06-12-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING May 22, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 7 of 12 he would begin calling on people who had asked to speak, calling on Orono residents first. There would be no votes or Council discussion tonight, he added. Mayor Walsh opened the public comments at 7:31 p.m. James Elder, 195 South Brown Road, asked why the two cities have not agreed to mediation, saying this has been going on for three years and the two cities don’t seem to be able to reach an agreement. He said he strongly recommends mediation where the positions of both sides are outlined and a mediator can look at that and make a recommendation. He said it was clear Walsh doesn’t want a mediator because of his rigidity. Walsh said the only thing in dispute is the value of Station One and does anyone want to sell it, because the City has already started a Fire Department and hired a Chief. The contract is coming to an end. He said he didn’t know what a mediator could do with that. He noted the City has 100 comment cards and more than half support the City. Johnson said the City is not shutting the door, This is a needs assessment and it is important to evaluate the level of service each community is comfortable with. He said he fully anticipates conversations with Long Lake to continue. Ann Turbeville, 997 Wildhurst Trail, asked why according to the slide presentation, the latest negotiations were from four months ago and said the City should be able to figure it out with Long Lake. She added for Councilmember Seals to be on the negotiating team is a conflict of interest since her husband is a firefighter. Mattick said that has been discussed and the formation of a Fire Department does not result in a conflict as providing fire service is a core duty of the City. Something that would enrich her household such as a salary agreement would be a conflict, he said. Crosby pointed out to meet the demands of Long Lake would enrich the City of Long Lake, not the individual fire fighters. Johnson said conversations with Long Lake have gone on for over a year and have continued. Long Lake made its offer in January and Orono stated it needed to do a needs assessment. Brian Turbeville, 997 Wildhurst Trail, said he and his wife had attended most Council meetings for seven months. He asked why Orono is starting its own Fire Department or taking it away from Long Lake and asked if it is better for the bigger of the communities to control the Fire Department, explaining he can see it both ways. He said the needs assessment and public input came after a Fire Chief was hired, after a truck was purchased and improved and after the request to move fire pension fund from Long Lake to Orono. One point that did not come up previously, he said, was the response out of Fire Station Two. He asked if there would not have been a way to work on that without taking over the Department and said he feels Orono is bullying Long Lake. He said when citizens say something doesn’t sound right they get a pat on the head and told to sit down. John Withrow, 425 Oxford Road, said he had the utmost respect for the Police and Fire Departments and both communities. He said if anyone in the business world accepted an offer like Long Lake’s they would lose their job. If Orono is paying 85 percent it can go it alone, the math seems pretty simple. He said he