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MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />Monday, May 23, 2022 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 7 of 8 <br /> <br />Mayor Walsh thinks they have met very decently, they have met many times to talk about it, and he does <br />not think Long Lake wants to give up a fire department that they cannot afford to have. He noted they get <br />along with the City of Long Lake but they do not agree on the situation. <br /> <br />Crosby noted Mr. Jabbour was involved with setting up the two stations, one of which is in the City of <br />Orono. The fact is Orono is paying more than 85% of the bill and this is a financial consideration. They <br />are not looking for this to be something hostile; rather it is a matter of dollars and cents. Nobody in the <br />world would expect to pay 85-90% of a bill and have no say. Crosby stated that is the position Orono is in <br />right now, the contract is ending, and it is not going to be that way anymore. <br /> <br />Mr. Nygard tried looking for the letter online today and the letter from Long Lake was up but the City’s <br />responses were not up. He agrees sometimes erasing history is more expensive than what they are talking <br />about and thinks it is kind of silly that this Council which is spending a lot more fees than ever before, is <br />all of a sudden worried about money when it comes to history in this community. <br /> <br />Mayor Walsh asked what fees they are raising. <br /> <br />Mr. Nygard replied two things, first they have changed the payment schedule from quarterly payments for <br />fees to monthly payments to disguise how much they are going up. In his opinion they did it to hide the <br />ever-escalating fees in the City. Now he has to write 12 checks a year instead of 4 checks a year and they <br />are making it more difficult on the constituents. He knows fees have been going up because he has been <br />paying them. <br /> <br />Crosby took offense at saying they are erasing history because he was part of that history and they put <br />their lives on the line for that community. There is no history that is going to be erased here. <br /> <br />Mr. Nygard replied the City tried giving away Summit Beach. <br /> <br />Mayor Walsh stated that is completely untrue. <br /> <br />Mr. Nygard’s position is that it is bigger than the fire department. A fire lane was given to a Planning <br />Commission Chair for a nominal donation, they are allowing people to bike in Bederwood Park without <br />going through the proper process, and the City tried to give Summit Beach to the rowing club and put a <br />monstrous building there. Those are all facts. <br /> <br />Mayor Walsh asked if Mr. Nygard has anything to say about the fire department right now. <br /> <br />Mr. Nygard stated the City shouldn’t be doing this, it is bad for the community, and Mr. Jabbour is <br />absolutely right it is about sitting down and communicating. Something he does not think Mr. Mayor <br />understands at all as an outsider coming in who does not understand what it is like to live in Long Lake <br />and Orono: it is like a big brother/little brother thing. Unfortunately they are doing the strong arm thing <br />and are not looking out for little brother. <br /> <br />Seals thinks the response to the letter was good, she appreciates them taking the high road on the intro, <br />and when she met Mr. Jabbour a few years ago he told her the fire contract would end and that the fire <br />department belongs in Orono. In talking to the firefighters, many of them are excited to have the chance <br />to have greater support from City Staff such as a finance person and a mechanic. Long Lake is smaller <br />and they just do not have as many people, which is okay. Seals is excited for the firefighters and their