HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-22-2023 City Council Minutes MINUTES OF THE
ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 22,2023
6:00 o'clock p.m.
ROLL CALL
The Orono City Council met on the above-mentioned date with the following members present: Mayor
Dennis Walsh,City Council Members Matt Johnson,Alisa Benson,Richard Crosby III, and Victoria
Seals. Representing Staff were City Attorney Soren Mattick, City Administrator/Engineer Adam
Edwards,Public Works Superintendent David Goman, and Finance Director Ron Olson.
Mayor Walsh called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.,followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
SWEARING IN CEREMONY OF JUNIOR CADETS
Police Chief Correy Farniok presented Jacob and Anna Stankevitz as new Junior Cadets under the
Growth Through Opportunity(GTO)Program. The Junior Cadet program is designed for young adults
with intellectual and developmental disabilities to gain skills and experience by volunteering with their
local Police Department, City staff and Parks Department. Mayor Walsh conducted the swearing in
ceremony.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The Agenda was approved by consensus as presented.
CONSENT AGENDA
1. CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 8, 2023
This item was removed from the Consent Agenda
2. COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF MAY 8,2023
3. CLAIMS/BILLS
4. APPROVAL OF TRANSIENT MERCHANT LICENSE—RENAISSANCE FIREWORKS
5. NAVARRE PARKING LOT AND GOLF COURSE PARKING LOT AWARD—
(PROJECT#21-040)& (PROJECT#23-031)
6. APPROVAL OF WAGE ADJUSTMENT FOR LELS LOCAL#40
7. APPROVE HENNEPIN COUNTY ASSESSING SERVICES
Crosby moved,Seals seconded,to approve the Consent Agenda with Item 1 removed.VOTE: Ayes
5,Nays 0.
1. CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 8,2023
Benson asked that the May 8,2023 meeting minutes be corrected to change the word receiving to reading
in her Council Report referring to notes of the Future Fires Services meetings.
Benson moved,Crosby seconded,to approve the City Council Meeting Minutes of May 8,2023 with
one correction.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0.
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MINUTES OF THE
ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 22,2023
6:00 o'clock p.m.
FINANCE DIRECTOR REPORT
8. MEETING MANAGEMENT—AGENDA&VIDEO RECORDING AND ENCODING
EQUIPMENT
Finance Director Olson gave a presentation on agenda management and video recording and encoding for
City meetings. He said there are two parts that were included in the 2023 budget.The first would allow
the Clerk to create the agenda more efficiently and have all staff use the same agenda item template
through an agenda management tool rather than a Word document. Council members would need to log
into a cloud site to view the agenda.Any changes would be made to it in real time across the board. The
second part of the proposal would update video recording of City meetings. Security and Sound and
Granicus have been the City's providers for this. Granicus was the low quote on the videoing and posting.
The proposal would add cameras and replace the encoder that has been failing. In addition,it would allow
Granicus to video meetings remotely and handle the encoding and posting to the City website rather than
taking staff IT time for that.For an additional cost the videos could also include edited closed captioning.
Streaming and other social media linking could also be options in the future. Olson said the more robust
option is the most expensive,but staff believes it is worth the investment.The proposal calls for one-time
costs of about$93,000 including$28,836 for AV upgrades with Security and Sound and the remainder
for services and equipment from Granicus. There would be annual costs of about$30,000 for agenda
management,remote broadcasting,and closed captioning with post-meeting correcting.
Walsh said he would support going to the most current technical solutions and moving forward, including
closed captioning.
Benson said she thought the closed captioning is important for many people so she appreciates that aspect
of the proposal.
Johnson moved,Benson seconded,to approve the meeting management and video recording and
encoding solution as outlined in Table 3.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0
CITY ATTORNEY REPORT
City Attorney Mattick had nothing to report but noted there would be a closed session at the end of the
meeting.
CITY ADMINISTRATOR/ENGINEER REPORT
9. NEXT WORK SESSION DRAFT AGENDA
City Administrator Edwards proposed two items for the agenda that he said have been planned for some
time. One would be a discussion of the latest legislation around THC and marijuana legalization and what
implications that might have for municipalities and the second, a first look at the 2024 budgeting process.
