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MINUTES OF THE <br /> ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br /> Monday March 13,2017 <br /> 7:00 o'clock p.m. <br /> 15. #17-3897 CITY OF ORONO TEXT AMENDMENT: SPECIAL EVENTS—Ordinance— <br /> Tabled—Continued- <br /> Staff is not going to necessarily know about private events,but in the case where someone's event <br /> impacts the neighbors,there should be some protection to them. <br /> The Planning Commission did hold a public hearing at their February meeting and no public comments <br /> were received. During the Planning Commission discussion,there were questions related to the issuance <br /> of permits. Special event permits are reviewed by the clerk and police chief and then issued by the clerk's <br /> office. There is no public hearing. Barnhart noted this is not a zoning code issue but actually is located <br /> within the traffic section of the code. <br /> Seals stated she was not on the Council when this was discussed last year, and upon reading the draft <br /> ordinance, she struggled with it since it sounded like the government was trying to be big brother and <br /> mandate parties at people's homes,which she has no interest in doing. Seals asked what the true problem <br /> is that they are trying to fix. Seals stated her assumption is even if you changed the ordinance and said <br /> that someone cannot do three parties over the weekend,they will do two. <br /> Seals stated the City Council needs to talk about this since it disrupted a whole neighborhood but that she <br /> does not feel comfortable with the ordinance since it appears to be a little too invasive. Seals stated <br /> theoretically fundraising parties and galas would or could fall under this. <br /> Walsh stated he also struggled with the language. Walsh commented this is a complicated issue because <br /> Orono has people on large lots with large driveways and their events do not cause a problem but there are <br /> different issues in other neighborhoods. Walsh stated he does not know how to quantify it and that he <br /> does not want to be in the party enforcement business. Walsh stated the City did have a problem that <br /> came up but that he has been struggling with how to deal with it since the events did not really generate <br /> any noise or traffic issues. <br /> Walsh noted the City Council has three new members on it since last fall and they do not have the history <br /> on the issue. Walsh stated the Council should perhaps table it to gather more information and more <br /> public input through another public hearing. Walsh stated people cannot park on the street he lives on at <br /> all and when he has a party,the neighbors have to walk to his house. Walsh stated he does not want to pit <br /> neighbor against neighbor whenever someone has a party. Walsh stated in his view the City Council <br /> needs more public input to understand how to better deal with this and that it is similar to the quandary <br /> the Council found itself in when trying to define a living wall. <br /> Crosby stated he would like to hear from the public. <br /> Dankey stated she heard a lot of the things already said that she has been thinking. Dankey stated when <br /> she read through the draft ordinance she thought,no way, I do not want to support this. Dankey stated <br /> she does attend a lot of charity parties in Orono and oftentimes they have more than 20 people. Dankey <br /> stated the ordinance seems to be a little bit punitive and that it seems like the City is hitting everyone for <br /> what may be one or two issues. Dankey stated she is not sure if there is another way to do this. <br /> Seals stated she knows the Planning Commission and Staff have looked into this. Seals asked whether <br /> Staff knows what other communities do in relation to this. <br /> Page 26 of 32 <br />