02-27-2017 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday,February 27,2017 7:00 o'clock p.m. 17. BIG ISLAND DOCK PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT(continued) provide docks and landing areas to allow for public access. Brown stated voting to remove them is not ongoing maintenance or improvement. Brown noted the Mayor said it is not about the$8,000. Brown stated the docks are being stored for free and that the only maintenance the City has to do is put the docks in and take them out. After that there are other people who take care of the island. Brown asked why the Council has already voted to remove the docks instead of saying they will look into things if it is not the $8,000. Gabriel Jabbour,985 Tonkawa Road,stated the City might go backwards if everyone starts sending the City the bills of what the private sector has been doing on the island. Jabbour stated the public sector is paying hardly any money for Big Island. Jabbour noted the LMA sends a crew out there to clean twice a year and they are a hired crew. Jabbour stated he takes them out to the island and that they bring all the garbage back,which is two days' worth of time. Jabbour indicated he also took his tractor out there to mow the lawn for many years. Jabbour stated at the time the docks were purchased,the City did make sure the dock accommodated the Minnehaha in case public transportation was needed. Jabbour stated his boat requires those docks and that he strongly disagrees with Mr.Libby. Jabbour indicated he owns the most docks in Minnetonka and that he does not need a dock but the veterans need a dock. Jabbour stated he applauds the Council for trying to do a mid-course correction,but that there was not a lot of thought about who uses the docks prior to the Council's decision. The Minnetonka Yacht Club utilizes the docks. Minnetonka Portable Dredging has donated its labor. Jabbour noted he has sent the Council photographs of some of the work being done on the island. Jabbour commented Aaron Printup has been on the Council for six years and Mayor Walsh has been on the Council for three years. Jabbour noted he reported to the Council on Big Island and that there were never any questions. Jabbour stated he is now dumbfounded by the Council. Jabbour stated he will be more than happy as long as he owns property on Lake Minnetonka to store the docks for free. The docks are located strategically next to the dredging company and are identical to the docks the sheriff's department just put in. Jabbour commented he has never ever gone to the moon,he has never ever charged a dollar or have gotten reimbursed one dollar for his work. Jabbour cautioned the Council to be careful since they might have to provide inside trails compliant with ADA and they might end up finding they need four more docks. Jabbour stated he knows the Council would like to go to docks made for a residence,but if that is the case,anytime someone needs decking,they can go out to Big Island get it. Jabbour stated he owns property on the island and that he is more experienced than anybody about what happens on the Island. Jabbour noted both Council Member Printup and Mayor Walsh voted for the sheriff's dock. Jabbour stated they tried to figure out how to get an ambulance to roll things in and out from the dock. Jabbour stated these are not fancy docks but are simple commercial docks. Jabbour stated he would challenge the Council to see if there is zero maintenance in ten years with a different type of dock. Jabbour stated a private/public partnership has existed and is what Orono was founded on. This island was given to the veterans by a gentleman that also gave Three Rivers 70-plus acres that is now a wildlife refuge Jabbour stated the private-public partnership is nothing new but that the Council had better be careful because they might have to come up with a lot more money. Page 11 of 23