed. MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT Walsh reported he attended the Planning Commission meeting and that he would like to see the meetings recorded so people can get a feel for what is being discussed. Walsh stated he also had a builder that sat behind him at that meeting that brought up the constant issues about structural coverage on small lots. Walsh noted he spoke with the city administrator a number of months back about getting a group together to come up with some recommendations on Orono’s Zoning Code and that it would be nice to put something together on that to get additional input from the builders in the area. Loftus asked if he envisioned that item being included in the customer service survey. Walsh stated it should probably be separate since the focus should be somewhat focused on structural coverage on smaller lots versus two-acre lots. Loftus stated Staff encourages residents to submit their comments or complaints in writing so it has a better chance of being prioritized and is documented. McMillan stated the builder might want to go over 15 percent but the neighbor might like the 15 percent, which is something to keep in mind. Walsh stated it dovetails with the height of the structure as well. McMillan noted the Council will be discussing that item in November and that Staff is currently reviewing the issues. McMillan stated it is also difficult to fit the text amendments onto some of the agendas since the City is approaching its busy season. Walsh stated it is something to talk about and that the local builders might have some suggestions for how to approach it. McMillan stated written comments by the builders would be very helpful for Staff. Cornick stated he would just like to remind the Council of their commitment to respect each other, especially in public areas. Levang reported the Navarre Community Initiative is continuing to clean up Navarre and two weeks the group performed a massive cleanup along County Road 15. Levang stated the neighbors and businesses were thrilled with the cleanup.