01-23-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING January 9, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 5 of 10 surrounding cities to share this equipment. That led to a discussion of is there a way to better utilize those funds and actually own this equipment. Long Lake’s two engines are running at about 20 years. A typical engine you want to keep it about 20 years. The last one we bought in 2017 was $475,000 and now they are close to $1 million apiece. Benson said she doesn’t argue at all that it makes perfect sense to look at rehabbing something instead of purchasing something new. She asked to be reminded when this truck was purchased. Edwards said in November or December. Benson asked if the expense for the truck was budgeted in 2022. Edwards said no, the truck was in the capital improvements plan and the opportunity to purchase presented itself. Benson asked if the improvements were budgeted for this year Edwards said the costs were added to the 2023 Fire CIP once the city knew it had the truck. Dave Dursen said he doesn’t question the value of the truck but does question the process. He said residents just found out at this meeting what it will cost to refurbish the ladder truck -- almost $200,000 on the refurbishing and about $350,000 on the truck itself. To spend $500,000 on this even though it is a good deal, he said, the process seems odd because no one in the community knows what is going on. He went on, it seems to him there ought to be a way to include the voters in what the council is doing. He asked if this engine can go into the fire station. He added that Orono has indicated it wants to get out of the deal with Long Lake by 2025 and asked if it is possible the City won’t be able to use the new ladder truck until 2025. Johnson said the City of Orono has purchased 100 percent of some of the equipment so this is not unprecedented in the existing relationship with Long Lake Fire. He said this isn’t a foreign concept in Orono’s longstanding relationship with them. Orono owns 100 percent of fire station number two and 50 percent of fire station number one and he doesn’t see a path of not using this truck until 2025. Mr. Dursen said he was talking about a legal path to use the truck if Orono and Long Lake can’t come to an agreement. He asked if the City had gotten bids or done an RFP for the ladder truck. Johnson said the truck was purchased from another department that was selling it so there were no bids but bids were taken for the refurbishment. He said this is not the first time the council has had public discussion at a council meeting about purchasing this equipment and the cost for refurbishing. The initial estimates were higher. He said this might be the first time for you but not the first time the council has had public discussion on this topic. Mr. Dursen said many people in the community have said they don’t know what is going on. He said there should have been a survey and a town hall meeting to ask people if they are aware that Orono and Long Lake are looking at going to separate fire departments in 2025. Why don’t we have the right to know how our money is being spent?