HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-09-2025 - Agenda Packet City Council - work sessionAgenda
City Council Work Session
Monday, June 9, 2025, 5:00 PM
City Council Chambers 12780 Kelley Parkway, Orono, MN 55356
952-249-4600 /oronomn.gov
Roll Call
Work Session Item
1. Review City Council Goals and Priorities (Part 2)
Adjournment
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AGENDA ITEM
Date: June 9, 2025
Title: Review City Council Goals and Priorities (Part 2)
Presenter: Adam Edwards, City Administrator / Engineer
Section: Work Session Item
Item: 1
Purpose:
The purpose of this item is for the council and staff to discuss goals for the upcoming term. With
an almost entirely new council there is an opportunity to review the existing overarching Mission,
Vision and Goals, as well as establish some short term goals for the upcoming term / year. With
the Comprehensive Plan Update coming up soon, in 2026, this is also a good time to review the
long term goals and policies of the city. This is a continuation of the discussion started at the last
work session.
2. Background:
There are several key documents that guide how the city establishes goals and priorities. They
include:
A. In 2019 the City Council established the following overarching mission vision and goals for the
city.
Mission. The City of Orono will provide effective guidance through public policy established
from citizen involvement, by empowering staff to implement best practices to prepare Orono for
any challenges of the future and by ensuring a positive customer experience, superior municipal
services and provide a safe community for the residents, businesses and customers to live, work
and play in.
Vision. To be the residential community of choice and remain widely recognized for its
preservation of natural rural beauty, quality of life, and recreational assets.
Goals. To provide consistent high levels of customer service to our residents and balance the
enforcement of city codes. To maintain sustainable funding for infrastructure while maintaining a
stable tax levy. To create a culture of continuous improvement by providing efficient and reliable
government services. To adopt best practices into city processes, to ensure that high quality
services are provided in an ever -changing environment
B. The 2040 Community Management Plan.
This Plan was adopted in 2018. The purpose of this plan is to document and reinforce the
established goals, policies and principles of the City of Orono, as a guide for orderly and economic
private development and public improvement in the years ahead. Major emphasis is on the needs
and involvement of people. The Plan discusses how people can manage their environment, how
people have become involved with municipal decisions, how people can create and continue the
lifestyle and community that we know as Orono.
• The Plan reflects the City's long-established philosophy, goals and policies that were first
K
introduced in the 1974 Orono Comprehensive Guide Plan, and later solidified within the
1980 Orono CMP. Major policy direction remains relatively unchanged but the content has
been revised and updated to reflect the changes the City and the Metropolitan Area has
undergone since 2010. The Plan outlines the Community's Philosophy, Planning Goals and
Planning Policies.
Link to Plan
3. Summary:
At the May 27 Work Session, during part one of the Goals and Priorities discussion, staff provided
a brief on the current mission, vision, and goals as well as a high level overview of the upcoming
Comp Plan update process.
Discussion Points:
1. Would the Council like to revisit the City's Mission, Vision and Goals?
o Summary of discussion. Below is a bullet summary of the key points staff took away from
the work session discussion.
Subject
Summary of Discussion Points
Staff Action
Mission, Vision
Overall the Mission, Vision and Goals are
Currently - none, pending
and Goals
okay but may need some language clean up.
council direction to update.
Staff recommended including
all Council Members on
Desire to be "Best in Class"; What is the
Council Member quires to
Customer
follow up expectation? Communication via
staff on behalf of residents.
Service
council members- How are council queries
Council requested a summary
handled?
sheet of how resident -City
interactions occur. A first
draft is attached.
Preserve and
Council should discuss the
Protect the
Is the City proactively implementing policies
topic and provide direction to
Environment
and best practices? In Parks? In the ROW?
staff.
Staff will be provided a Tree
Inventory Summary and
Trees
Lots of dead ash trees. What is the Plan?
Update to the council.
Additional direction will be
requested for next steps.
Metrics
lHow do we track?
ISee Annual Report (Attached)
2. What goals does the Council have for 2025?
The following are some items staff gleaned from our new council in briefs and interactions since
the new year.
• Develop an Elected Official's code of conduct -COMPLETE
• Adopt a special election ordinance and execute special election -COMPLETE
• Negotiate a contract for fire service - UNDERWAY
• Others- The Table below is an overview of what was proposed at May 27 Work Session
3
Proposed
Subject
By
Intent
Staff Recommendation
Establish plan with Parks Commission
to partner with Parks Staff to visit
Parks
CM
Assess each Park based on a set
each park. Leverage existing
Assessment
Persian
of standards.
standards and asset management
system. Parks Commission is already
working on this with Parks Staff.
Establish plan to improve
Staff will update for Council on
Communications
CM
communications with the goal
Communication effort at an upcoming
Ricks
of increasing public awareness
work session. Establish written city
of City activities.
wide communication plan.
Clarify the meaning of the goal
Use 2026 Budget Process to clarify
Budgeting and
CM
-"To maintain sustainable
meaning and intent of the current
Levy Setting
Benson
funding for infrastructure while
council with respect to setting the
maintaining a stable tax levy"
Levy.
