Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-28-2023 City Council Minutes MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 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 Maria Veach. Representing Staff were City Attorney Soren Mattick,City Administrator/Engineer Adam Edwards, Finance Director Ron Olson, Community Development Director Laura Oakden,and Fire Chief James Van Eyll. Mayor Walsh called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. APPROVAL OF AGENDA CONSENT AGENDA 1. CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 14,2023 This item was removed from the Consent Agenda 2. COUNCIL WORK SESSION MINUTES OF AUGUST 14,2023 3. CLAIMS/BILLS 4. APPROVAL OF RENTAL LICENSE 5. BODY WORN CAMERAS AUDIT This item was removed from the Consent Agenda 6. WORK SESSION DRAFT AGENDA This item was removed from the Consent Agenda 7. AUTHORIZATION TO ACCEPT BEN THEISEN'S RESIGNATION 8. NORTH SHORE RAVINE STABILIZATION PROJECT(22-028)—PROJECT CLOSEOUT 9. WATERMAIN REPLACEMENT PROJECT(22-023)—PROJECT CLOSEOUT 10. OLD PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY REMODEL(23-044)—ARCHITECT CONTRACT This item was removed from the Consent Agenda 11. BULK WATER FILLING STATION This item was removed from the Consent Agenda 12. KENNETH& LINDA HOFFMANN, 1254 LOMA LINDA AVENUE— ENCROACHMENT AGREEMENT 13. LA23-000043—JALIN DESIGN,LLC,O/B/O DALE& CYNTHIA WUNDERLICH,2726 CAROLINE AVE,ALS VARIANCE—RESOLUTION NO.7394 Page 1 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Benson moved, Crosby seconded,to approve the Consent Agenda with items 1, 5, 6, 10 and 11 removed.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. PRESENTATION 14. EMBEDDED SOCIAL WORKER PROGRAM Chief Correy Farniok introduced Jen Withrow who is the embedded social worker serving Orono and six other communities and her supervisor,Lauren Royce. He said Orono has been in this program for 18 months and is committed to another two years. Royce gave a slide presentation explaining the program started in 2019 with four embedded social workers.Additional communities have joined and social workers have been added in some communities, so by the end of this year there will be 45 social workers. Behavior health calls,which include substance use,welfare checks,mental health and repeat callers,make up the bulk of the referrals. Once the social workers receive a referral from the police department they try to respond within one day.Communities benefit from a shared financing model between cities and Hennepin County. Communities use social workers where most beneficial and law enforcement where most beneficial. Social workers are able to get a hand-off from officers on their contacts with individuals. They also provide ongoing support with things like economics,housing and mental health and chemical health.In 2022 there were 6,910 referrals. Social workers were able to connect with 58 percent of those referred and made 4,851 service referrals.Over 50 percent of people they work with throughout Hennepin County identify as people of color, she said.They are piloting an Alternative Response Team in Brookly Park and respond either in lieu of law enforcement or if law enforcement is there and wants social worker support. They are also piloting an evening co- response program in Brookly Park. Withrow said she follows up on referrals.If they don't respond to phone calls she will do a door knock. Calls are usually based on mental health,chemical health,homeless,elderly, and domestic. She has been doing the job for a year and a half. She serves seven cities which she said can be challenging because she can't be in seven places at once.In response to Council questions,she reported she offices in Shorewood and covers from St.Bonifacius to Corcoran.A typical call may be a mental health call due to a suicide attempt or overdose,or for people who are starting to have dementia and making frequent police calls. If someone has a case manager,she simply the updates case manager rather than have a new person assigned on an on-going basis. She estimated 60 percent of her time is in the field and 40 percent in the office doing paperwork. She said she sees basically the same types of issues in Orono as in other cities for the most part with the possible exception of a higher level of financial exploitation cases in Orono. She said she would like to see more public education about the embedded social worker program. In knocking on doors there has been only one instance where she has needed a police officer to assist, she said.Police generally alert her in the referral if anyone has a history of violence.Police also give her cards to members of the public and alert them she may be calling. 1. CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 14,2023 Benson said she asked to have this item pulled for a minor change. On Item 19 Crosby mentioned pay increase proposals for fire fighters.The minutes did not give specific dollar amounts and she recommended the dollar amounts should be included. Page 2 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Crosby pointed out that if changes like this were submitted to staff in advance they could be made before the meeting. Benson moved,Johnson seconded,to table Item 1 to add the dollar amounts.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. 5. BODY WORN CAMERAS AUDIT Benson said she asked to have this pulled from the consent agenda because it is a new program and she thought it would be nice to hear about it from the Police Chief. She added she had asked the Chief ahead of time. Chief Farniok explained by legislative authority the City has to have an audit after the second year to make sure it met all the requirements. Over the course of the last two years body cameras have been in use auditors took between 45 and 50 samplings of calls to make sure the Orono PD is following policy and retaining data according to the retention schedule. They came back with their report and their audit and Orono PD passed in all areas,he said.Audits will need to be conducted every two years. The first year the cost was about$3,800 for the audit.In future years it will be about half that,he said. Benson moved,Crosby seconded,to approve the Body Worn Cameras Audit as presented.