07-10-1995 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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To the City Council a«l Citizens of tlw City of Orono May 17, 1995 The City also took action in 1993 to raise the water rates for 1994 by 20-30% to strengthen the financial condition of the Water Fund. The increased water rate.s will fund a three-year water plant rehabilitation project. This project will address maintenance and repair needs while upgrading the plant to meet projected water supply needs. 1 I I Labor Relations Labor relations are continuing on a positive path. In 1993, the police officers agreed to a two-year contract for 1993 and 1994 with wage increases of 2.75% for each of the two years. The police lieutenants agreed to the same wage increases, but did so through two one-year agreements versus a two- year agreement. .I iNFRASTRl'CTl'RE The City completed two tran.sportation infra.structure projects in 1994. These were the replacement of the bridge over the Burlington Nonhern Railroad on Old Crystal Bay Road, and the recon.struction of North Brown Road, a liKal collector roadw-ay. The majority of the funding for the bridge project came through a Federal Bridge Grant Program. The funding for the Brown Road Project was provided through the State Department of Transponation Municipal State Aid (MSA) funds which the City has been accumulating in anticipation of a multi-year roadway recon.struction plan. ^ t Park Planning The City conducted a Citizen Survey to obtain input regarding the future direction of the City ’s park system. The survey indicated overwhelming satisfaction with the City as a whole. It also pointed toward the preservation of open space and dcvehipment of a trail system as the two highest priorities for the City ’s park system. This information will be used as the basis for an update of the City ’s Park Master Plan. Highway 12 Cokkiimir The major east/w’e.st transponation route in Orono is State Highway 12. Orono ’s community management plan anticipates this corridor as Orono ’s commercial/industrial corridor, with the remainder of the City (with the exception of a small historical commercial area near Lake Minnetonka) maintaining a rural residential character. The Minnesota Department of Transportatiem (MNDOT) is currently in the process of planning for the future update of Highway 12. MNDOT has identified two new potential corridors for the upgraded Highway 12 in additiim to the existing corridor. Both of the new ciirridors wi^uld significantly impact the rural character of Orono. Orono has entered into a voluntary mediation process with MNDOT and a neighboring city to resolve issues related to the location of the Highway 12 corridor. This priKess has been very succe.ssful in a.ssi.sting the three parties to begin to focus on a corridor that meets the needs and addresses the co'^cerns of each party. -6-