04-11-2016 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, April 11, 2016 7:00 o'clock p.m. 4. FIRE SERVICE (continued) McMillan stated her position has not changed from a month ago and that in her view this was not a good path to go down. McMillan stated a number of people have asked her what it is like being mayor, and that she tells them it is like being chairman of a volunteer nonprofit board. The Council's job is to figure out how to deliver services effectively and at a reasonable cost. The City is able to cover some of the costs for services and some years the City might make a little bit over, but some of the services that the City is directly responsible for, such as public safety, the City does not make a profit on and they do not break even. McMillan stated in her view the residents agree as a community to everyone paying collectively to ensure that everyone in the community has safe access to fire and police protection and that it is out of concern for our fellow citizens and not about dollars. McMillan stated it is about providing a service that the residents are not separately charged for when they show up at the door but instead everyone contributes to it. McMillan stated it will never be 100 percent fair and that she equates it to paying insurance. A person feels fortunate they do not have to make a claim, but if they do make a claim, they are glad they have insurance. McMillan stated the City supports good public service and the residents are glad they have it when they show up at their door. McMillan stated she is glad the residents have access to it even if they do not need it and that public safety should not be about penny pinching. McMillan stated it is about all the residents chipping in and that she is willing to pay a couple more dollars on her taxes to know that the citizens of eastern Orono have fire service that is reasonably priced. McMillan noted none of the residents are asking the Council to change it and that she sees no need to change. Levang stated fire service is an essential service and that the citizens are paying taxes and expect certain essential services. The residents expect clean water, building codes and enforcement, police protection, snow removal, street cleaning, sewage and water treatment, and fire protection. Levang stated as an elected official, it is her responsibility to make sure that Orono provides these essential services and that they provide the highest level of services possible at a reasonable cost. Levang stated maintenance of public works equipment is important and was the reason why Orono built a police garage and why they replaced the rusty and deteriorating streetlights in Navarre. The City has a responsibility to the citizens, and reducing the fire response rate for property owners on the eastern edge of Orono would represent a decrease in service. In addition, Chief Van Eyll has been clear that he cannot meet the response times of Wayzata, which would diminish the peace of mind of the residents. Levang stated all citizens should have the best response rate possible with reasonable costs, and that she is unwilling to jeopardize anyone's life or property. Levang stated she is also unwilling to pit one neighborhood against another, which is part of what is happening here. Levang noted fire response rates vary within the city. Levang stated she resides on Bayside, which has a nine minute response time, but that she is not going to bemoan that when those on the eastern edge have six. Levang stated to describe this as wasteful spending is untrue, and if Orono needs to cut its budget, she is not sure fire service is where they want to cut. Levang indicated she is not in favor of eliminating the fire contract with Wayzata. Page 7 of 32