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. 6. WORK SESSION DRAFT AGENDA Benson said she pulled this because the City is in the budget cycle and the next work session the Council is scheduled to discuss the City's preliminary levy. City Administrator Edwards said on Sept. 11 they would be going through the preliminary levy and general fund budget for 2024 and those items that will impact the levy in time for the Sept. 25 City Council meeting when the Council will be voting to adopt the preliminary levy. Benson clarified City Council work sessions are open to the public but are not public hearings. Benson moved,Veach seconded,to approve the Work Session Draft Agenda.VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. 10. OLD PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY REMODEL(23-044)—ARCHITECT CONTRACT Benson said the consent agenda is for routine items that are not controversial or have previously been discussed. She said this is not a routine item and should be discussed. Edwards said he uses his best judgment based on experience or earlier Council guidance.He said this item was an outcome of direct Council guidance from the second meeting in July to go out for the contract. He said it is the right of any Council member to pull items off the consent agenda and that is why it is voted on at the beginning of the meeting. Page 3 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Benson asked what temporary means with regard to this remodel and when could the temporary station be ready for occupancy. Edwards said he was looking at about one to three years and projected the facility would be useable by July 1,2024. Benson asked about extra requirements for a building to be used as a fire station versus a public works or recreational facility and how the added expenditure would add value to City infrastructure if it was only going to be used temporarily. Edwards said there are extra requirements and that could involve extra expense but he could not be more specific and that is why the City is bringing in experts for the design.He said there are additional structural requirements but he was not sure how many would be applicable for a temporary use building. He said if there are specific things the City has to do just for a fire facility,that is what the experts will advise on,but there are items that would be needed for that building regardless of its future use. This item is asking for approval through the schematic design phase of the project,he said.The City sought a contract with a service provider that would give some flexibility.He agreed that there are unknowns for this facility for this use.He added it may be possible that the temporary facility is not needed if the City is successful in negotiating with Long Lake for use of the existing facilities. Veach she had reached out with many of the same questions and appreciated the answers. She noted the cost of the contract is up to$30,000 to get through the schematic phase and that is what they would be voting on. Johnson said he had a legal question for the City Attorney and asked if there is a legal reason this should not have been on the Consent Agenda. City Attorney Mattick said the consent agenda is a judgment call by the City Administrator and Edwards had explained it well. Johnson moved,Crosby seconded,to approve the Public Works Building architectural contract to schematic design.VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 1 (Benson). 11. BULK WATER FILLING STATION Benson said again she would not consider this to be a routine agenda item and it does involve an expenditure. She would like to hear why this expenditure is necessary. Edwards said this item was originally intended for the City Engineer's report. It is for a bulk water filling station at the new public works facility. He likened it to a gas station for water. Users can come up,enter a code and fill with water and it will either record the amount for City use or issue an invoice to a vendor for bulk water use. Currently this is done with fire hydrants,which leaves room for error or dishonesty and possible damage to the water system opening and closing hydrants,he said. The piping for this was stubbed in as part of the building but the valves and meters still need to be purchased. The vendor would be the prime contractor on the building using their subcontractor for plumbing. Page 4 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Benson asked if this was planned as part of the building,why was this coming to the Council now. Edwards said it is not part of the bonding but would be paid for by the water enterprise fund. Benson asked if the impact on vendors drawing water when they are near a hydrant but now would have to come up to public works with perhaps more trips necessary had been looked at. Edwards said in most cases it would not have a significant impact,but it would affect vendors coming from the Navarre area. The typical use is by landscapers, and they may come daily but they draw a large amount of water at a time. The amount of traffic would only be about five vehicles on a busy day. He said it would also control hours of operations. Johnson moved, Crosby seconded,to approve the Bulk Water Filling Station.