11-27-2023 CC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING November 27, 2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Edwards said the City may not have enough information on no the duty crews are working by Dec. 11 but will have enough information to consider a revised budget. Benson said she had listened to an audio recording and was wondering about references to a poll of I refighters regarding Department culture. Her purpose in requesting was to know if something more needed to be known about that to consider the budget. Veach said she had suggested a poll at the meeting but had not directed that it be done. Johnson said he would like to make a formal request to get Long Lake's statistics for five years of response times from Stations 1 and 2 separately since they had disputed Orono's statistics. Benson said she did not see a need for that information on that topic to consider the budget. Walsh and Johnson said they believe data on response time is critical to pass the budget. Edwards said he would make that request from the City of Long Lake 16. BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING Veach said the Committee discussed whether the budgeted amounts would be correct to cover personnel needs and they received confirmation that the budget is enough. Benson said since she is the alternate for the Future Fire Services meetings she would like to be notified if one of the two assigned members could not attend. Edwards said if assigned members could not attend a meeting, they could notify him and he would notify the alternate if that applies. Benson said the Northwest Hennepin League of Municipalities is a group that she attended a few times early in the year and then the Mayor started attending. She asked Edwards, since there has not been a report from these meetings recently and learned member cities took a vote and declined to have Orono be accepted as a member of the group. She asked if the City of Orono could initiate contact again with this group in the new year. PUBLIC COMMENTS Nancy Brantingham, 3185 County Road 6, recapped the injunction imposed on the City of Orono last summer and the recent decision handed down by the court fmding Orono in contempt of the injunction, which included prohibitions from recruiting and hiring Long Lake firefighters. She pointed out that Orono attempted to hire another Long Lake firefighter on that evening's consent agenda and when asked for an explanation, Von Eyll stated the hire had experience with another fire department, conveniently omitting that the other fire department was Long Lake. Hemy Brantingham, 3185 County Road 6, added that the judge's order included a fine of $2,000 per instance of recruitment or of planning to make changes to either fire station. without involving Long Lake and further ordered Orono to pay Long Lake's attorney's fees and all costs incurred by Long Lake. The finding was civil contempt. Once again, this Council has failed to act in best interest of the citizens Page 7 of 10