Obtain a better understanding
Staff can prepare an information
PW and Parks
Mayor
of city facility and options for
briefing for the council on the facility
Building Review
Tunheim
its future.
for a future work session. Council
should provide additional direction.
Staff could prepare an information
Council to gain a better
briefing for the council on the city's
Facilities
CM
understanding of the City's
facilities for a future work session
Review
Persian
facilities their condition and the
leading into the Facilities CIP
city's facility needs.
discussion in October. Council should
provide additional direction.
3. How would the Council like to move forward with Goal setting process both within the Comp
Plan update and outside of it?
The May 27 work session discussion touched on this discussion point but no direction was given
to staff for additional information at this time.
COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED
Discussion
Exhibits
A. Orono Customer Service Processes
B. 2024 Annual Report Final
4
Orono Customer Service
Processes
28 May 25
Staff Lead and Administrator will review the complaint.
Resident asks a
Staff Lead.
1. Acknowledge and gather more information if appropriat
question or
Acknowledges
2. Conduct and initial assessment
raises a concern
Receipt
3. Investigate formally or informedly as appropriate
with a
4. Determine resolution if appropriate
Councilmember
5. Implement solution or corrective action as appropriate
.. 6. Provide follow up on resolution.
Council Member
• -
(CC Administrator and all Council on response to resident)
acknowledges receipt
and forwards to City
Administrator
Staff Lead
Reviews, coordinates with pertinent staff and provides ans
'
• ' I (CC Administrator and all Council on response to resident)
City Administrato
�
� _ i
1. Acknowledges
Staff Lead:
Receipt and
1. reviews issue an
Staff Lead:
provides any
refers resident t
1. Coordinate on how the city might accommodate the request.
appropriate
the appropriate
2. Facilitates initiation of process flow.
immediate respons
government
3. Provides resident with information on the process and
all Council and
agency.
- • associated timings.
rel
relevant
evant Staff Lead).
2. If available provides
• . • (CC Administrator and all Council on response to resident)
2. Assigns to relevant
on contact information
department for
for said agency.
- Staff Lead and administrator:
action
(CC Administrator and
1. Determine if and how the city might accommodate the ac
all Council on response
2. Communicate back to resident on way forward or rational on
to resident)
why the city can not accommodate the requested action.
(CC all Council on response to resident)
Reside nt/Sta kehol d e r-> Staff Interactions
• Ways to Interact • Common Topics of Interactions
➢ In person — City hall, OPD, Public Works ➢ Permits
and Parks Building ➢ Licenses
➢ Email
➢ Phone
➢ Mail
➢Scheduled Meetings
➢ Online Requests
•'• Citizen Serve
•'• Citizen Problem Reporter
•'• Website (Data Requests)
•'• Payment Portal
➢ Social Media
➢ At Public Meetings
➢Through a Elected Official or
Commissioner
➢ Inspection scheduling
➢ Utility Billing (Payment, setup, questions)
➢ Recycling program
➢ Infrastructure concerns (Potholes,
Drainage...)
➢ Code complaints
➢ Land Use/ Developments
➢ Emergency — 911 (PD, Fire)
➢ Non emergency (PD, Fire, Public Works)
➢ Elections
7
Permits
• Example of Permit Types
• Building Permit- Residential Principle Structures (New Houses, Additions)
• Building Permit- Residential Accessory Structures (Detached Garages, Sheds,
Pools)
• Zoning Permits (Lake Stairs, patios, driveways)
• Tree Removals
• Grading and Land Alteration
• Plumbing
• Mechanical
Review for Zoning and Building Final
complete Engineering Official Issue Permit Schedule Inspection -
)II Review inspections Close Permit
8
Complaints
• Citizenserve- online portal for filing complains
• Staff will also assist with calls, emails or in -person complaints
• Examples of complaints
• Junk and debris on property
• Vehicle Storage
• Tall Grass/unmaintained property
• Neighboring construction
• Neighbor Disagreements about hardcover, landscaping, parking etc.
Complaint
Received
Assigned to
Planner
0
Reach out
to property
owner
Violation
Letter
Correction
7resolution
t or forward
or to
prosecuting
attorney
9
Land Use Applications
• Types:
• Amendment (Comp Plan/ Ordinance Text Amendment)
• Appeal
• Concept/ Sketch Plans
• Variance
• Vacations
• Conditional Use Permits
• Subdivisions (Preliminary/ Final Plats)
• Process 60-120 Days (depending on application type)
• Most require public hearing at the Planning Commission
• Council formally take action by Resolution or Ordinance
10
CITY OF ORONO
ANNUAL
REPORT
2024
11
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents
1.0 ORONO MISSION, VISION AND GOALS....................................................................................................................5
1.01 Mission Statement.....................................................................................................................................5
1.02 Vision Statement........................................................................................................................................5
1.03 City of Orono Goals....................................................................................................................................5
2.0 ORGANIZATION.......................................................................................................................................................6
2.01 Organization...............................................................................................................................................6
2.02 Human Resources......................................................................................................................................6
2.02.1 New Hires............................................................................................................................................6
2.02.2 Years of Service Awards.......................................................................................................................6
2.02.3 Personnel Handbook...........................................................................................................................6
2.02.4 Safety Committee................................................................................................................................7
2.02.5 Cheers Committee..............................................................................................................................7
3.0 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.....................................................................................................................................8
3.01 Overview....................................................................................................................................................8
3.02 Team..........................................................................................................................................................8
3.03 Public Meetings.........................................................................................................................................9
3.04 Elections...................................................................................................................................................10
3.05 Records....................................................................................................................................................10
3.06 Legislative................................................................................................................................................11
3.07 Permit and Licensing................................................................................................................................11
3.08 Communications......................................................................................................................................12
3.09 Waste.......................................................................................................................................................14
3.10 Payment Processing.................................................................................................................................15
4.0 FINANCE...............................................................................................................................................................