Johnson moved, Crosby seconded,to approve the next Work Session draft agenda as submitted.
VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0
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MINUTES OF THE
ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 22,2023
6:00 o'clock p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Mayor Walsh opened public comments asking attendees to hold comments on the Fire Department to the
public comments following that agenda item.
Richie Anderson,3205 Crystal Bay Road, asked the Council to consider establishing a Citizen of the
Month and he nominated Cass Holloway as the first recipient. He said he was nominating him for
standing up to an individual who he characterized as the schoolyard bully at the May Coffee with the
Mayor,adding that Holloway left without creating an altercation.
Chelsea Wetrick, Independence, questioned why when other cities are combining Fire Departments the
City of Orono is trying to go it alone. She said it was due to the Mayor's ego. She also pointed out that the
Mayor now has a four-year term, stating that if he didn't, he would no longer be in office as liars and
cheaters get called out quickly. She suggested he use the resignation letter Jay Nygard had prepared for
him.
James Elder, 195 South Brown Road,asked Orono and Long Lake to get back to the negotiating table and
settle the dispute before irreversible and costly things happen.He said the fire fighters are stressed and in-
fighting in the Department is happening. He said the citizens should be concerned about their fire service
and taxpayers should be concerned about the cost.From his rough evaluation of the needs assessment that
the Chief has done,Mr.Elder said operating costs for the Fire Department,which are around$550,000
now,would increase to$1.6 million thereafter because of these expenses.Due to the divisive nature of the
situation,he wondered if other cities would be willing to partner with Orono in the future.
Mike Hart, 2510 Casco Point Road,said as a 21-year resident of Orono he wanted to talk about the Public
Works facility and the Fire Department the City is proposing to change. He said when major changes are
proposed the City should go out of its way to provide information and obtain input from the public. His
observation the past few months is that the Mayor and the Council are making these decisions with very
little input from the citizens.At breakfast with the Mayor in March,he was promised that by the May
meeting,residents would have all the costs and needs and final projected costs for the changes being
proposed for the Fire Department. While the report was fairly thorough on the fire apparatus,he said,no
detailed costs were included in that report, including one of the largest,the remodeling of the current
Public Works facility to serve as the new fire station. The council has already made the decision to break
away from Long Lake with no accurate cost being shared with the residents. He said there will now be
duplicate costs for the next two and a half years with two Fire Chiefs being paid for by the Orono
residents,among other very large expenditures.He asked about the lives of the firefighters on the Long
Lake Fire Department, saying they are having to make difficult personal decisions on what Department
they will ultimately represent based on the decision of a few people up here,not the residents of the City.
He ended with a quote from the Mayor from eight years ago criticizing the decision-making process of
the City at the time and its failure to obtain public input.
Brad Erickson, Independence, said the Mayor sent him a Holocaust video invoking the extermination of
six million Jews a couple of years ago and yet he,Erickson,is the schoolyard bully.He called the Mayor
a fear monger and accused Crosby of engaging with hate groups.He said information has still not been
provided about representatives of the City on January 6,2021.He said the Mayor runs the City with the
politics of fear and he would not survive another election, so the fire issues should be saved for the next
Mayor. He said both the video and Crosby's actions on January 6 are a big deal and he would do
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ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 22,2023
6:00 o'clock p.m.
everything in his power to make sure they no longer sit in those seats. He said both have a lot to hide and
don't have as much support as they think they do.
Jason Hedeen,2508 Arcola Lane,said he had been watching from a distance and can't believe how silly
some of these people are.He said he has engaged some of these people online and there is nothing behind
what they are saying. If he asks for details there is nothing,he said,and he is sick of it.
Jay Nygard, 1386 Rest Point Road,said he was disappointed in Richie Anderson who had been a good
steward of the community for so many years and then tonight came out with a purely political statement
which is entirely inaccurate.He said he was at the May Coffee with the Mayor and it was Cass Holloway
who was the bully and that it was on video.He said he and Holloway have discussed it since and he
understands his frustration but can't condone the approach he took that day.Nygard said once again he
was here to talk about the Mayor and his comments because once again the Mayor's own past comments
have been used against him. He quoted the Mayor from 2012 when he was running for office saying that
he applauded the Long Lake Fire Department and stated fire safety was going very well and the
partnership should be continued.
