06-09-2014 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, June 9, 2014 7:00 o’clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2 of 22 (4. CITY OF MOUND, MAYOR MARK HANUS, Continued) Hanus stated as it relates to standards, he has monitored the response time and the numbers of patrol cars in Mound since both items were contractually covered and Mound citizens expressed concerns about those elements prior to entering into the contract. Hanus reported the emergency response times from 2011 to 2013 have continued to improve and are now better than what was provided by the Mound Police Department. The number of squad cars in Mound has also increased, which has resulted in some people complaining that they are too visible. Hanus stated Police Chief Correy Farniok is extremely talented in his ability to diffuse situations and is easy to approach by Mound City Staff and Mound residents. Police Chief Farniok has been very open and accessible, which is very important. Hanus indicated Mound is extremely pleased with the current situation and contract and that they have been receiving additional service at a lower cost. Hanus stated in his view the partnership is a good one and the transition has been very seamless. Hanus stated overall the contract has been a positive move for Mound and that he hopes it has been equally positive for Orono. Hanus stated he would also like to thank Orono City Staff for their efforts at making it a very smooth transition. Printup thanked Mayor Hanus for attending tonight’s meeting and for his kind words regarding the Orono Police Department. Printup stated it is nice to hear that the results have been beyond expectations and that Orono looks forward to building on the current relationship. Bremer commented the former Mound Police Department has also been very good to work with and that Police Chief Farniok has done a great job at bringing the two police departments together. 5. TOUR DE TONKA Tim Litfin, Minnetonka Community Education, addressed the City Council regarding the upcoming 2014 Tour de Tonka scheduled to take place August 2. Litfin stated something new will occur at this year’s event and that he would like Tammy Nelson to expound on that. Tammy Nelson, Plymouth, stated approximately a month and a half ago she got in touch with Mr. Litfin about the possibility of getting married in the parking lot of the Minnetonka High School at the 100-mile corral. Nelson indicated she met her fiancé` at the 100-mile corral and that the race has significance to a number of the riders. Nelson indicated Mr. Litfin has embraced this idea and that they owe him a great debt of thanks for allowing them to hold their wedding ceremony there. Litfin stated the Tour de Tonka has experienced a 336 percent increase in ridership since 2006, with last year’s event having 2,896 riders. The majority of the riders last year consisted of men aged 50 to 59, followed by men aged 40 to 49. The riders came from 211 different communities, 42 Minnesota counties, 24 states, and three countries, including two riders from Denmark. Legacy riders are the riders who come back every year, and in 2014 there will be 77 legacy riders. The majority of the riders come from Minnetonka, followed by Chanhassen and Minneapolis. Litfin noted participants from Orono come in at No. 22.