16
4.01 Overview..................................................................................................................................................16
4.02 Organization and Staff.............................................................................................................................16
4.03 Bond Rating..............................................................................................................................................16
4.04 By the Numbers (Metrics)........................................................................................................................16
4.05 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report(ACFR).....................................................................................17
4.06 Financial Updates.....................................................................................................................................17
4.07 Budget.....................................................................................................................................................17
4.08 Payroll/Human Resource.........................................................................................................................18
2
`V,
4.09 Accounts Payable.....................................................................................................................................18
4.10 Utility Billing (UB) and Administration.....................................................................................................18
4.11 Information and Communications Systems.............................................................................................18
5.0 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT..............................................................................................................................
19
5.01 Overview..................................................................................................................................................19
5.02 Organization and Staff.............................................................................................................................19
5.03. Department Activity Summary................................................................................................................19
5.04 Planning...................................................................................................................................................20
5.05 Building....................................................................................................................................................20
5.06 Code Enforcement...................................................................................................................................21
6.0 PARKS AND FACILITITES........................................................................................................................................
22
6.01 Overview..................................................................................................................................................
22
6.02 Organization and Staff.............................................................................................................................22
6.04 Parks and Trails........................................................................................................................................22
6.04.01 Park Usage........................................................................................................................................
22
6.04.02 Parks Turf Maintenance and Improvements....................................................................................
22
6.05 Golf Course..............................................................................................................................................23
6.06 Events.......................................................................................................................................................24
6.07 Facilities...................................................................................................................................................24
7.0. PUBLIC WORKS.....................................................................................................................................................
25
7.01 Overview..................................................................................................................................................25
7.02 Organization and Staff.............................................................................................................................25
7.03 By the Numbers (Metrics)........................................................................................................................25
7.04 Streets......................................................................................................................................................26
7.04.01 By the Numbers (Metrics)................................................................................................................
26
7.04.02 Key Activities.....................................................................................................................................
27
7.05 Stormwater Maintenance........................................................................................................................27
7.05.01 By the Numbers (Metrics)................................................................................................................
27
7.05.02 Key Activities.....................................................................................................................................
27
7.06 Sanitary Sewer Maintenance...................................................................................................................27
7.06.01 By the Numbers (Metrics)................................................................................................................
28
7.06.02 Key Activities.....................................................................................................................................
28
7.07 Water System Operations........................................................................................................................28
7.07.01 By the Numbers (Metrics)................................................................................................................
28
3
13
7.08 Fleet Division............................................................................................................................................28
7.08.01 Key Actives.......................................................................................................................................
29
7.09 Services....................................................................................................................................................29
7.09.01 By the Numbers (Metrics)................................................................................................................
29
7.09.02 Key Activities.....................................................................................................................................
29
8.0.ORONO FIRE DEPARTMENT..................................................................................................................................
30
8.01 Overview..................................................................................................................................................30
8.02 Organization and Staff.............................................................................................................................30
8.03 Apparatus and Equipment.......................................................................................................................30
8.04 Fire Facilities............................................................................................................................................30
8.05 Training....................................................................................................................................................31
8.06 Response and Other Duties.....................................................................................................................31
9.0 ENGINEERING.......................................................................................................................................................
34
9.01 Introduction.............................................................................................................................................34
9.02 Organization and Staff.............................................................................................................................34
9.03 Project Management...............................................................................................................................34
9.04 Support to Staff Departments.................................................................................................................35
10.0 POLICE DEPARTMENT......................................................................................................................................
36
4
14
1.0 ORONO MISSION, VISION AND GOALS.
1.01 Mission Statement.
The City of Orono will provide effective guidance through public policy established from citizen involvement, by
empowering staff to implement best practices to prepare Orono for any challenges of the future and by ensuring a
positive customer experience, superior municipal services and provide a safe community for the residents,
businesses and customers to live, work and play in.
1.02 Vision Statement.
To be the residential community of choice and remain widely recognized for its preservation of natural rural
beauty, quality of life, and recreational assets.
1.03 City of Orono Goals.
1. To provide consistent high levels of customer service to our residents and balance the enforcement of city
codes.
2. To maintain sustainable funding for infrastructure while maintaining a stable tax levy
3. To create a culture of continuous improvement by providing efficient and reliable government services
4. To adopt best practices into city processes to ensure the high -quality services are provided in an ever -
changing environment
5
15
2.0 ORGANIZATION.
2.01 Organization.
The table below reflects the City Organization at the close of 2024. 2024 saw the addition of a second IT person.