A resident of Lake City Minnesota said he was visiting friends and family in the area and he would like to
know the status of residents' calls for resignations from the Council as he had never heard so much
applause for resignations.
FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT
10. DRAFT FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT PRESENTATION
Fire Chief Van Eyll presented the Orono Fire Draft Needs Assessment,reviewing fire and EMS needs for
the City of Orono and how to best provide those services. He said the assessment identified needs for
improvement which does not mean the firefighters have not been doing a good job.He said he
understands how stressful this is for the fire fighters and their families.He added he felt Orono is the only
city he can work with to keep the fire fighters together and the only city that can support the organization
and allow the creation of the Fire Department the firefighters and the citizens deserve.His presentation
included a PowerPoint with a history of fire service in the community,saying the City has been served
over the years by four Fire Departments,sometimes at the same time covering different areas of the
community. Currently it is served by one Department and the contract expires at the end of 2025.He said
Orono is paying 84.76 percent of the budget for the Department,accounts for 72 percent of the calls, and
the current fleet is at or near the end-of-life. The 2023 Orono budget for fire is$895,000 which is more
than is called for contractually.He said the main question that has come through on the comment cards is
why start a municipal Fire Department.The main reason,he said,is that the contract is ending,giving
Orono the opportunity to start a municipal Fire Department with local oversight as it has with the Police
Department. It will improve the level of service and facilities and equipment.He said the Fire Department
and the Police Department do work well together but the change would allow for more coordination and
shared training.Regardless of the way of going forward, capital expenditure must be increased,he said.
The assumption is the Department will be able to continue to use its solely-owned equipment and buy out
the Long Lake share of the jointly-owned equipment. The proposal would achieve NFPA compliance in
10 years. Van Eyll said most of the City,71 percent,would be best served by a duty crew of four fire
fighters. Currently,the Department is not meeting rural area response times and Orono is in a suburban
service area.Duty crews would allow appropriate response so there would neither be too few or too many
fire fighters showing up for a specific call.
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ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 22,2023
6:00 o'clock p.m.
Johnson pointed out this is not because the fire fighters are not doing their jobs but because of the
limitations of an all-call system where Hennepin County calls everyone from any station because there
are not enough fire fighters during the day for the Navarre Station. Duty Crews would put four fire
fighters on duty during the day when the City is most vulnerable, allowing for four or five minute
response times.
Seals asked how duty crews would affect current volunteer fire fighters and their call ratios.
Van Eyll said that had not been determined but it would be worked out so that fire fighters did not lose or
have reduced pension credits because of duty crews.Returning to the Power Point, Van Eyll outlined four
possible courses of action and the costs and pros and cons of each. One, Orono assumes control of the
existing Long Lake Department;two, establishment of a joint fire district with up to 11 other cities;three,
an Orono Municipal Fire Department with only paid on-call fire fighters;and four, a municipal Fire
Department with both duty crews and paid on-call fire fighters. Staff recommends option four. He said
options one and two would increase per-household costs and result in Orono subsidizing other cities and
option three would not move the City past rural response time standards to suburban and would make
recruitment difficult because of being strictly paid on call. The increased cost of Option Four would be
an additional$88 per household with partners. Costs would be higher without partners.He recommended
adopting option four which would create a suburban area demand zone with 24/7 duty crews and offering
contracts for services to surrounding communities using the Minnesota League of Municipalities formula
for sharing costs. Van Eyll said Long Lake's current proposal for taking over the Fire Department would
be very costly to the City of Orono with an average increase per year per household of$371.86.
Johnson pointed out that Orono has already been paying for 85 percent of the Fire Department costs and
so much of what Long Lake is asking would be like paying again for the same items and service.He also
said Orono has to ask itself if it is satisfied with a rural level average response time of 16 or more minutes
on a medical call.
Seals noted that she is married to a local fire fighter and part of her wanted to just agree to Long Lake's
proposal because the situation is hard on fire fighters and their families.However,she said it is the
taxpayer's money and she questioned if taxpayers would be comfortable with giving away half of a fire
station and then paying the proposed lease costs.
