10-23-2023 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING October 9, 2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Benson said she is confused why they discussed the Fire Department 2024 budget at a meeting where Crosby was not able to be present because of Veach and Crosby's deep involvement. She asked what would be the reason for another meeting. She said she was trying to understand if the participation of Chief Van Eyll to reduce budget costs to Orono is a condition for approving the fire budget. She asked to quantify what the City of Orono is looking for to approve the budget. Crosby said Orono is paying the majority of the Long Lakes Chief's salary and he should come and talk to them and Orono needs to know what the savings would be if Van Eyll provides services. Veach said this is the reason for another meeting. She does not have conditional terms to approve the budget. If coming to a meeting with a pre-set idea, what's the point, she asked. She said she believes in personal discussions. Benson said her point was that there has to be a tangible and achievable goal going into another meeting to make it worthwhile. She also said it is important that cities not make disparaging remarks about other elected officials and staff of other cities. Crosby said they are here to represent Orono. He said Benson is quick to support a budget for Long Lake but for anything for the Orono Fire Department it is no, no, no. Johnson said he doesn't understand her urgency to approve the budget. They have until the end of the year to get the budget passed and keep talking and communicating, he said. PUBLIC COMMENTS Kim Carswell, 261 Cygnet Place, said she will continue to comment on the City of Orono establishing its own Fire Department until the next election when three Council members will be up for a vote. She said she had four points. The Council has adamantly refused to listen to the citizens of Orono. The benefits of Orono building a Fire Department have not been clearly articulated. They are the bigger City and pay the larger portion. That is accepted. The response times cited without data were disputed by the Long Lake Fire Department with sound data. The costs seem to be more, so she asked what is the true benefit to the citizens of Orono? Mediation sessions did not yield anything as Orono did not go into them constructively as Walsh promised he would, she said, asking how can a City the size of Orono assume such a budget without significant risk? Helen Landgraver, 2570 Thoroughbred Lane, said she was glad she came to this meeting because it was the first meeting where she could actually agree with Crosby. She called out each Council Member individually stating they were elected to represent the citizens of Orono. It is evident after many meetings and continued vocal opposition for forming an Orono Fire Department, most of the Council has not made a compelling case why an independent Orono Fire Department needs to exist. She said she would plead again and again for the Council to actually listen to what the citizenship is saying. She said she appreciates that Walsh seems to have an interest in people not talking over each other. She would like him to apply that standard across the entire Council. Page 8 of 10