12-08-2008 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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MINUTES OF THE ORONO TRUTH IN TAXATION M EETING Monday, December 1, 2008 6:30 o’clock p.m. ______________________________________________________________________________ PAGE 4 Minnesota are based on comparative sales data and not what the property is worth on an ongoing basis. Murphy stated another impact to a person’s overall tax bill that is being felt is the Orono school referendum. White stated in his view the City of Orono provides very good city services at a very reasonable cost. Olson noted Hennepin County taxes make up the biggest share of the taxes. Olson displayed a list of sample tax rates for the surrounding cities and noted that Orono’s tax rate has declined on a steady basis since 2002. Bremer noted that Maple Plain’s tax rate is 49.44 percent and that Orono’s tax rate is 13.382 percent. White pointed out that one of the ways Orono saves money is that Orono does not have an active, full- time parks department. The City of Orono recently surveyed 400 Orono residents, who have indicated they are satisfied with not having a very active park department given the many natural parks and trails that are available in this area to the residents. McMillan noted there are also some private organizations, such as the Freshwater Institute and the art center, that offer some great services to the residents, which also allows the City to keep its costs down. Murphy stated the budget comes down to a long-term vision and philosophy for the City, with the general feeling being that some of these services should be privately funded. Bremer noted two of the conclusions from the survey state that the residents are very satisfied with the interaction they have had with staff as well as their quality of life they enjoy. Bremer stated the City of Orono ranks among one of the top four communities in the metropolitan area. White commented that every department is also reviewing its costs to determine where expenses can be decreased. Ken Carlson suggested the City conduct a heat loss survey of the city-owned facilities and look at whether jobs could be handled on a part-time basis rather than a full-time basis. Carlson suggested the City also look at long-term cost savings such as adding insulation or utilizing natural gas in certain vehicles. McMillan stated the City has just started discussing energy audits and that it is on the schedule for 2009. Murphy commented they have looked at using natural gas in police vehicles and possibly utilizing hybrids. Murphy noted hybrids are not feasible for the police department given the horse power that is required at times but that the City should look at utilizing natural gas wherever possible. Murphy noted the City Administrator has been asked to research whether fuel could be purchased in bulk, but at this time they have not been successful in finding someone who would be willing to sell it at a reduced bulk price. Carlson suggested the City also look at their heating and cooling systems and whether improvements could be made. Item #03 - CC Agenda - 12/08/08 Approval of Truth in Taxation Minutes [Page 4 of 5]