Van Eyll said the staff recommends establishing the Fire Department and assuming control of the Navarre
Station as of July 1, 2024, allowing for a gradual transition. He said that recommendation would include
increased costs and the possibility of disputes between Orono and Long Lake during the last 18 months of
the contract. The other option would be to stand up the municipal department on Jan. 1,2026 which
would defer some costs to later years,make a clean break and possibly minimize disputes,but would
allow a shortened transition time and a delay in getting a Fire Department ID number from the State Fire
Marshall's Office.
Walsh asked for questions from Council.
Benson asked about Station One in the event that the contract comes to an end without a resolution.
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Van Eyll said that is an unknown right now but it is hoped a shared use agreement could be worked out.
The ideal would be complete ownership by Orono but that seems to be a non-starter for Long Lake,he
said.
Benson asked about the differences in how costs are calculated between the different models.
Van Eyll explained the difference between straight market value and the League of Minnesota Cities
formula for a shared fire district.
Benson asked about cost per call and how it compares to other cities.
Van Eyll said costs were based on call hours and market value,not cost per call.He said he would have to
go back to figure that out.
Johnson said not all calls have the same cost, so he questioned the value of figuring out average cost per
call.
Benson said she was interested in the Excelsior Fire District model where the Department serves five
cities. The Excelsior Fire Chief, in comments at a Future Fire Services meeting, stated that for one city to
go it alone would have been more expensive even if it pays more in expense than it has in usage,Benson
said. She asked why more weight was not given to a shared model in the presentation.
Van Eyll said the Excelsior group started out with a formula and went to straight market value. He said he
does not recall that statement but discussed several surrounding joint fire districts and said it works for
some communities, especially small cities,but does not work as well for cities with high home market
values because they end up subsidizing the other communities.
Walsh saidthe quote from the Excelsior Fire Chief was the opinion of one Chief in one city. He said they
have the details in numbers and that's what matters.
Benson also asked how Van Eyll could say the proposal could be a model for other cities when most
cities are going to shared Departments.
Van Eyll said he meant a model in terms of well-being of the fire fighters and service to the community,
not necessarily the structure of the Department.
Benson asked if it was ever considered to have an outside study of the viability of the proposed Fire
Department plan since there has been a concern by some that having the Fire Chief of the Department do
the study could be biased.
Van Eyll said the Orono Council considered that last year and decided on the current approach.
Walsh said the City was relying on the decades of expertise of the Fire Chief in the same way it had relied
on the expertise of the Police Chief. He said he did applaud the efforts of the fire fighters and said it was
unfortunate that the situation with Long Lake has not been resolved,has been contentious at times and
that the fire fighters have been caught in the middle.He said the City would continue to work with Long
Lake toward a resolution.He explained he wanted to end council questions as the public was waiting and
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ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 22,2023
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he would begin calling on people who had asked to speak, calling on Orono residents first. There would
be no votes or Council discussion tonight,he added.
Mayor Walsh opened the public comments at 7:31 p.m.
James Elder, 195 South Brown Road, asked why the two cities have not agreed to mediation, saying this
has been going on for three years and the two cities don't seem to be able to reach an agreement.He said
he strongly recommends mediation where the positions of both sides are outlined and a mediator can look
at that and make a recommendation. He said it was clear Walsh doesn't want a mediator because of his
rigidity.
Walsh said the only thing in dispute is the value of Station One and does anyone want to sell it,because
the City has already started a Fire Department and hired a Chief. The contract is coming to an end. He
said he didn't know what a mediator could do with that. He noted the City has 100 comment cards and
more than half support the City.
Johnson said the City is not shutting the door,This is a needs assessment and it is important to evaluate
the level of service each community is comfortable with. He said he fully anticipates conversations with
Long Lake to continue.
Ann Turbeville,997 Wildhurst Trail,asked why according to the slide presentation,the latest negotiations
were from four months ago and said the City should be able to figure it out with Long Lake. She added
for Councilmember Seals to be on the negotiating team is a conflict of interest since her husband is a
firefighter.
