Orono Council member Maria Veach
Maria Veach Left to right: The Orono City Council appointed Maria Veach as the newest city council member on a 3-1 vote at its meeting on Monday, June 12 without her present. She was sworn in Monday June 26, 2023 as shown in photo. Middle photo is from a misleading Facebook page labeled: Orono City Government - Maria Veach looking like it’s an official government page which is it not. On right Ms Veach chose this night club looking photo for her official representation on the City of Orono Government page. The question is who is Maria Veach?
See our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofOrono.org/ Our Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@friendsoforono9551 and Instagram feed here: https://www.instagram.com/friendsoforono/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554824716776
If you would like to read Maria Veach’s 11 page manifesto, please click here for access to the pdf. If you’d like to hear Maria Veach read her 11-page manifesto supporting tens of millions of dollar Orono Fire Service please click here: https://oronomn.new.swagit.com/videos/302054 skip ahead to 2:57:16 Note that this is a reverse opinion from less than a year ago when she supported a Fire District for our communities. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554824716776
Why is Maria Veach taking it upon herself to singly negotiate with the City of Long Lake?
According to Orono Municipal Code, Ms. Veach cannot be exercising control over the administration of the city in trying to seek concessions from the city of Long Lake. At the very least she should have had City Administrator Edwards with her and a majority vote of the council allowing her to approach Long Lake officials on city business.
The code states: Sec. 2-101. - General supervisory capacity.
“No member of the council shall in any manner interfere with or prevent the city administrator from exercising the administrator's own judgment in the administration of the city. Except for the purpose of inquiry, no member of the council shall deal with or exercise control over the administration of the city; and no member shall give orders to any department head or employee of the city, either publicly or privately, except through a majority vote of the council."
Instead Ms. Veach took it upon herself to meet individually with three separate Long Lake officials. This should be the job of Orono’s city administrator, not one person of the council. She is one council member of five and does not have the authority to act as a city administrator.
To make matters worse, Maria is lobbying on fire-related matters that are part of a lawsuit and her husband is a firefighter working for both Long Lake and Orono. This is both a legal concern and a conflict of interest concern.
Let’s ask City Administrator Adam Edwards and Mayor Walsh why Ms. Veach is allowed to meet with and negotiate with these parties on her own without city staff and the involvement of the entire council. And also it is up to Ms. Veach to become aware of the city code and the boundaries that she has to abide by as a council member.
#togetherwearebetter @friendsoforono
Here is the link to the code https://library.municode.com/mn/orono/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIGOOP_CH2AD&fbclid=IwAR23ELl7mnl3UEay25USWiKbGoQetjgQeiPFi3tvxWW4oVwBlMB021sQrwM_aem_AcY7TLrVHNE2tGnQzAHxk-vW8dpYyc8gw7Ke2IJXLbbma-hW6So0_aU1f9uoiYUBTrSOSAovzbA1ba7hBUeXztVc
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Note that Orono City Council member #mariaveach, #richardcrosby and #mattjohnson all attend a public event without informing the Citizens of Orono. This is breaking Open Meeting Law as they could be holding a quorum. Photo featured in the Laker Pioneer 1/26/24. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554824716776
BREAKING NEWS: The CITY OF ORONO appears to have BROKEN OPEN MEETING LAW again.
On Monday January 8th, 2024 three Orono City Council members gathered at the Long Lake Fire Department’s “Pinning Ceremony.” Orono Council members #MariaVeach, #MattJohnson and #RichardCrosby attended without a public announcement of a quorum (half or more members of City Council) to the Citizens of Orono.
According to the League of Minnesota Cities:
The Minnesota open meeting law generally requires that all meetings of public bodies must be noticed and open to the public. This presumption of openness serves three vital purposes:
• It prohibits actions from being taken at a secret meeting where it is impossible for the interested public to become fully informed concerning decisions of public bodies or detect improper influences.
• It ensures the public’s right to be informed
• It gives the public an opportunity to present its views to the public body.