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REPORT 15. RICK SCHIDEMAN,4075 HIGHWOOD ROAD, ENCROACHMENT AGREEMENT Community Development Director Laura Oakden said the request involved an existing boathouse.At the March 13,2023,meeting the property owner requested an encroachment agreement for a boathouse that crosses over the property line.A portion of the existing structure is located in an unimproved right-of- way. The owner hopes to obtain building permits for maintenance of the building like new siding and roofing, but because the building is not located fully within his property,the City cannot issue building permits for maintenance.At the March 13 Council meeting, Councilmember Johnson asked for clarity regarding the landscaping and accessibility of the site,she said. City staff met with the applicant in May to review the landscaping and improvements on the site. It appears that new arborvitae have been planted within the right-of-way. Public Works confirmed that they still have reasonable access to the City infrastructure around the landscaping. This lake access has not been identified for public access for recreation.Park Department Staff was also present at the meeting and noted that there is an existing lake access further along Highwood Road. The abutting neighbor on the other side of the lake access was granted permission to install a driveway in this right of way. Granting the encroachment agreement will allow the proper permits to be issued for maintenance of the existing structure. The City Engineer has reviewed the request and noted the current right-of-way is being used for utilities and has storm sewer and sanitary sewer infrastructure throughout. The current building does not appear to be in conflict with the existing utility infrastructure. Oakden said she had identified a list of conditions for the property owner and with those conditions,the staff recommends approval. The applicant,Rick Schideman,said the only landscaping that had been done was to replace existing landscaping that was there when they moved in. Johnson said this is a two-parter with one side being an encroachment agreement.He said he is supportive of making improvements as the applicants didn't put the building there,but it is an improvement on City- owned property.He said he had received complaints that the property owners on both sides had added landscaping on City-owned property. He suggested the City put corner markers on their easements so abutting property owners understand the location of City easements that people are using as access. There have been other instances where the City had to make people remove improvements on City property,he said. He said he supports working with this applicant to get their maintenance plans approved,but also Page 5 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. thinks the Council needs to have the conversation about how the City is going to deal with people who are improving City land. If there are erosion issues residents should contact the City and say fix your erosion issues,he said. Walsh said he agrees with the idea of marking City property and easements and the City has been working on that,but hasn't gotten to everything yet.He said he does not have a problem with people mowing those areas but the City can't permit putting in improvements. Edwards said staff could bring to Council a report on lake access points for pedestrians.He said there are about 55 accesses.At least a third have no recreational value and are only used for utility easements, fire lanes or drainage.Parks has completed a recent project to mark 20 of these points that are used for recreation. In some cases,the property owners are required to maintain rights-of-way. Mowing,planting flowers or planting prairie grasses could be considered part of maintaining. The City has drawn a strict line on structures like retaining walls, dock sections or new buildings. It was suggested by Council members that the different kinds of easements could be marked in different ways. Johnson moved,Crosby seconded,to approve 4075 Highwood Road Encroachment Agreement as shown in Exhibit A.VOTE: Ayes 5,Nays 0. PARKS REPORT 16. APPROVAL OF HACKBERRY PARK MASTER PLAN Park Director Josh Lemons said the title of Hackberry Master Plan has caused some confusion and what is really being proposed at this time is a concept drawing which is liable to change.There are some things the City knows need to happen at this park,he said. In February,2023, staff presented a recommendation to the Park Commission to begin the masterplan process. The City had been waiting for the home in the middle of the park to be demolished,he said. The Park Commission voted unanimously to make the recommendation to City Council. The Hackberry sub-committee hosted two separate listening sessions for the surrounding neighborhood and also met with some of the sports associations that use the park. That process is ongoing to gather useful information to help direct any future improvements. The sub- committee and staff worked with Bolton&Menk to develop a masterplan concept for the park,he said. The masterplan addresses the major issues that have been known for quite some time. Poor drainage has made the fields unusable during wet years and has also led to turf loss. Parking is another major need for the site,he said, explaining currently cars park straight in off of Willow Drive making it unsafe for vehicles when backing out onto a busy road. The masterplan would create a large parking lot which would provide a much safer experience for users of the park. The trees in the park are also stressed by four wet years followed by four years of drought. Staff is seeking approval of the concept plan in order to pursue additional funding sources for the project, continue community engagement, and to eventually move into a design phase,Lemons said. Walsh explained the City needs to approve a concept in order to pursue grants and design. The actual plan would still have to come before the Park Commission and the City Council. Jim