City Staff organization
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2.02 Human Resources.
2.02.1 New Hires.
2024 saw a decent number of personnel changes. 10 full time staff members were hired in 2024 along with 10
part-time and 3 paid -on -call firefighters. 16 temporary seasonal staff members were hired, predominantly to
support the parks, golf course and brush site operations. There were 5 promotions in 2024.
2.02.2 Years of Service Awards.
October 2024 saw Scott Oberaigner retire after 33 years of service. Police Officer Troy Carlson met 5 years of
service; City Administrator Adam Edwards and Police Officer Josh Raze met 10 years of service; and Police Officer
Susie Schultz and Police Officer Tony White met 20 years of service.
2.02.3 Personnel Handbook.
In 2024, staff updated the personnel handbook to account for recent changes in state legislation for Pregnancy
and Parenting Leave and Sick and Safe Leave. Additional changes include amendment to the employee
recognition policy and addition of drug and alcohol testing for commercial drivers. The handbook governs
personnel policies and procedures for city staff.
0
16
2.02.4 Safety Committee.
The Orono Safety Committee continued to meet in 2024. The main charge of this committee is to review injuries
on duty, and to determine if they could have been prevented and how they can be prevented in the future. The
City renewed its contract for services with Safe Assure to draft updated safety manuals and compliance
documents, provide required and voluntary safety training, and to conduct building safety inspections. Required
AWAIR, Right to Know, Blood borne Pathogen, Emergency Action Plans, and Ergonomics training was provided to
all employees.
In 2024, the process for reporting claims have been updated to include all incidents to account for best practices,
causing an uptick in claims reported. However, the City's worker's compensation mode decreased from 0.65 to
0.61, meaning the City's risk compared to other cities is significantly lower than average (=1).
2.02.5
Item
2022
2023
2024
Workers Comp Claims
2
1
9
Lost Days
0
0
16
Cheers Committee.
The Cheers Committee is charged with planning and executing city staff moral and welfare activities.
Events this year included the Staff appreciation summer picnic, Staff recognition holiday party and the
annual chili cook -off. The committee also participated in the City's first ever staff wellness fair. Of special
note was the Staff Holiday luncheon and charity auction. Proceeds from the auction ($4,000) along with
toys and gifts were provided to a local family in need.
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17
3.0 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
3.01 Overview.
The administrative services department is responsible for nine functions including public meetings, election
administration, records management, legal, licensing, permitting, communications, recycling collection,
compostable organics, and payment processing.
3.02 Team.
The department includes three full-time employees, two part-time employees, and over 80 election workers.
Nola Dickhausen has served Orono for over seven years and was a spotlight employee in the May newsletter.
Administrative Assistant Joe Ruthenberg and City Clerk Christine Lusian completed their first year with Orono. Joe
was recommended for an internal promotional opportunity in December. Records Technicians Brian Torney and
Karen Johnson started as temporary employees. They have been here for two years and one -and -a -half years
respectively, and are now as permanent employees. Brian was a spotlight employee in the September newsletter.
A new Communications Specialist position was created to be filled in 2025.
records management
permits, licensing
recycling, organics
website, social media,
newsletter, communication
election assistance, absentee
voting coordination
management support
special projects
customer service
customer service
permits, licensing
payment processing
records maintenance
organics, recycling
elections assistance
communications, web,
social media
records preparation,
conversion, quality control,
destruction tracking,
retention schedule
administer election procedures
according to the law
voter assistance
equipment maintenance
open/close polls
material and supplies
customer service
balance, document activity
maintain order
8
18
3.03 Public Meetings.
Pre -meeting preparation and post -meeting follow up for City Council regular meetings
and work sessions is a core service the administration team provides. The team
coordinated nearly 50 meetings for Council members alone, which averages about one
per week.
Public meeting streaming services are now provided by Swagit and the implementation
of this project nearly complete. This service has now been available for one year and
includes live streaming of public meetings and transcription so that residents can
conveniently observe the meetings on their home computer or mobile device.
Public meeting agenda packets are now developed in a Granicus product called Peak and the implementation of this
project is complete. Members can manage their agenda and meeting preparation in a product called iLegislate.
In addition to public meetings, the team coordinates non-public meetings, like new employee welcome events, team
meetings, training, etc.
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19
3.04 Elections.
Orono administers city, county, state, and federal elections for its residents in even -numbered years. School district
elections are administered in odd -numbered years by each school district. Although the administrative team
routinely administers elections every other year, the team has to remain certified and prepared to administer a
special election at any time with little notice if an office for any level of representative becomes vacant.
The team developed plans and budget for five elections in 2024 including record maintenance work to remain in
compliance with the retention and destruction schedule. Records from 2022 elections were able to be destroyed
opening up more room in our storage area.
