Laserfiche WebLink
Document management portal powered by Laserfiche WebLink 9 © 1998-2015 Laserfiche. All rights reserved.
MINUTES OF THE <br />ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING <br />February 27, 2023 <br />6:00 o’clock p.m. <br />_____________________________________________________________________________________ <br /> <br />Page 8 of 22 <br /> <br />Walsh said it makes sense with the planned equipment being sunsetted. We want to make sure we get the <br />right equipment for you guys. <br /> <br />Benson asked what the turnaround time would be to get the radios and why the quote said Orono Police <br />Department. <br /> <br />Van Eyll said turnaround would be anywhere from eight to 12 weeks for the radios and the vendor did not <br />have Orono Fire Department in his system so he used Orono Police Department but stated Fire <br />Department in the quote. <br /> <br />Benson asked if the radios are for the ladder truck currently housed at Public Works and are able to be <br />used on that truck. <br /> <br />Van Eyll said that was correct. It's a mobile with a remote head for the ladder truck and that stays <br />mounted directly onto the vehicle. And then there's four portable radios for the officer and the crew <br />members to utilize on scene. They can be programmed and used as soon as they are received. <br /> <br />Benson also asked where the equipment is currently being used and how the firefighters are currently <br />communicating. <br /> <br />Van Eyll said the mobile radio that's mounted in the truck right now is not used on Hennepin County <br />system anymore. It's been discontinued, so they won't allow it on their system. There are no portable <br />radios in that truck. Coon Rapids kept their portable radios. So that's why we had quoted portable radios <br />in the original equipment listing. The firefighters do currently communicate with portable radios. <br /> <br />Johnson said he agrees that getting the same equipment and same chargers for the police and fire makes a <br />lot of sense to me going forward. <br /> <br />Benson said she just wanted to state that the City currently has a needs assessment that's due in June, <br />which is going to determine a lot more about the direction that we're heading in with regard to Orono Fire <br />in the negotiations with Long Lake. And then there's also members of the public who have certainly asked <br />many times to have a better understanding about this -- the funds being spent and also the direction that <br />Orono, the City, is taking with regard to its plan to establish an independent fire district. And this ladder <br />truck that this equipment can be used on is currently parked. And again, we're not certain given the <br />contract currently with Long Lake Fire to the end of 2025 where that's going to go and I am not <br />comfortable. Given that the public doesn't feel they have the right answers right now about why we're <br />doing this as a City, and this is funding that is coming from the citizens of Orono, I don't feel comfortable <br />going forward with an expense, especially given that the turnaround time on these radios is not <br />significantly long. Therefore, after a needs assessment, if we are really sure that we want to go in a certain <br />direction I’d feel a lot more comfortable making a significant purchase like this. <br /> <br />Seals said that's fair but regardless of where we land, whether we're with Long Lake or not with Long <br />Lake, the truck will be usable. And for it to be usable, you have to have radios, so it's not really an option. <br />I get where you can say we can take time, but my concern is every time we wait on this equipment,