07-09-2012 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, July 9, 2012 7:00 o'clock p.m. (PUBLIC COMMENTS, Continued) Plack asked if it is common to have people tear down structures if they do not have a building permit. Plack stated she is also confused as to why Jay Nygard had to tear it down due to a building permit issue since the electrical person had told him he did not need one. Plack stated she is interested in how the city process works and that she wants to make sure she understands all of the facts surrounding the case. Brian Novak, 1735 Perkins Lane, Maple Plain, stated he has served on the Maple Plain Planning Commission and that he understands how difficult it is to write codes and regulations that will fit everyone. Novak indicated he currently works with Minnesota 350, which is about climate change and trying to get the atmosphere down to 350 parts per million. It currently is at 395 parts per million and recently they found up in the Arctic that it is up to 400 parts per million. Minnesota 350 has been conducting a campaign called Connect the Dots. Novak stated tonight they heard about the milfoil coming out early this year and that he does not feel that was an accident or an accident that the apple blossoms froze all over Minnesota because they budded out too early. Novak stated with the great legacy the City of Orono has in supporting the environment, he would ask the City to go one step further and look at the bigger picture. What is going to solve the problem for all of us is a lot of little things happening, like Jay Nygard's wind turbine and adopting an overall national policy. The wind turbine will help limit coal production. Currently there are 27,000 premature deaths in the United States every year due to lung cancer and lung related diseases. Novak stated hopefully Orono can step it up a notch and get their renewable energy standards and ordinances enacted now and support the residents. Amelia Kroeger, 65 Stubbs Bay Road, stated she is here tonight because she supports wind turbines and renewable energy and that she is a believer in climate change. Kroeger stated approximately 20 years ago her husband gave her a windmill for her birthday but that it did not meet the ordinances because it was too high. Kroeger indicated they have three acres and it would not have impacted the neighbors but that they followed the ordinances and did not install it. Kroeger commented sometimes ordinances need to change. This particular wind generator is appropriate for a residential area. Kroeger stated she understands there will be an ordinance written to deal with this issue if it hasn't been done already, but that she would ask the City Council to research various websites that have information both pro and con regarding climate change. Kroeger provided the City Council with a list of websites. Jay Nygard, 1386 Rest Point Road, indicated he has lived at that residence for approximately 16 years. Nygard noted Orono's code is based on the environment and the City's entire code and everything we are doing is based on the environment. Nygard noted tonight's agenda has two items on the Planning Department Report that are applications for after -the -fact variances, which is 40 percent of what the City Council is dealing with tonight. Nygard indicated he has lived in this community for 47 years of his life and that he attended every grade of primary school in the building across the street from city hall and also attended nature classes long before this building was constructed. Nygard indicated he is living his childhood dream here in Orono. Nygard stated he knows the mayor is a green, conscientious person and that she has attempted to adhere to that philosophy in the various applications that come before the City. The City of Orono has adopted Page 4 of 9