Date of election
Mar 5
Apr 30
May 14
Aug 13
Nov 5
Type of election
Primary -
Primary -
General -
Primary
General
Presidential
Special
Special
President;
Federal office
President
Senator
Vice President;
Senator;
Representative D3
Senator D45;
Representative D45A;
Chief Justice;
Associate Justice SC5;
State office
-
_
_
Senator
Associate Justice SC6;
D45
Judges COA 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12,
14;
Judges DC 2, 3, 6, 10, 11, 12,
13, 15, 17, 22, 24, 33, 40, 44,
48, 49, 56, 58, 59
County office
-
Commissioner
Commissioner
-
Commissioner D6
D6
D6
Local office
-
-
-
-
Mayor; Councilmembers (2)
Pre -Registered voters
6,361
6,379
6,388
6,472
6,626
New registrations
18
1
5
16
175
Voters — absentee
108
31
42
121
3,671
Voters — election day
855
195
428
606
2,347
Election workers
26
24
25
51
80
3.05 Records.
Administration reviewed about 54 requests for public documents or an average of one every week. The process
includes review and confirmation of the request, record search and retrieval, review of the data for redaction,
protection of not public data, processing payment, copying and transmitting the records, and archiving the fulfilled
request as public data to be maintained by the department for three years. These statistics do not include requests
for police records. A total of 383 property address folders were parsed, scanned, transferred, and update existing
Laserfiche files. Council packets from 1990-1993 and planning packets from 1987-1988 were scanned and
transferred to Laserfiche. There are now 75 years of historical city council meeting minutes conveniently accessible
online to the public.
Activity
2021
2022
2023
2024
Requests for public records
34
34
50
54
Records added
13,001
32,787
im
20
3.06 Legislative.
Ordinances, resolutions, and proclamations are formal statements made by the city council and incorporated into
permanent public record: ordinances are the permanent local law that regulates activities in the city, resolutions
are decisions or actions less formal than a law, and proclamations are celebratory or for recognition.
Codification is a process authorized by Minn. Stat.§ 415.021 that includes a full legal and thorough review of the
city's municipal code that helps ensure that provisions are comprehensive, lawful and enforceable. This
comprehensive legal review is recommended every 10-15 years for municipal codes to address the needs of the
city's stakeholders. Orono initiated this review in 2022 and have nearly completed the project in 2024 with
publication scheduled in 2025.
Activity
2021
2022
2023
2024
Resolutions adopted
42
31
51
109
Ordinances enacted
16
14
7
27
3.07 Permit and Licensing.
Administrative services assists with issuing building permits, and coordinates with contractors and property
owners to schedules inspections. The team also issues all dog park passes to the Susan E. Lurton Nature and Off
Leash Dog Park.
The team scheduled 2820 building inspections, 286 less than last year, issued 1381 building permits reflecting a
18% decrease from last year and processed 553 dog park passes, a 9% decrease from last year.
Over 689 administrative business licenses and permits were processed by the team, not include building permits.
Permits and Licenses Processed
2021
2022
2023
2024
Alcohol
7
7
7
8
Tobacco
6
6
8
8
Sales / Merchant
1
1
10
5
Rental Home
17
22
27
31
Waste Hauler
5
4
4
5
Kennel
6
4
1
2
Gambling
5
3
3
0
Fireworks
2
2
1
1
Special Events
17
22
22
23
Hunting/Firearm
44
46
53
52
Tent
2
8
1
1
Lurton Dog Park
857
799
608
553
Building
1430
1420
1687
1381
Inspections scheduled
3076
2986
3106
2820
iD
21
3.08 Communications.
The Communications Department serves as the first point of contact for visitors, staff, and contractors at City Hall,
connecting with the community in -person, online, and over the phone. In 2024, the department played a pivotal
role in ensuring seamless communication between the City of Orono and its residents, while enhancing the overall
transparency and accessibility of information.
Externally, we utilized a variety of channels to keep the community informed, engaged, and connected:
• Website: Our website saw 310,400 views, serving as a central hub for city -related information, updates,
and resources.
• Subscribers: Over the course of the year, the department sent more than 201 email and text
communications, reaching residents and stakeholders with key updates, announcements, and
newsletters.
• Social Media: Our social media presence flourished, with 199 posts on Facebook, featuring a diverse
range of content such as photos, links, videos, and reels, while 88 posts were made on Instagram to
engage a broader audience through visual storytelling and city updates.
• Print: A total of 9 print items were mailed to the community, including newsletters, utility bill notes,
flyers, and the annual report, ensuring important information reached all residents.
Website:
In 2024, the Communications Department embarked on a
significant project to refresh the design and user experience of the
City of Orono's website. The redesign was guided by valuable
insights, including data showing that 53.6% of our users access the
site via desktop, with mobile device usage following closely
behind. This information helped shape a more user-friendly and
responsive design that caters to both desktop and mobile visitors.
Here's a snapshot of the website's performance in 2024:
desktop
mobile
tablet
smart tv
• Total Users: 109,284 — This represents a notable increase from 95,045 in 2023, reflecting a growing
interest in our online presence.
• New Users: 107,792 — A significant jump from 93,866 in 2023, indicating a strong influx of first-time
visitors engaging with the city's resources.
• Average Session Duration: 2:42 — This is an improvement over last year's 2:27, suggesting that visitors
are spending more time exploring the website's content, an encouraging sign of engagement.