Mattick said that has been discussed and the formation of a Fire Department does not result in a conflict
as providing fire service is a core duty of the City. Something that would enrich her household such as a
salary agreement would be a conflict,he said.
Crosby pointed out to meet the demands of Long Lake would enrich the City of Long Lake,not the
individual fire fighters.
Johnson said conversations with.Long Lake have gone on for over a year and have continued.Long Lake
made its offer in January and Orono stated it needed to do a needs assessment.
Brian Turbeville, 997 Wildhurst Trail,said he and his wife had attended most Council meetings for seven
months. He asked why Orono is starting its own Fire Department or taking it away from Long Lake and
asked if it is better for the bigger of the communities to control the Fire Department,explaining he can see
it both ways. He said the needs assessment and public input came after a Fire Chief was hired, after a
truck was purchased and improved and after the request to move fire pension fund from Long Lake to
Orono. One point that did not come up previously,he said,was the response out of Fire Station Two. He
asked if there would not have been a way to work on that without taking over the Department and said he
feels Orono is bullying Long Lake. He said when citizens say something doesn't sound right they get a
pat on the head and told to sit down.
John Withrow,425 Oxford Road, said he had the utmost respect for the Police and Fire Departments and
both communities.He said if anyone in the business world accepted an offer like Long Lake's they would
lose their job.If Orono is paying 85 percent it can go it alone,the math seems pretty simple. He said he
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thinks Long Lake is asking for a huge amount of money for something Orono residents have been paying
for all along and that is ridiculous.He said he represents the silent supermajority who just wants the Fire
and Police to be there if they need them. Going it alone is not ideal,he added,but it seems like the
neighboring community is trying to hold Orono hostage for$4 million so the City can donate part of a
building and pay them back for it. He predicted Long Lake will come back to Orono to ask for a service
agreement and the City should support that because it would be the right thing to do.He said he is
interested in what will work over the next 20 or 30 years.
Jeff Strandberg, 3895 Bayside Road,said he just wanted to ask why.Why does Orono have to do this,
why couldn't Orono just have stayed with Long Lake and re-negotiated?He noted city attorneys do
everything from misdemeanors to contracts and should not litigate, especially in a dispute of this
magnitude.
Steve Persian, 1005 Hunt Farm Road,former Fire Chief in Long Lake,said in 2000 the response time was
under five minutes with the station on Brown Road. While it's important to improve response time,he
said,he didn't think it's necessary to build a brand new Fire Department to implement duty crews.He
said he believes Long Lake has made more offers and shared more options than the one that was
presented this evening.He asked the Council to continue to have discussions, saying there is a lot of spirit
for joining forces for improved services around the country.He told the Council they are in a position to
take Orono to that level.He noted when some of the Council Members ran for office they talked about
servant leadership,but there are times it doesn't seem like that is taking place.
Cody Farley,320 Dupont Street,Long Lake, said he is a 16-year member of the Long Lake Fire
Department and a member of the Relief Association but was speaking at the meeting as a citizen of Long
Lake. He said the Department has known for a long time that daytime Station Two response time is its
weakness. However,he said,the Council needs to take into consideration that average response time
includes the majority of calls that are non-life threatening emergencies where the response is not lights,
sirens and speed.While the Orono Police Department has a great response time because they are already
on the road,he said,the previous week the Fire Department responded to a heart attack call curing the day
from Station One and actually arrived on the scene before the police because it was a true emergency.
You have to look at all the facts,he said,before comparing apples and oranges.He also said Orono
residents don't only have emergencies in Orono. Residents are in and out of each other's communities all
the time.He said everyone should collectively want the service in all communities to be the best it can be.