Dillman,225 Willow Drive,said the neighborhood had kind of panicked thinking the Council was approving a Master Plan tonight when there is another listening meeting set for Wednesday.He said he feels what is needed is to restore and preserve what is there.He gave some history on the park. For nearly 50 years Hackberry has been a park for younger kids,he said.He agreed parking is a problem but it's not Page 6 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. so much the parking as how people park. He suggested the area along Willow should be paved and striped. The parking along Hackberry has not been a problem,based on his conversation with the police chief.He also said there could be a green parking lot off Elm Lane where there could be parking on stabilized grass. He said that would provide more parking than the proposed lot and solve the drainage problems. The character of the park is multi-use and pure fun.Neighbors feel the current proposal will destroy the character. Those are the only T-ball fields in Orono,he said. Walsh said the next meeting at Hackberry would be 4:30 p.m. Aug 30 in the picnic area to go over plans with the neighborhood. Janie Delaney, 1315 Woodhill Avenue, said she used to coach T-ball at that park. She said she cares about the parks as she lives near the Golf Course and she does not think the neighbors will be happy with a parking lot in the center of the park. She is concerned about the development of pocket parks with facilities as kids do still just get together to play ball. She pointed out the park is in the middle of an existing neighborhood. Veach said Lemons told her the park concept is for multi-age use. Lemons said the image doesn't make it clear but the intent is to keep a T-ball field.He said the vote tonight was just to be able to move forward and apply for grants. In response to Council questions Edwards said the City has been addressing drainage at Hackberry as it could over time. It had been a fill area and some parts settled. This plan gives the City a template and a concept, he said,along with a cost.Depending on costs and funding the City can prioritize at that point. He said parks are reviewed as part of the Comprehensive Plan that is updated every 10 years. The last time was in 2017. The use of that park has changed,he said, and updates have not been made because it was known the park would be redone, so things like backstops are not in the best shape. He said the City sees grant opportunities pass it by because of not doing the homework to have something ready.It needs to have concept plans. Benson said her concern is not that the park doesn't need improvements,but the order in which the process is happening. She said she does not have sufficient data from residents to understand what sorts of grants might be appropriate for this park. She added she is aware that the City doesn't have enough money to improve the park without grants, so would be dependent on grant money and then perhaps certain interests in the community would fuel the process. Walsh said this is a beginning process. The City can't get statistically significant data because it never gets a high enough level of participation from the community. This would move the process forward on a very basic level. An unidentified resident asked if grants for a given item locks the City into that item. Edwards said if things were moved around in a plan that is typically not a problem. If a grant is gotten for a soccer field,for example,there needs to be a soccer field. Crosby said when a park is dilapidated it is unused because it is dilapidated. When parks are improved they are used.He said it is not the vision of the Council to leave parks unimproved but the City will get additional input from the neighbors. Page 7 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Johnson moved,Crosby seconded,to approve the Hackberry Park Master Plan.VOTE: Ayes 4, Nays 1(Benson). ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ITEMS Oakden said land use applications continue to come in. The City is currently working with eight new applications.They have also been working through the text amendment on the retaining wall ordinance and that will come through the Council for public comments. They are getting a handful of complaints about routine items like mowing or vehicle storage because those pick up during the summer. RECESS&RECONVENE Mayor Walsh recessed the meeting at 8:04 p.m. The meeting was reconvened at 8:11 p.m. FIRE DEPARTMENT 17. AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE NEW BRUSH MEDICAL RESPONSE UTILITY Fire Chief Van Eyll said he would talk about all the fire-related items in one presentation and then take them one by one. He went over the history of the actions taken by the City Council regarding a fire department since fall of 2022.He said the next step would be to approve additional purchases in order to be able to start serving the Navarre area on July 1,2024,and adopt an organizational chart.Future steps will be hiring fire fighters,purchasing personal protective gear and setting up a relief association and obtaining a fire ID from the State. Van Eyll said NFPA fire standards require a rescue pumper that is less than 15 years old and a reserve engine less than 10 years old for each station. Orono should have one ladder truck for the department and a tanker at each fire station and also a medical rescue and brush fire truck at each station.The Fire Department CIP shows the items the City owns outright and the items owned jointly with the Cities of Long Lake and Medina.Explaining the CIP chart,Van Eyll said for each year there is an equipment total and levy and grant figures with a total balance at the bottom. The balance at the end of 2023 would be$77,500 and at the end of 2024, $40,000. The numbers start getting better towards 2030,he