• Total Views: 310,400 — Up from 262,871 in 2023, showing a marked increase in page views as residents
and stakeholders turn to the website for timely information and services.
The website's redesign aimed to enhance usability and streamline access to key resources for residents, visitors,
and businesses. Along with these performance metrics, certain pages stood out as particularly popular, reflecting
areas of high interest and engagement within the community. Below are the most viewed pages for 2024.
12
0r
Orono, MN I Official Website
Orono Orchards Public Golf Course I Orono, MN
Search • Orono, MN • CivicEngage
Subscribers (email and text messages):
In 2024, the department sent out 201 messages, with
50,513 delivered and 28,183 opened. While these
numbers are lower than previous years, they reflect a
broader shift towards social media for communication.
Subscribers showed the most interest in city projects and
meeting agendas. The top -performing emails included
the "Vacant Seat on City Council' notice, followed by
"Voting Open Nov 3-4" and "Westbound North Shore
Drive Closure Starts February 12".
While email engagement has decreased, it remains a
valuable tool for direct communication with the community.
41,865
22,148
15,809
MESSAGE OPEN RATE
■ Delivered ■ Opened
100000
50000 = _
0
2021 2022 2023 2024
Social media:
In 2024, the department saw significant growth in engagement across our social media platforms, specifically on
Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook:
i Top content by views
#firefactfriday
Halloween is a fun an...
Fri Oct4, 2:16pm
® 3.9K • 30
■12 o►3
T Thank you
❑rono community..
Sat Dec 7, 4:11 pm
® 2.5 K • 3
•3 w4
Total Views: 52,000
Total Reach: 19,400 (up 197.6% from 2023)
City Council
VACANCY
Content Interactions: 2,700 (up 411.7%)
These metrics highlight a strong year of growth,
with a remarkable increase in both reach and
Vacant seat on City
interactions, reflecting more community
Council. Council...
Thu Nw 14,4:29pm
engagement with our content.
®2K 94
■0 w2
13
23
Instagram:
F] Top content by views
4WF
' j. 1
HAPPY
THAKKSGIVIKG!
Th..fto and Frldap,
2�., &'29.F
City offices will be
closed on Thursday...
Wed Nov 27, 1:56pm
® 137 • o
■o +o
#firefactfriday 0
The Orono Fire...
Fri Jul 26, 130pm
® 5 2 /o
■5 *0
Mirefactfriday
Unintentional action...
Fri Jul 19, 11:26am
® 49 • 2
■1 +o
Total Views: 709
Total Reach: 280 (up 1,500% from 2023)
Content Interactions: 7 (up 100%)
Though Instagram's metrics remain smaller in
comparison to Facebook, the platform experienced
an extraordinary increase in reach, demonstrating a
growing interest in visual content. Content
interactions also doubled, indicating better
audience engagement.
Together, these results demonstrate the increasing importance of social media in our communication strategy,
with Facebook showing substantial growth and Instagram gaining traction among followers.
Print:
The administrative services team creates this annual report, newsletters, utility bill insert flyers, and other
messages distributed by USPS mail. We also publish in the Laker Pioneer newspaper.
Product
2021
2022
2023
2024
Description
Newsletter
3
6
6
6
Bi-monthly four -to -six page of current information
Note
12
36
0
1
Short note on utility bill for information related to billing customers, like
recycling charge explanation, billing contact information, etc.
Flyer
NA
7
5
1
Two -page monthly flyer with community related information for residents
in their utility bill
Annual Report
1
1
1
1
Over fifty pages of activities and services provided and easy to read recap
of the year.
3.09 Waste.
Organics recycling drop off drew 227 participants, a 22% increase from last year. Waste
Management collects and transfers organics to one of two sites: Shakopee Mdewakanton
Sioux Community's Organics Recycling Facility (SMSC ORF) or Specialized Environmental
Technologies (SET).
• Open system trash collection (residents choose from 4 licensed haulers)
• Organized recycling collection (city coordinates on behalf of residents for pricing and
services with Waste Management)
• Drop off compostable organics (residents drop off and city coordinates on behalf of
residents for hauling and pricing with Waste Management)
• Orono licensed an additional waste hauler this year, Suburban Waste Services.
Compostable organics participants
Volume of single -sort recycling collected curbside
4�due
2021 2022 2023 2024
NA 147 186 227
651 tons 586 tons 538 tons 598 tons
{
14
24
3.10 Payment Processing.
Payments are received in person, by mail, on-line and at the drop box outside city hall. The department processed
6,373 payments at the front desk, receipting in nearly four million dollars ($3,930,717.44). The payments
processed at the front desk includes payments for utility bills, invoices, permit application fees, dog park passes,
and business licenses to name a few.
15
25
4.0 FINANCE.
4.01 Overview.
The Finance Department is tasked with administering all the financial activities of the City. It also oversees the
City's human resource functions, information technology systems, investment and risk management.
4.02 Organization and Staff.
The department includes 5 Full-time employees: Finance
Director, Accountant, IT Technician and Resource Management
Technician. 2024 saw the growth of the IT division with the
addition of an IT Manager position and in December, a position
transition in the finance division from a Resource Management
Technician to an Accounting Technician.
