09-13-2021 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, August 23, 2021 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2 of 5 PUBLIC COMMENTS – Continued combined 350+ years of service. Successfully achieved, our mission does not come easily, it takes dedicated individuals combined with determined leaders to develop the valuable team we have in place today. Our members continuously participate in rigorous training that prepares them to perform their duties as a calm, effective, and cohesive team while under the inherent pressures of the fire service. Our unity and abilities have not developed overnight; it has taken years of practice to develop and perfect. We recognize the conflict between the Long Lake and Orono City Councils regarding the fire service and know that each City Council will make decisions beyond our control. Our principal interest lies in what is best for the communities. We desire to continue to serve. We believe that the residents of the communities we serve benefit greatly from a fire department that is not distracted from a long, drawn-out conflict and the uncertainty that can come with it. We firmly believe in the best interest in public safety and continued achievement of our mission statement. A quick resolution to the fire service conflict is paramount to the decisions made by the City Council. As Long Lake Fire Relief Association we respectfully request that the Long Lake and Orono City Councils urgently find a resolution to this issue. On the fire ground, crew integrity is crucial to our number one priority which is safety. We go into a fire together, we leave a fire together. No one is left behind. We ask that both Long Lake and Orono City Councils take the same approach in resolving this fire service contract. Please find a solution that keeps our entire team home, whole, from the Chief down to the probationary fire fighters, for the continued benefit of the communities and residents that we desire to continue and serve. For the benefits of all concerned, please resolve this issue quickly. Respectfully Submitted, Long Lake Volunteer Fire Relief Association The Council thanked the Volunteer Fire Relief Association for their service. Crosby appreciates everything the fire association does from the bottom of his part and will do everything within his voting power to keep the unity together. He stated it is his desire to get this situation worked out as quickly as possible, but they need a partner that is willing to come to that conclusion, also. PRESENTATION 10. LONG LAKE WATERS ASSOCIATION Jane Davidson, Board Member of the Long Lake Waters Association (LLWA), noted they are conducting a project on Long Lake and thought it would be nice to come and tell the City of Orono about it. Ms. Davidson gave a presentation prepared by Professor Przemek Bajer at the University of Minnesota, whose expertise is in carp. Ms. Davidson lives on the lake, her background is mechanical engineering, and she is also a professor at the U of M. Long Lake Waters is a non-profit formed in 2017 and the mission is to protect the Upper Watershed of Long Lake Creek Watershed which includes regions in Medina, Orono, and Long Lake, includes 7 lakes, and many wetlands. Long Lake is the biggest lake in the watershed and in 2017 saw the overabundance of carp in the lake; carp are bad because they are bottom-feeders and tend to release the nutrients that are stored at the bottom of the lake which promotes algae growth and higher pollution levels. They also destroy the natural habitat for a lot of fish and native plant species. She noted they did a study in 2018 and following the study they applied for a Minnesota Board of Water and Resources (BWSR) grant; as part of the project they put a tracking device on the carp to determine movement. She gave some background and history on carp counting and netting programs