said. Edwards said the CIP was designed to see how the City could outfit this fledgling fire department without the equipment co-owned with other cities and by spreading the cost over a number of years.The graph shows there is a way to fund this equipment,he said. Van Eyll also showed a chart of when equipment would be needed along with lead times to order.The first vehicle is needed for medical emergencies and brush fires and is the most used vehicle in the fleet. If the City does not buy one of these vehicles it would have to use a larger fire rescue pumper to respond which is harder to maneuver.The purchase cost would be$225,259 with a total cost with outfitting of $355,259 and funded through the Fire Capital Fund. The first rescue pumper would be a used pumper from 2017. Both rescue pumpers,the one owned by Orono and the one owned with Long Lake and Medina, are approximately 20 years old. The City would be able to take delivery on this vehicle by the end of the year.The truck would be coming from Missouri so some retrofitting for cold weather climates would be needed. The purchase price would be just under $485,000 with a total cost after outfitting of$726,255 and funded from the Fire Capital Fund. Page 8 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Next would be a new rescue pumper,Van Ey11 said.It would have a two-year delivery time so would be available by January,2026.The purchase price would be$960,703 with the total cost after outfitting of $1,162,058.Failure to update the older vehicles in this category would result in increased maintenance costs and a failure to meet NFPA standards, he said.Again,the funds would come from the Fire Capital Fund. A Tanker/Tender is needed,Van Eyll said, since a majority of the City,especially in the Station 2 area, does not have hydrants. Failure to purchase this truck would mean having to call for mutual aid from other departments,he said,adding the tanker can also be used by the public works and parks departments. The purchase price would be $336,598 with a total cost after outfitting of$411,598.Funding would be through the Fire Capital Fund($253,00)and the Sewer Capital Fund and the Storm Water Fund ($168,598). Edwards said Public Works has a similar tanker truck that was in the CIP to replace next year. Van Eyll also showed an organization chart for the new Orono Fire Department.Daytime duty crew would be housed at headquarters. The north station would be future as of Jan. 1,2026. There would be approximately 18 paid-on-call fire fighters in 2024 out of Station 2 with about eight duty crew members. In 2026 there would be 14 duty crew and 36 paid-on-call fire fighters. The hiring timeline would be to start recruiting fire fighters in 2023. The department will start hiring in September.Key leadership roles need to be hired and the role of training chief would be hired early on.Next would be a fire fighter admin technician. The training chief could be paid-on-call or part-time 30 hours per week training and supervising duty crews. Walsh said this is what the Council had told Van Eyll to do to get the service going by July of 2024. Veach asked if Van Eyll was saying that even if Orono got some of the trucks the City owns back would they still want to replace them. She also asked about posted positions. Van Eyll said by the time Orono could get them back from the City of Long Lake it would be 2026 and they would be close to needing replacement. The ladder truck and the duty officer vehicle had been offered to Long Lake and were refused. They do currently have an Orono vehicle as their duty officer vehicle. Fire fighter positions are currently posted and the next to be posted would be the training officer. Benson asked about the Station 2 service area that is to go to the Orono Fire Department July 1,2024 out of the Navarre Fire Station. Van Eyll said the City is broken up into CAD(Computer Aided Dispatch)zones and that station has two. She asked for a picture of what it will look like for that area on July 1,2024 if a call comes in.Benson also asked a number of questions clarifying costs,types of vehicles and their uses and capabilities, delivery timelines and payment schedules. Van Eyll said if it was a daytime call there would be four individuals, including himself,that would be on duty. If it's a larger incident such as a house fire,they would call out the paid-on-call fire fighters to respond and possibly also call for aid. He won't be able to answer some questions until the conclusion of mediation in September,he said.In areas of the City without hydrants the tanker is used to fill and carry Page 9 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. water. One vehicle is not enough for a house fire but just as they do now in the non-hydrant areas,they would call for mutual aid.About 70 percent of the community does not have hydrants.He said tankers do not always have a pump but having a pump on this vehicle would make it more useable for the other City departments. Orono did not look at a used tanker/tender because they wanted it to be useable for other departments and have a longer life. Benson said these are coming out of the Fire Capital Fund and the balance is currently$77,000. She asked if these costs would come out in 2025 or 2026. She cited the most recent Long Lake purchase of a similar brush medical truck for just over$200,000 and an engine for$100,000. She noted the brush medical rig in this list had been proposed by Van Eyll in 2022 when he was the Long Lake Fire Chief but it had been tabled. Van Eyll explained that the trucks would be leased over a period of time and that the City of Long Lake already has the equipment for the truck so does not have to pay for outfitting,which reduces the cost. The engine Long Lake is buying is a used engine that is significantly older than the one Orono is proposing, he