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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING <br /> Monday,March 21,2016 <br /> 6:30 o'clock p.m. <br /> Thiesse stated he does not believe someone should light up their house all night long, and that unless it is <br /> far security purposes, there is no reason for the lights to be on. <br /> Barnhart noted the Planning Commission discussed uplighting in residential areas, and on Page 2, Line <br /> 66, it talks about maximum inclination of the light. Barnhart stated that is intended to help limit light <br /> bleed. <br /> Thiesse indicated those are fine, but that his feeling is that after 10:00 p.m., people should not have to <br /> look at a lighted house. Thiesse stated he is fine with security lighting that comes on periodically but that <br /> it is not necessary for someone to light up their house all night long. <br /> Schoenzeit stated this is a great tool to generate nuisances but the question is whether the City has a way <br /> to deal with them. <br /> Barnhart stated the ordinance attempts to address the concerns raised by the City Council and that there <br /> will be some expenses associated with enforcing the ordinance. Barnhart stated the City would need to <br /> purchase some equipment and that he did adjust some of the regulations based on concerns expressed by <br /> the Council. Barnhart noted he removed the nit meter since he did not know whether it would be <br /> necessary to have that level of specialized equipment and instead approached it in a different way that <br /> gets the City to about the same spot without being overly technical. <br /> Schoenzeit stated if the Planning Coinmission feels the ordinances are important and are approved, the <br /> recommendation ar suggestion should be that the Council needs to be comfortable in taking on some of <br /> these issues. Schoenzeit stated if the City is interested in maintaining dark skies,they will have to take <br /> the step forward. <br /> Schoenzeit asked if Staff has ever received ai�y lumen numbers of the neighbors' lights where complaints <br /> have been received and whether the ordinance will help those residents. <br /> Barnhart indicated that is something he has not verified at this point but that it will need to be done prior <br /> to the ardinance going before the City Council. <br /> Leskinen asked whether the Planning Commission feels there is anything additiona] they can do to tweak <br /> the ordinance. <br /> Olson stated in his view it is good to get something down on paper and that it may be a work in progress <br /> since it is a new piece of regulation. Olson stated in his view the Planning Commission is at a point <br /> where they can make some decision on it given the amount of work that has gone into it. <br /> Leskinen stated the ordinance has been tweaked significantly over the past year and that it needs to move <br /> forward at some point. Leskinen stated she is not sure if there is any more value that the Planning <br /> Commission can add to it. <br /> Lemke stated if this ordinance does not solve the problem with the neighbors who complained, it does not <br /> make a whole lot of sense to keep discussing it. Lemke asked if there is any way to check that out. <br /> Page 15 of 21 <br />