4.03 Bond Rating.
The City's bond rating is a measure of the City's overall tax base, debt management and fiscal strength. Since
2005, the City of Orono has held a triple-A (Aaa) bond rating, the highest possible rating, and continues to hold
that rating in 2024.
4.04 By the Numbers (Metrics).
Area
Measure
Target
2023
2024
Debt Management
Bond Rating
Aaa
Aaa
Aaa
Cash Management
Portfolio Invested 12/31
$ 14,746,840
$ 17,076,829
Accounts Payable
# of Invoice Paid
4,404
4,935
# of Checks Issued
2,280
2,610
# of ACH Transactions Sent
104
182
Accounts Receivable
# of Invoices Sent
-
166
195
Cash Receipting
# of Payments Received
-
46,938
41,683
Payroll
# of W2's Issued
-
106
189
Utility Billing
Accuracy of Billing
100%
>99%
>99%
# of Utility Bills Sent
-
33,629
33,437
# of Service Orders
-
70
90
Annual Audit
# of Findings/Deficiencies
0
2
1
Regulations Compliance
# of State Deadlines Not Met
0
2
0
Risk Management
Workman's Compensation
Premium Experience Factor
<1.0
.65
.61
In addition to the metrics, both Human Resources and IT onboarded over 34 new employees, including fire,
election staff and new Council members.
iD
26
4.05 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
The annual audit is to provide assurance that the financial statements are free of material misstatement. The
auditor also considers the internal control relevant to the City's preparation and fair presentation of the financial
statements. There was one finding in the 2023 audit performed in 2024. The audit was completed in time for the
first time in seven years.
4.06 Financial Updates.
At the end of each quarter, the Finance department prepares a year-to-date financial update report for the City
Council. 2024 year-end is projected to end with a positive net income in the General Fund.
4.07 Budget.
In 2024, the 2025 budget was prepared through coordination of the Finance department with the City
Administrator, other departments and the City Council. The City was able to achieve the City Council's goal of
maintaining a level levy rate while providing the necessary resources to maintain quality levels of service. The Tax
Levy adopted, payable in 2025, is $9,631,000, with an estimated tax capacity rate of 16.35%.
2025 GENERAL FUND REVENUE BUDGET
Prapartr Tames
SM —.000000ma—
Mescelt.—, Rev ,
0%
I rnestment R--
1%
Fines and Fwa n
aX
��.inuootr
]O,OOgOa[I
R oa000d
b.�a0.000
aA00,OP]
7,da7pa0
LEVY BY USE
2025 BUDGETED EXPENDITURE BY SERVICE TYPE
0ther
Pork, 2%
Pnbticwa7k
E%
Licenses
P%
Permits
} S%
I General Government
In[ergovernmental IS%
3%
:en Guvt Seance Charges
6%
rueuc xmry ac.vac �narg�s
24%
?020 2071 2022 2023
9.3-1 F'M I F."s. F.* ■ Flta Caahal Fl a
Public Safety
72x
2025 BUDGETED EXPENDITURE BY CATEGORY
Supph" &
Maintenance
1%
IM1$Ur]a[ei
2%
Professional Sern-
15%
Persowl Services
68X
Other Empenses
4%
C.lpital Outlay
2%
7�a lids` Transfers to Other
•FY1e^P'� ta"10i'^ Cantiew leieS Funds
D% 2%
17
NFA
4.08 Payroll/Human Resource.
In 2024, the Employee Handbook was updated to comply with state law changes, specifically the Parenting and
Parental Leave Act. The Accountant received certification as a Human Resource Generalist. Staff implemented an
onboarding and offboarding module through NeoGov software. A workplace culture assessment was completed to
invest in the City's employees and work towards building a better workplace. The City also held its first ever
annual wellness fair for staff.
4.09 Accounts Payable.
Staff had processed a record number of invoices, checks and ACH payments.
4.10 Utility Billing (UB) and Administration.
Finance continues to work closely with Public Works staff to replace dead meters and identify leaks through
monitoring monthly meter readings. Throughout the year, inserts were included with monthly bills to
communicate City happenings. Data logging of meters continues to help residents better understand their usage
and conserve water.
4.11 Information and Communications Systems.
The Information Technology Division provides IT services for the City and works in collaboration with LOGIS.
During 2024, there were numerous big projects completed by the IT division. IT had successfully set up IT
infrastructure at the new Public Works building, the North temporary Fire Station and the Navarre Fire Station.
Some of these infrastructures includes fiber, firewall, switchboards, fuel system and phonelines. IT loaded all field
computers with the Safety Data sheet program. Over 39 City computers' operating systems have been upgraded
to Windows 11. IT also upgraded from manual redaction of police video footage to a redaction software.
M
28
5.0 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
5.01 Overview.
The Community Development Department is responsible for the review of developments, permitting and the
implementation of land use plans and policies of the City Council through administration of ordinances. The
Department reviews permit and land use applications to ensure compliance with zoning regulations that include:
setback, structural coverage, floodplain management, and shoreland requirements. The department provides
service and information to the general public, property owners, builders, and developers on all aspects of
development and land use within Orono. We also work with other agencies including Lake Minnetonka
Conservation District, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, DNR, Hennepin County and Metropolitan Council;
with these other agencies we attend workshops, provide feedback on policies and coordinate permitting projects.
