07-22-2024 CC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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CITY OF LONG LAKE July 18, 2024 Orono City Council c/o City Administrator Adam Edwards 2750 Kelley Parkway Long Lake, MN 55356 [VIA EMAIL: aedwards(cooronomn.gov] Members of the Orono City Council, The City of Long Lake has received the letter you sent to our city dated June 24, 2024. While we appreciate you sending directly to us the offer originally posted on social media just prior to our last round of mediation for Orono to provide fire services to Long Lake, we have repeatedly stated Long Lake is not interested in such an arrangement to dissolve the LLFD and have services be provided by the much smaller, less equipped, and less experienced Orono Fire Department. We have been clear that we are interested in combining the vast resources of the LLFD and our current partner cities, as well as perhaps additional partner cities, in joining forces to have a jointly operated fire department all our cities can be proud of. We continue to struggle with what makes Orono uniquely different from other cities, such as Shorewood, Deephaven, Excelsior, Tonka Bay, and Greenwood in that it cannot have fire service provided by a jointly operated fire department, particularly one with the track record and reputation of the LLFD. And we reiterate that Orono's decision to start a redundant fire department serving a city of approximately 8,000 is against the advice of fire service experts and the direction in which the rest of the state and country are headed. Additionally, we are baffled and disappointed at Orono's refusal to take action to correct the errors within Orono's June 15, 2023 "Notice of Adjustment to City Fire Service Area Pursuant to Agreement and Contract for Fire Protection." In response to Long Lake's repeated offers of assistance and urging to resolve this issue, we have only received letters making false accusations and other attempts to divert attention to unrelated items. We are certain Orono is aware that the honest presumptions of a member(s) of LLFD leadership as to what coverage responsibilities LLFD will ultimately be taking on, due to Orono's failure to timely purchase certain equipment, do not qualify as an amendment of the contract between Long Lake, Orono, and Medina. The amendment of an area withdrawn remains a contract process that needs to be addressed, per the contract (see Section 21 of the Agreement and Contract for Fire Service). It has also come to our attention that Orono's apparent error in withdrawing territory extends beyond the water coverage areas withdrawn. We note that Deering Island (PID 1811723310001) was part of the land area withdrawn. This island property, within Orono Fire's coverage area, is not accessible by Orono Fire, as it is presently equipped. It is unconscionable for Orono to allow residential properties within its service area to be without primary fire service. CITY OF LONG LAKE 1 450 Virginia Avenue, PO Box 606, Long Lake, MN 55356 1 Phone / 952-473-6961 1 85