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 9 of 12 necessary, she said. The only thing that the fire fighters have requested from every Council is to stay together so that they can continue to provide the level of service that they have served in this community for over 100 years, according to Grady. Any agreement that doesn't allow that is despicable. Kelly Prchal, 4705 Watertown Road, Maple Plain, asked what kind of mediation has gone on to further the negotiations. She said she agrees that Orono can’t accept what was proposed so it should then move forward with negotiations. She said she, along with others, have suggested mediation with a third party. She also noted the information that the current fleet is near its end of life, requiring a massive need for equipment and costs. She said in business when capital equipment is purchased the owners plan for its useful life and budget for replacement. She asked when Van Eyll says staff recommends option four, she wonders who is staff. She wonders what the fire fighters want. When talking about the possibility of partners offsetting some of the costs, what is the reality of Orono realistically being able to partner with other neighboring cities. There is not seeming to be a lot of interest in that, she said. Her concern is about having enough volunteers to respond in a timely manner to calls. She said the other thing not addressed at all is the pension and if all this keeps moving forward without public involvement, how will the City make sure that those fire fighters who transition from Long Lake to Orono are kept whole for their years of service. Penny Saiki, 2874 Casco Point Road, said many residents moved out to Orono for the character of the City which is less urban and more rural. When talking about a response time more similar to Minneapolis they don’t want that. She said the whole thing about the Long Lake station, Orono would be leaving Long Lake in the lurch and they won’t have a service. If Orono pays 85 percent, she said, it could be argued that the other communities with fewer calls are paying 15 percent and subsidizing Orono. To break it up and start from scratch, she said, could mean a big increase in homeowner’s insurance for Orono residents because they would not have a proven fire service. Mayor Walsh closed the public comments at 8:11 p.m. and brought the meeting back to council. Benson, asked if a commitment by the cities who have partnered historically with Long Lake Fire, Orono being one of them, to better fund capital expenditures, would solve many of these issues. Van Eyll said that was rejected by two out of the three cities. Walsh said the contract is ending and the City has decided it is better served if Orono has control. Long Lake has not disputed that notion but there are all these processes to go through, whether it's a Fire Chief, the Fire Relief Association, as well as getting a Fire Department number, all that stuff has to be done, he said. Benson clarified that the City of Orono made the decision not to pursue a new contract when the contract ends and without a mediator. Walsh said these types of services change all the time without mediators. Benson asked if that was without community input. Walsh said community input is called an election.