04-12-2004 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, April 12, 2004 7:00 o'clock p.m. ROLL The Council met on the above mentioned date with the following members present: Acting Mayor Jim White; Council members Lili McMillan, Jim Murphy and Bob Sansevere; City Attorney Thomas Barrett; representing staff were City Administrator Ron Moorse, Planning Director Mike Gaffron, Planner Melanie Curtis, City Engineer Tom Kellogg, Public Services Director Greg Gappa and Recorder Glenda D. Spiotta. Mayor Barbara Peterson was absent. Acting Mayor White called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. CONSENT AGENDA 1. Approve /Amend The following items were included in the Consent Agenda: #3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 23. Murphy moved, Sansevere seconded, to approve the Consent Agenda as amended. VOTE: Ayes 4, Nays 0. 2. Orono Baseball Association Request for Expanded Use of Bederwood Park • City Administrator Ron Moorse introduced the Request from the Orono Baseball Association (OBA) to expand its use of the Bederwood Park baseball field from two evenings per week to five evenings per week and on Saturday after 8:00 a.m. for youth baseball activities. He explained that after the completion of the new Lee Carlson ballfield complex on Co. Rd. 6 in 1994, the OBA usage of the Bederwood Park field was reduced to two nights per week and has remained at this level since then. Mr. Moorse advised that OBA representatives were in attendance to present their expanded field usage request. Acting Mayor White invited OBA representatives to come forward and address this matter. Thomas Palmquist, OBA Treasurer, introduced himself and described the OBA youth baseball program that currently involves about 550 youth, ages 5 -15 years over a three month season from about April 10"' to July 15t ". Mr. Palmquist presented the OBA request for expanded field usage at Bederwood Fields to be used up to six (6) days per week. On Monday through Friday, the hours of use would be between 5 p.m. to sunset. On Saturdays, field use would occur after 8:00 a.m. Mr. Palmquist referred to the discussion of the request held recently at the Orono Park Commission when the Orono Park Commission voted in favor of allowing expanded Bederwood Park field usage up to six (6) days per week, as requested by OBA. He explained that OBA is making this request due to the limited availability of playing facilities, primarily at the younger aged ball player in the Coach/Pitch and Pitching Machine levels. Further, OBA has experienced increased participant numbers and program success, and believes that the Little League experience is being constrained due to lack of facilities, limiting adequate availability for practices and game settings that Page 1 of 20