08-14-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING July 24, 2023 6:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 6 of 11 Veach asked if a temporary building would impact public safety in any way. Edwards said he did not believe it would in the short term but that is one of the things that would have to be evaluated. Veach also asked if the City would be committed to an action taken at that meeting if the situation with the City of Long Lake litigation were to change. Edwards said given the timeline he believes at any time the City could readjust the design and move in a different direction. Benson quoted the architect’s information on other fire facilities it had helped design indicating numerous meetings and public workshops between the community, the City Council, the firefighters, both staff and volunteer, and the architect to determine the overall scope and feasibility of the project. She said she’s concerned that this may not be the case here. She said the building was built for public works and was not intended to be a fire station. The City is now talking about spending money to remodel a building not intended for fire as a significant budget item when the building was considered to not be appropriate to remodel for public works. She said fire is one of the most important services provided by the City to residents. She also mentioned traffic patterns on Old Crystal Bay Road with the school district offices, schools and buses and a senior facility. She is concerned about safety for the surrounding uses and the public as well as being appropriate for first responders. She questions whether this is a sound decision even temporarily. Veach said at a recent fire services meeting the State Fire Marshall indicated the method the City of Orono has used to make decisions is the standard way to do things. She asked if the police have had any issues with being able to respond due to traffic in that area. Edwards said that was not a concern he had heard from the Police Chief. Johnson said the problem with the old public works facility was size. He said it's not that it wasn't good enough for public works but now the City can put the firefighters in there. Benson said location is important along with other traffic patterns and she believes the old public works location may involve factors that are not anticipated. Crosby said Station One fights the same problem and Station Two has it even worse because of needing to cross Shoreline Drive. That’s why they have lights and sirens and do a full stop and look. He said he does not think the location would be that bad as the police station is there too. Walsh said he likes Edward’s proposal to look at a temporary plan. Benson asked what temporary means and if the school district had been consulted.