said.He reiterated it is necessary to have two rescue pumpers that are 15 years old or less to remain NFPA compliant.He explained Long Lake had tabled the purchase of the brush medical vehicle because of questions about the quotes and then Long Lake's focus changed to purchasing command vehicles because they were very difficult to find at the time. Veach asked about fire call data,pointing out most calls are medical. She said a lot of money is being spent for a small percentage of calls,but she understands it is necessary to have this equipment. She also asked about the size of the new department given that Orono accounted for about three quarters of the calls answered by Long Lake Fire and asked if a staff of equal size is appropriate. Van Eyll said seven percent of calls are house fires,others are alarms that do not result in a full fire. The majority are medicals. He said it seemed reasonable to have the same size department, especially with the hope of adding service to nearby small communities.He called it future-proofing. Benson asked about whether the Long Lake Fire Department had a capital improvement plan. Van Eyll said it does but he was restricted to$103,000 worth of funding coming in per year.In regard to questions about the possibility of leasing to own the equipment,Van Eyll said the costs for the various trucks from the manufacturer included interest and were the high end. The City may be able to do better on a lease which would also flatten out the payments over a period of time. Veach asked how purchases like this were made in the past. Van Eyll said the City of Orono bonded for Fire Station 2 and the rescue vehicle and engine there in about 2004. Crosby moved,Johnson seconded,to purchase a Brush Medical Response Utility from Fire Safety USA for$225,259 and the outfitting for$130,000 for use by the Orono Fire Department for a total cost of$355,259 and authorize staff to obtain a competitive proposal using a selective RFP for lease proposal.VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 1 (Benson). 18. AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE RESCUE PUMPERS Page 10 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Crosby moved,Johnson seconded,to approve the purchase of a new rescue pumper from Fire Safety USA for$960,703 and outfitting$201,355 for a total of$1,162,058 for use by the Orono Fire Department and to authorize staff to obtain a competitive proposal using a selective RFP for lease proposal. VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 1 (Benson). Regarding the used pumper, Benson asked if this is the type of truck Long Lake had purchased for about $100, 000. Van Eyll said it was but the difference was age as the one purchased by Long Lake would already be 17 or 18 years old when received and too old to be NFPA compliant. Orono is proposing to purchase a 2017 model. Johnson moved,Crosby seconded,to approve the purchase of the used Rosenbauer Commander rescue pumper from Fire Safety USA for$484,900 and outfitting for$241,355 for a total of $726,255 for use by the Orono Fire Department and to authorize staff to obtain a competitive proposal using a selective RFP for lease proposal.VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 1 (Benson). 19. AUTHORIZATION TO PURCHASE NEW TANKER/TENDER Van Eyll said the City of Long Lake is not willing to sell either of their tankers so Orono went out for bids on a purchase and received three quotes. Veach asked if the trucks owned 100 percent by Orono would be available to the new department or available to purchase and also asked about the cost of deferred maintenance on the vehicles Orono owns in whole or part. Van Eyll said Long Lake has indicated they are using them and they are not available, but he assumes they would still be willing to provide mutual aid if needed and they were not on a call. He said he was not sure of the cost of deferred maintenance but said all those vehicles would need to be replaced in the next few years. However they are on Long Lake's CIP for a longer period out in order to stay within that $103,000 per year limit for available equipment funding. Crosby moved,Johnson seconded,to approve purchase of Tanker/Tender from Midwest Fire for $336,598 and Equipment,$74,601,for a total cost of$411,598 for use by the Orono Fire Department and other departments within the City of Orono and to authorize staff to obtain a competitive proposal using a selective RFP for lease proposal.VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 1 (Benson). 20. APPROVAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHART FOR ORONO FIRE DEPARTMENT Veach asked if the size of the department was based on past call data, could it be adjusted and would the personnel costs fit the City budget. Van Eyll and Edwards said the size was based on past call data and the Council has the option of revisiting the staffing plan based on needs. They said the cost is within budget. Earlier this year the City Council voted to build to a suburban response standard. Benson pointed out the cost for wages and benefits for the staffing plan for Station 2 is$422,000 while the amount Orono is paying Long Lake for 2024 is$407,000 which is Orono's 85 percent share to cover Page 11 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. Stations 1 and 2. She said it looks like Station 2 will cost more for wages and benefits than the cost paid to Long Lake for both stations. Edwards said the Orono Fire Department would have a much different structure. Van Ey11 said the number of positions are not that different from the Long Lake Fire Department but the structure of positions has changed to reflect the new staffing plan with duty crews and a suburban response standard rather than rural.He also said the number of calls has been rising significantly. He said he looked at other departments