Public notice generally must be provided for meetings of a public body subject to the open meeting law.
We checked the Crystal Bay and Long Lake post offices and there was no such posting or notification. The Citizens of Orono were not notified by email either.
Why are these council members openly violating city law - do they not know or not care? They should have known they had a majority when they lined up to have their photographs taken.
We should expect our council members to be more professional and knowledgeable of what is required of them to be our representatives. And to show up as an undisclosed majority at the Long Lake Fire Department - the very organization they are in a lawsuit with - shows a very sloppy approach to their governing style.
It is important not to overlook this behavior. Lack of transparency and improper protocols are the very reasons to vote this administration out in November.
#togetherwearebetter #stopcitizensuppression #standupforpublicrights https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554824716776
Something just isn’t right with Orono City Council member Maria Veach. She has two more conflicts of interest added to her list of seven.
The Orono City Council is hiring her Long Lake Firefighter husband on Monday, October 9, 2023. Why is she not recusing herself from all Fire related voting and negotiation?
It has also come to light that Veach, as Treasurer of the Westonka Soccer Association, may be supporting the dissolution of the T-ball fields at Hackberry Park. Why is she not recusing herself from any Hackberry votes?
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual’s personal interests – family, friendships, financial, or social factors – could compromise his or her judgment, decisions, or actions in the workplace or vice versa.
Veach may have several conflicts of interest due to her personal relationships, her preselection for City Council, her lack of governmental experience and the apparent pressure she is under with fellow council members:
1) Veach is married to a Long Lake Firefighter.
2) Veach may be influenced to hire her husband to the OFD.
3) Veach is friends with Long Lake Firefighters and their wives and families.
4) Veach’s income partially comes from the Long Lake Fire Department (they are involved in a lawsuit with the City of Orono.)
5) Veach was preselected to be on the Orono City Council.
6) Veach is on the Fire Advisory Board representing the City of Orono.
7) Veach is on the Fire Negotiation Committee representing the City of Orono.
8 ) Veach was volunteered to be a part of the mediation with Long Lake representing Orono.
9) Veach is the treasurer of the Orono Westonka Soccer Association so she may have influence on funding the Hackberry Park remodel.
Where does it end? Apparently when Veach stands up for herself against the block of three voters - Walsh, Crosby and Johnson. Veach needs to look at her ethical standards. Stop allowing Walsh to place you in a double bind Ms. Veach and vote for the Citizens of Orono.
#togetherwearebetter #citizenfororono #friendsoforono https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554824716776
Where is our new City Council woman #mariaveach ? Who is she? Was the June 12th City Council meeting any way to introduce our next City Council member?
Welcome to #dennysworld - where public assets are given away to city officials, where millions of dollars are spent without the public’s vote, where city officials lose their licenses and have numerous criminal complaints and lawsuits both civil and federal pending.
Unfortunately the three City Council members who decided to appoint you without a public interview made a grave public relations error - again. Because you did not meet the citizens of Orono prior to your appointment, the residents feel very taken advantage of and rightly so.
Nine candidates prepared for the interview, took time out of their week to prep for questions, and graciously attended the meeting June 12th, 2023. Maria Veach was absent. Regardless of the reason, it looks like the appointment of Ms. Veach was predetermined. In fact, there was absolutely no allowed discussion between council members during the work session, nor the city council meeting. All this could have been avoided if the interviews were delayed a week or two.
So Ms. Veach - you are walking into a hornet’s nest. Will you answer the citizen’s questions? Will you be brave enough to stand up for the residents of Orono? Or will you be another “yes” person that votes in the shadow of the three City Council bullies apparently disrespecting our city process and citizens? How honest will you be?
Please do attend the next city council meeting Monday June 26, 2023 for the swearing in of our new council member.
#mayordennywalsh #walshfororonocouncil #dennywalshfororonomayor #mayordenniswalsh #friendsoforono @friendsoforono
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