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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, August 12, 2013 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 6 of 37 PUBLIC COMMENTS Jack Riley, 2130 Shadywood Road, stated he is speaking tonight on behalf of the families who use the intersection of Bayview Place and Shadywood Road as a bus stop. At the Council’s last meeting, this intersection was designated no parking and concrete barriers were installed to prevent any inadvertent parking along the north side of the road. No exception was made for families using this as a school bus stop even though that possibility was discussed during the meeting and the neighbors expressed their support for this area continuing to be a bus stop. Riley stated his first point is the lack of response he has received to his and Westonka School District’s stated concerns regarding this action. Riley indicated he sent an e-mail on August 1 to the Mayor and all City Council members regarding the lack of accommodation by the Council’s action for people who use the corner as a bus stop. Riley noted no one on the Council has acknowledged receiving his e-mail or responded to the issue. The Westonka School District superintendent responded within one hour of receiving the e-mail and stated that they had received calls from two other concerned parents who use the bus stop. The transportation director has contacted the City of Orono via phone, but as of this morning, no one from Orono has returned her call. Riley indicated he spoke with the transportation director today and she asked him to include her request tonight and that the City of Orono return her phone call and for him to report back any additional response the Council might make. Riley stated his second point tonight is to request the City Council amend the prior action to specifically allow bus stop parking at this location. Riley stated he is not requesting the Council reverse their decision to make Bayview no parking but only specifically to allow an exception for school bus stop pickup and drop-off. Riley indicated that he and the other families he has spoken to understand that this was a complex issue and the Council felt it was time to finally take action. Riley requested the Council consider the fact that this bus stop is used four times a day by families that mostly have to drive to that bus stop. The nature of Shadywood Road and surrounding streets do not allow for a good alternative solution due to traffic and geography. Riley indicated for the Hilltop Elementary route, six families used this bus stop last year on a daily basis. Three of those families live on Shadywood, including himself, and drive there every school day. The two other houses mostly walk but drive there on bad weather days. Another family lives on Togo Road, which is a half mile away, and drives there every day. One family lives on Crystal Bay Road and drives there every day. One parent with a shared custody situation lives in Excelsior and drives two to three days a week as this was the only Navarre bus stop on the north side of County Road 15 that she could park at. Typically there are four to six cars in the morning and the evening. Riley indicated he is unsure of the specific situation for when the bus separately comes for the middle school and high school students, but that it is probably safe to add another four to six families who use the bus stop daily. Riley stated the residents need a bus stop with the ability to park nearby since not all days are like today. The families have to drop and pick up their kids when it is cold and snowing and the county snow plows are going down Shadywood at 30 miles an hour. Riley stated no one really wants to walk their children on Shadywood on any day if they do not have to due to safety concerns. Item #02 - CC Agenda - 08/26/2013 Approval of Council Minutes 08/12/2013 [Page 6 of 37]