in the area in area to develop the organization chart and took elements of several. Crosby moved,Johnson seconded,to adopt the Orono Fire Department organizational chart and job descriptions.VOTE: Ayes 4,Nays 1 (Benson). FINANCE DIRECTOR REPORT Finance Director Olson said he had discussed the City's enterprise fund budgets with the Council at the work session and had nothing further to report. CITY ATTORNEY REPORT Attorney Mattick said at the request of Council Member Benson,he would have an update on the status of the litigation with Long Lake at the next City Council meeting. CITY ADMINISTRATOR/ENGINEER REPORT Edwards updated the City Council,noting in Engineering work, Fox Street is substantially complete.The Townline Road project where Medina has the lead is ready for pavement.He has been asked to look at what it would take to add pickleball to some of Orono's parks and will get some proposals and costs for that. On the City Administrator side,he has invited the Long Lake fire chief to the next City Council meeting for a presentation on current Long Lake fire operations and on their new duty crew program.The topics will not include the negotiations between the two cities,he said. The annual staff appreciation picnic will be this week. COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORTS 21. BUDGET COMMITTEE REPORT Veach said the budget committee had a great meeting and she learned a lot.The committee topics were discussed at the work session today so she had nothing further to add. PUBLIC COMMENTS Brian Turbeville, 997 Wildhurst Trail, asked what the interest is going to cost on$2 million dollars, stating it would be between$700,000 and$1 million. Besides what the Council just voted for,he said,it voted for$700,000 in interest. The Council just fixed a$534,000 problem with$3 million dollars and that is only equipment. He said the Council has bragged about the City's bond rating.He predicted the City's Page 12 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. bond rating would have to drop because this money has to come from somewhere. They said Long Lake fell deficient but there were two City Councils needing to talk as a checks and balance,not a four-person yes-man Council,he said.He predicted again that the City's bond rating will go down and that taxes will have to go up for this. Penny Saiki,2874 Casco Point Road, said these costs will be born primarily by citizens so assessed per house.Not only were the interest rates not considered but also the resident's insurance costs because there will be an unproven fire department,she said. On one hand, she said,the City wants to be independent but on the other hand is actually depending on everybody else for manpower and equipment. James Elder, 195 South Brown Road, said the Council displayed tonight that the Orono Fire Department has costs and problems that are fluid and are getting more and more expensive.He said the Council doesn't have a good plan and is making it up as they go along. The costs they heard tonight involve some clever, off-balance-sheet leases and they are not cheap,he said. The Council has already exceeded the 2024 budget and has been very opaque about how they will fund this. Rehabbing the Public Works building will be a lot more expensive than the Council thinks. The City may need more trucks but this Council made it impossible for Long Lake under James Van Ey11 to get more than$103,000 per year for equipment;however,tonight spent $2.6 million.He said they are generous with Orono but were pernicious with Long Lake.He does not feel public safety will benefit. He said he wishes they would grow up and go back to mediation and fix this but the only way to fix it may be an election.He added Walsh had burned many bridges and was an embarrassment and expensive. Ann Cosgrove,2670 Kelley Parkway, asked if the Council has met with the neighbors facing the old Public Works building and who will deal with the construction. She said she feels the Orono Fire Department is a fiasco and it appears most of the Long Lake Fire Department wants to stay with Long Lake. She said she has lived here since 1968.Long Lake had the Fire Department and Orono had the Police Department and it worked. The City Council listened,the Mayor listened and we were treated respectfully. Todd Newcomer,Long Lake resident,asked about the age of the ladder truck and when it would need to be replaced. He also discussed response times for paid-on-call and duty crews, saying duty crew fire fighters could live in Minneapolis. The City is supposed to begin servicing Navarre on July 1 but with one of each truck,he asked what would happen if one breaks down. He also asked if the fire fighters would be adequately trained at that point because there is typically a one-year probation period.Every fire fighter should have a second set of turn-outs,he said. That could be hundreds of thousands more dollars that are unaccounted for yet. That is the reason for a lot of concern in the community,he added. Brad Erickson, Corcoran,said he recently moved and still has a shop in town but hopes to be out of there before the Orono fire station comes into existence because things sound pretty sketchy.He said the Mayor may have gotten the cart before the horse on this one.The City is now talking about a temporary fire station for one to three years for maybe$3 million. Get your numbers straight before heading into something like this,he said.He did not know if those shiny new fire trucks will return the investment, noting there are about 22 actual fire calls per year that need actual fire trucks in Orono. He said the City had a good thing going with Long Lake Fire and just didn't know it.They wanted to get their own fire department like a bunch of drunken sailors,he said. The ex-president of the United States has been Page 13 