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Hugo City Council Meeting Minutes for September 8, 2020 <br />Page 6 of 9 <br /> <br />this option would be exercised. He explained the process would begin with Council approving a <br />set-sale resolution, then work with Baker Tilly assembling the official statement. A bond <br />conference with Standard and Poors was scheduled for September 21, 2020. Bids would be <br />received at 11 a.m. on October 5, 2020, and the Council would consider awarding the sale at <br />their meeting that evening. If everything went as planned, bond proceeds would be received <br />around November 5th. He recommended Council approve a resolution providing for the Sale of <br />$8 million G.O. Capital Improvement Plan bonds. <br /> <br />Haas made motion, Miron seconded, to approve RESOLUTION 2020-50 PROVIDING FOR <br />THE COMPETITIVE NEGOTIATED SALE OF $8,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION <br />CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN BONDS. SERIES 2020A. <br /> <br />Roll call vote – all ayes. Motion carried. <br /> <br />Consider Approval of Residential Picketing Ordinance <br /> <br />Following recent protest activity that had occurred within residential neighborhoods in the City <br />of Hugo, City staff, along with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office had been evaluating the <br />appropriate level of response required when protests occur. City Administrator Bryan Bear <br />provided Council with a recap of the protests, along with a summary of feedback collected. <br /> <br />Bear began by talking about Hugo being the location of several small protest and two large <br />protest. Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest on August 15 occurred in the Diamond Point East <br />neighborhood, and the Unity Event held the following week began at Lions Park and drove <br />through the same neighborhood. Protests had been targeted at a residence on topics concerning <br />issues with other cities. A tremendous amount of feedback was received, primarily around three <br />issues, and he reviewed each in detail. <br /> <br />The first issue was about not seeing much law enforcement on the ground. He talked about the <br />response needed to protect public and protesters making it necessary to have uniformed deputies <br />on-site and others off-site depending on the situation. He said he felt the Sheriff’s Department <br />did a fantastic job, and the City and neighborhood was very well protected. Enforcement <br />activities had been light knowing that intervening can cause escalation. The objects were that no <br />one gets hurt, nothing gets damaged, and protesters leave the City peacefully, and Bear felt those <br />objectives had been met. <br /> <br />The second issue was regarding John Thompson, who made inflammatory comments during one <br />of the protests and why was he not being charged for talking about burning down the City of <br />Hugo. Bear explained that decisions about charging a crime were made by the County or City <br />prosecutor. He referenced an article in the Pioneer Press that contained comments made by <br />County Attorney Pete Orput on the subject of charging Thompson. <br /> <br />The third issue was about how the City could make sure this never happened again. Bear talked <br />about the necessity of balancing First Amendment rights regarding free speech against the safety <br />and welfare of the public. Prevention of protests was not realistic or desirable, and Bear talked <br />about how to lessen the impacts. He explained that teams including City staff, the Mayor, <br />Council Member Miron, the County Sheriff, Sergeant Joe Zerwas and County Attorney Pete <br />Orput and staff had canvassed the neighborhood following the BLM protest to get feedback from <br />residents. He stated that feedback was diverse and emotional. Common concerns were traffic