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the <br />â– CIL _W <br />Over 7,000 copies delivered each week! <br />Serving the West Hennepin communities of: <br />Long Lake, Orono, Maple Plain, Minnetonka Beach, <br />Ii\dependencc and the Orono School District <br />VOL. XVI, NO. 37 (5)Satunby, March 20,1999 <br />Cities of Orono, Long Lake <br />will consider consolidation <br />By Lorric Ham <br />Should the communities of <br />Orono and Long Lake consider <br />consolidation? <br />That was the question for <br />both city councils to consider at a <br />special joint meeting on March <br />16. And the answer, after an hour <br />of discussion on the matter, was a <br />unanimous **yes** from both <br />councils. <br />But the councils' decision to <br />move forward with exploring the <br />possibilities for consolidation, <br />was just the first step in a process <br />which will be designed to look at <br />every option, from shared ser­ <br />vices to consolidation, and every­ <br />thing in between. <br />'This represents the birth of <br />an idea." said Orono Mayor <br />Gabriel iabbour. who said his <br />council had yet to discuss the <br />issue other than to agree to attend <br />the joint meeting. <br />"We have issues and the City <br />of Long Lake has issues." said <br />Mayor Jabbour. "Some of those <br />issues are the same and maybe <br />it's time for us to do business <br />togetlier on purpose, and not by <br />accident" <br />With the plans finalized and <br />construction imminent for a new <br />Highway 12. both cities are deal ­ <br />ing with the impacts of displaced <br />residents, transportation issues <br />and the need for replacement of <br />Long Lake's public facilities. <br />In discussions between the <br />mayors of both cities, they <br />agreed that the issues at hand cre­ <br />ated a "significant opportunity" <br />for cooperatioo between the two <br />cities. <br />"The completion of the <br />Highway 12 plans has taken <br />away lots of p^ms of disagree ­ <br />ment between the two cities." <br />said Long Lake Mayor Mike <br />Bash. <br />"In a way. the road has actual ­ <br />ly brought us together." added <br />Jabbour. <br />The first step, both councils <br />agreed, would be to appoint a <br />joint advisory commission to <br />Icok at all of the options. IVo big <br />questions to consider would be. <br />"Is there a reason to consoli ­ <br />date?" and "Can the positive <br />atiribules of both cities remain if <br />they consolidate?" <br />Members of the commission <br />will include the mayors and city <br />administrators from both com ­ <br />munities. three citizens from <br />Long Lake and three from Orono <br />and two outside memoers with <br />experience in local government <br />to provide perspective. <br />"If we find reasons to consol ­ <br />idate. we've got to make sure we <br />don't loae the good aspects from <br />each community." said Mayor <br />Bash. <br />"Another question to consider <br />is. 'Do both cities come out <br />stronger through a consolida ­ <br />tion?*." uid Long Lake <br />Councilmember Jim Gulbranson. <br />'To consolidate and then main ­ <br />tain the status quo wouldn't be <br />worth the effort." <br />Councilmembers from both <br />communities agreed that the <br />issue would be emotional, as nei­ <br />ther community wants to lose its <br />identity. But all felt that this was <br />the time to at least ciTOsider con ­ <br />solidation. <br />"This is the juncture." said <br />Orono Councilmember Charles <br />Kelly. "Decisions need to be <br />made and they need to be made <br />now. <br />"Without borders, we'd be <br />able to do things better from a <br />planning process. We'd be more <br />m <br />solution oriented." said Jabbour. <br />Bash talked about the frustra ­ <br />tion he felt during the planning of <br />the new Highway 12 and how he <br />wished city leaders had effective­ <br />ly dealt with the issue 35 years <br />aga <br />"I don't want people looking <br />back 20 years from now and <br />wondering why we didn't do our <br />job." said Bash. <br />Orono Councilmember Bob <br />Sansevere felt that ego would <br />come into play when considering <br />a consolidation. 'The two issues <br />that people will be most passion ­ <br />ate about will be taxes and the <br />name of a consolidated commu ­ <br />nity." uid Sansevere. <br />Mayor Jabbour added council <br />issues and fair lepresentaiion to <br />the list, and former Long Lake <br />Mayor Ibd Olson agreed. <br />"Wt*ve had these discuuions <br />before." said Olson, who met <br />with former Orono Mayor Ed <br />Callahan on the same subject <br />several years aga "We agi^ <br />that the too issues were those just <br />mentioned, but intellectually and <br />socially, it was not the right time <br />for consolidation." <br />"Ev^ person's cooems will <br />be legitimate when considering a <br />possible consolidation." uid <br />Bash. <br />"I'd be very upset if this issue <br />divided the community." uid <br />Jabbour. "We can't break into <br />"yes" and "no" factions. These <br />discussions should bring us clos ­ <br />er together, even if we decide not <br />to consolidate." <br />Councilmembers agreed that <br />keeping the public informed <br />throughout the process should be <br />a priority. They also felt that the <br />commission should have a report <br />ready for both councils by the <br />end of (he year.