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. indicted. He will still have to deal with the courts but hopefully they will get it right,he said. He asked why Mr. Crosby doesn't feel like he has to answer questions about that suff. It sounds like if you are part of an insurrection you are no longer fit to serve the citizens of this country,he said, according to the 14th Amendment.Erickson stated the Holocaust is funny to Crosby as well as being with the Proud Boys at the Governor's mansion. He said he has a video of Crosby right at the front steps. MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORT Crosby said he wanted to comment on some of Erickson's comments.Crosby said Erickson revels in the fact that the crooked Department of Justice is going after the next President of the United States but there is no discussion about Joe Biden who is shoveling money over to the Ukraine to pay for kickbacks, money that he has laundered out to the Ukraine and China and that is all okay.Crosby said Erickson's free speech is slander, degradation, put-downs,and threats.He hasn't learned from history because for his profession of hating Nazis,he has turned himself into one,he said. Instead of having polite discourse he slanders and threatens people.Free speech is important,the right to assemble is important.Protesting is not necessarily an insurrection, Crosby continued.Calling somebody an anti-Semite because they want it to be so doesn't make it so.This is old,foolish,boring,and its time should be passed. He said he and wife became grandparents over the weekend. Benson said the most pressing issue at this time in the City of Orono is how fire service will look starting next summer. The City has removed the Navarre service area from the Long Lake Fire Department and plans to begin servicing that area on July 1, 2024,which is less than one year away. She believes residents and the larger community don't understand why the City Council is choosing to create an independent fire department.This is troubling when it is Orono residents who have been paying and will continue to pay for fire service, she said. Many residents,fire fighters, and neighboring municipalities have expressed questions and many concerns with the direction Orono is taking, she added. Tonight more money was approved in supporting this endeavor. She said public safety should be a collaborative effort between public officials and the residents they serve.An independent Orono department is attainable only through the use of public dollars collected from the residents.They have sent a clear message that leadership in Orono is not listening. She said she looks forward to hearing future updates on the mediation process. Johnson asked the public to understand how the Council works,noting that Council members are taxpayers too, so their decisions impact the amount of taxes they pay on their properties. The decision has been made to move away from Long Lake Fire and open territory 2 in July of next year,he said.No one said this is going to be cheaper. To throw around numbers from the past, Orono already knows the increase Long Lake is giving us under this existing contract.The equipment is neglected and behind for a variety of reasons but that is irrelevant at this point and now the City has to make it right,he said. The City Council has made a decision to start a new department and open that new territory in July.The Council now has to make the decisions to make that happen. To vote against it for no reason other than you didn't agree with it in the first place is going against the Council's responsibility to the citizens,he said. The truth is the Council is finding ways to do this without levying for it and increasing taxes. Decisions need to be made to support what is happening in July. Living in the past isn't effective. These decisions have been made. The Council has to make decisions to keep pushing forward. Long Lake has no business running Orono's department,he said,and this decision is in the best interest of Orono citizens in the long term. Veach said she is very new to this and everyone has been very kind. She believes Orono and Long Lake can get along and mediation could go well. She cautioned against holding on to the past so much. She Page 14 of 15 MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING August 28,2023 6:00 o'clock p.m. joined the Council after this decision had been made but has done research to try to understand how this decision was made. She understood from Van Eyll that he liked his job and his team so she wanted to understand why he left,adding it seems like a risky move. The takeaway she got was that things went down a path and it was too late. According to Veach,Van Eyll said he thought it was the best thing to support his team and he was willing to risk that and that spoke to her. She said she likes the idea of staggering equipment purchases.As the wife of a fire fighter, she said she loves her fire family and still thinks there is a way,adding it is not us or them. That doesn't mean you can't prepare for other futures, she said.Most meetings have been quite respectful. She said she looks forward to continuing to get more answers. Walsh said he appreciates all the work the staff has put into the fire issues.He said he went to the State Fair and got his four favorite food items.He is doing college tours with his daughter who is a senior.High school football begins this week and the cross-country team has already has its first meet.He has been having a lot of meetings with residents about parks and property issues,he said. He ended with a quote from a Harvard study that urged people to choose their friends wisely. ADJOURNMENT Walsh called for a motion and Crosby moved to adjourn the meeting at 10:08 p.m.VOTE: Ayes 5, Nays 0. ATT T: 4/Ade of kW- nna Carlson, City Clerk ennis Walsh,Mayor Page 15 of 15