Kelly Grady,271 Greenhill Lane,Long Lake, said she is a fire wife and has been for better part of a
decade. She said she has spoken to Council members,fire fighters and citizens for many hours and feels
many lack an understanding of why the situation is at this point. She hasn't heard any issues,she said,
that would lead to the drastic changes that are being proposed. She feels the concern is more about control
and not about improving public safety. Responsibility for the stalled communications and the state of the
equipment and the facilities is shared by both communities and the Fire Chief who was the Long Lake
Fire Chief prior to serving in Orono. She said she wants to protect an asset that has served this community
for 100 years instead of burning things down. Someone that evening talked about Orono giving it away to
the City of Long Lake, she said,adding she takes umbrage with that because when a person calls 911 and
fire service shows up, she didn't think that person felt that they were giving their tax dollars away to the
City of Long Lake. She said the Fire Department is part of her family and Van Eyll has been part of her
family,but she doesn't think he is an unbiased person.An independent audit or mediation is very
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necessary, she said. The only thing that the fire fighters have requested from every Council is to stay
together so that they can continue to provide the level of service that they have served in this community
for over 100 years, according to Grady.Any agreement that doesn't allow that is despicable.
Kelly Prchal,4705 Watertown Road,Maple Plain,asked what kind of mediation has gone on to further
the negotiations. She said she agrees that Orono can't accept what was proposed so it should then move
forward with negotiations. She said she, along with others,have suggested mediation with a third party.
She also noted the information that the current fleet is near its end of life,requiring a massive need for
equipment and costs. She said in business when capital equipment is purchased the owners plan for its
useful life and budget for replacement. She asked when Van Ey11 says staff recommends option four, she
wonders who is staff. She wonders what the fire fighters want. When talking about the possibility of
partners offsetting some of the costs,what is the reality of Orono realistically being able to partner with
other neighboring cities. There is not seeming to be a lot of interest in that,she said.Her concern is about
having enough volunteers to respond in a timely manner to calls. She said the other thing not addressed at
all is the pension and if all this keeps moving forward without public involvement,how will the City
make sure that those fire fighters who transition from Long Lake to Orono are kept whole for their years
of service.
Penny Saiki,2874 Casco Point Road, said many residents moved out to Orono for the character of the
City which is less urban and more rural. When talking about a response time more similar to Minneapolis
they don't want that. She said the whole thing about the Long Lake station,Orono would be leaving Long
Lake in the lurch and they won't have a service. If Orono pays 85 percent,she said, it could be argued
that the other communities with fewer calls are paying 15 percent and subsidizing Orono. To break it up
and start from scratch,she said, could mean a big increase in homeowner's insurance for Orono residents
because they would not have a proven fire service.
Mayor Walsh closed the public comments at 8:11 p.m. and brought the meeting back to council.
Benson, asked if a commitment by the cities who have partnered historically with Long Lake Fire,Orono
being one of them,to better fund capital expenditures,would solve many of these issues.
Van Eyll said that was rejected by two out of the three cities.
Walsh said the contract is ending and the City has decided it is better served if Orono has control.Long
Lake has not disputed that notion but there are all these processes to go through,whether it's a Fire Chief,
the Fire Relief Association,as well as getting a Fire Depai tinent number,all that stuff has to be done,he
said.
Benson clarified that the City of Orono made the decision not to pursue a new contract when the contract
ends and without a mediator.
Walsh said these types of services change all the time without mediators.
Benson asked if that was without community input.
Walsh said community input is called an election.
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Benson asked Van Eyll to explain the joint cooperative arrangement for public safety purchasing.
Van Eyll said that was put together by communities to have similar equipment between Departments for
the purposes of mutual aid,and it is not about purchasing.
Walsh said at the next meeting there would be a discussion by the Council and a vote on which option to
pursue.
MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT
Crosby said there are some interesting topics. One person at the meeting brought up the Pension and
Relief Association.He said he would support that if fire fighters leave Long Lake and come to Orono
they would be fully vested and not lose a penny in pension.It's important to keep fire fighters whole,he
said. Crosby said he was surprised they didn't have this kind of outrage when Long Lake walked away
from the Orono PD years ago.He said the Council doesn't ask for input on every subject because they are
elected to do the job. If the Council did that,he added,nothing would get done.Crosby pointed out Orono
pays 85 percent of the fire bill and asked in what business does one party pay 85 percent and the other
seven percent and they are the one that is in control.He said he still has respect for Long Lake and still
hopes the two communities can work something out,but it would be in the manner of Orono running that
Department. There's not a business out there,he said,where the seven percenter is the decision-maker.
This is something better for the City,he said. Ifs going to be more efficient,better run. If the duty crew
model is the model that gets implemented,that is not going to have a negative impact on the existing
firefighters,according to Crosby. It will not impact their call percentage,but will provide a proper
response time during the day. Crosby said as a former firefighter,he can say that daytime response is
extremely difficult because people have full-time occupations. The citizens of Orono are the Council's
interest, he said, and they will do everything they can to make sure that the City has a proper Fire
Department in place.
Benson said questions have been raised in the past at meetings on open litigation between Mr.
Nygard and others. She said she contacted the League of Minnesota Cities insurance trust, and
they have provided her with letters explaining how this trust covers this litigation and said it was
public information so she could make the letters available. She thanked all those who responded
with comment cards, came to the meeting or watched online. She said she also attended the Long
Lake open forum. Benson said she is not an expert but has done a lot of studying. Fire
suppression is about control, she said, while fire service is about community. She said she
wanted to ask some open-ended questions for the rest of the Council to consider as this moves
forward, for example: How Orono has kept residents abreast of changes? Is the City open to
using mediation in future negotiations? How did Orono inform residents on the impact the
bonding sale in 2021 had on the increase in their tax levy this year? How has Orono informed
residents about the impact the creation of a Fire Department will have on their tax levy in the
near future? How have they shown the City of Orono is a friendly neighbor? What guarantees
there are that neighboring cities will be interested in joining Orono for fire service? Is control
over a fire department worth the price that will be paid by our residents to build, operate and
staff a fire department now and into the future? Is paying 84%of budget when we make up 72%
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MINUTES OF THE
ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 22,2023
6:00 o'clock p.m.
of the calls going to be more or less of a burden than paying 100% of the budget perhaps 100%
of the time?
Walsh reported Chris Fischer,Deputy Chief, had his retirement party in St. Michael,which was fitting as
St. Michael is the patron saint of law enforcement. He attended the Hackberry Park meeting where the
City heard from neighbors.Although the City will need to spend quite a bit of money,he said, it will be
an exciting project that will do some amazing things, address water problems in the park, and last for
many decades. He said he also attended the League of Northwest Suburban Municipalities meeting where
the topic was law enforcement. He said he would not add anything to fire service discussion at the time
and ended with two quotes on friendship and loyalty from Jim Brown, a former Vikings player who
passed away the previous week.
CLOSED SESSION: ATTORNEY- CLIENT PRIVILEGED DISCUSSION
Mayor Walsh announced the City Council would enter into closed session at 8:31 p.m., as permitted
by Section 13D.05, Subd.3(b)to discuss the threat of litigation by the City of Long Lake regarding
the Contract for Fire Protection.
(The City Council was in closed session from 8:31 p.m. to 9:01 p.m.)
Walsh moved, Crosby seconded,to reopen the Orono City Council meeting at 9:01 p.m. VOTE:
Ayes 5,Nays 0.
(There was no recording for the remainder of the City Council meeting after 9:01 p.m.)
Seals announced that she was resigning her position as city council member and that this would be her
last meeting.
Mayor Walsh moved, Crosby seconded,the following:
1. To accept Seals resignation effective at the adjournment of the meeting;
2. Direct staff to immediately post the council seat vacancy until Wednesday June 7th at
4:00 p.m. CT;
3. Change the city council work session start time for June 12t''from 5:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
to conduct interviews of council member applicants;
4. Add to June 12t''regular council meeting a council action to appoint a replacement
council member as the first order of business;
5. Amend the Annual Appointments to replace Victoria Seals with Dennis Walsh on the
Fire Advisory Board and Fire negotiating Committee.
VOTE: 4-1 (Nay Benson)
Page 11 of 12
MINUTES OF THE
ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING
May 22,2023
6:00 o'clock p.m.
Walsh moved, Crosby seconded,to create a Legal Committee to discuss lawsuits before closed
sessions and to appoint Dennis Walsh and Matt Johnson to the committee. VOTE: 4-1 (Nay
Benson)
ADJOURNMENT
Seals moved,Johnson seconded,to adjourn the meeting at 9:12 p.m.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0.
ATTEST:
Anna Carlson, City Clerk Dennis Walsh,Mayor
Page 12 of 12