As a department, we manage the Planning Commission and began new recruitment efforts for 2025 to fulfill
upcoming vacancies.
This year we completed a recodification to the zoning and subdivision chapters of the City Code. We lead multiple
work sessions with the City Council regarding regulations and implementation of the average lakeshore setback
and cannabis ordinances. We coordinated with the DNR on updating the shoreland regulations. We also attended
and provided feedback on multiple workshops held by the Met Council regarding different regional workshops
including water resources, comprehensive planning and natural environment systems.
5.02 Organization and Staff.
The department consists of 6 personnel: The Community Development Director, two Planners, Building Official,
Building Inspector and a Planning Assistant. We onboarded a new planner, Matt Karney, in October of this year.
As a department, we work closely with the other departments throughout the city. In 2024, we coordinated with
the Police and Administrative Departments to review and implement cannabis regulations. Additionally, we
coordinate with the Administration Department for over-the-counter permits and data retention projects. We
collaborated with the Finance Department on our department budget. We worked together with the Public
Works Department on building permits, and encroachment agreements. Lastly, we also worked in partnership
with the Parks Department with the development of a tree study throughout the city and constructing a new
shelter at the Golf Course.
5.03. Department Activity Summary.
Year To Date
Year
New
Home
New Home
Valuation
Total
permits
Open Code
Enforcement
Closed Code
Enforcement
Land Use
Applications
2024
27
$50,615,442
1381
88
84
70
2023
43
$45,174,490
1687
84
62
63
2022
54
$53,352,900
1420
134
114
71
% of 2023 1 63% 1 112% 1 82% 1 105% 1 135% 1 111% 1
of 2022 1 50% 1 95% 1 97% 1 66% 1 74% 1 99%
in
29
5.04 Planning.
In 2024, the Community Development Department processed 70 total land use applications.
2024
Total Land Use
Applications
Variances
CUPS
Text
Amendments
Subdivision (Sketches, Prelim
Plat, Final Plat, Exemptions)
Other
70
74
6
6
18
4
Many of the land use applications included multiple variance requests due to the unique challenges on properties
throughout the city. There were multiple large text amendment ordinances initialed with the recodification
project which clarified and corrected sections of the zoning and subdivision chapters within the City Code. The
department also took the lead on reviewing the new state regulations regarding cannabis businesses, and
implemented a text amendment addressed zoning, locations and setbacks for cannabis business. We reviewed
multiple new subdivision projects with 7 preliminary plat applications and 3 final plat approvals in 2024. Other
projects reviewed by the department include; a soil remediation project was approved for the Orono Park Gun
Club, and multiple interim use permits were approved to allow for large grading projects on multiple golf courses
in the community. Staff also conducted multiple work session with the City Council regarding the Average
Lakeshore Setback ordinance and reviewed the intent and applicability of the regulation. The table below reflects
the land use applications that are being processed through the department.
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
w
d
N
.0
s
v
Q
E
0
U
U., d d
C E U
E
C C bo
"O
O N C
E 0
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d N d
U Y i
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a
2024
C
O
Q
N
w
A
C
O
al
w
Y
M O 0
U a)U LL
M GA i N
i Y
Q J
Amendments CUP/IUPSite Plan Subdivision Vacation
5.05 Building.
Variance Agreements
The Building Department ensures the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens and visitors of Orono by reviewing
both residential and commercial construction plans and inspecting construction projects to ensure compliance
with State Building and Construction codes.
20
30
Measure
2024
2023
2021
2022
Building permit Revenue
(2024 Budget- $565,000)
$708,226.14
$843,085
$ 486,179
$ 591,261
Number of Permits issued
1381
1687
1430
1420
Number of Inspections
2820
3106
2986
2808
5.06 Code Enforcement.
In 2024, 88 code enforcement cases were filed. The department performed 178 code enforcement inspections for
complaints submitted by residents, however any inspections on complaints associated with active project were
completed as part of an open building permit. Complaints are all made by the public and submitted into the
system to for staff to review and inspect. As a department as share these duties and work with property owners
to achieve compliances.
21
31
6.0 PARKS AND FACILITITES.
6.01 Overview.
The City of Orono features over 260 acres of maintained parks, trails, and open space. There are twenty-one parks
that range from small pocket parks, playgrounds, an off -leash dog park, and a nine -hole golf course. The parks
department oversees operations in the parks, golf course and city owned facilities. In addition to our own
properties, the City of Orono also maintains the parks system for Spring Park. The parks department consists of
five full-time employees, and up to 20 seasonal employees throughout the year.
6.02 Organization and Staff.
There has been a lot change to the Parks Department this past year, but even with the staff challenges the
dedicated and talented employees have risen to the task. Greg, came aboard in April as our new Golf Course
Superintendent, and Mitch joined the team in June. Jake and Zack, our two interns from last year, came back as
seasonal help for Parks and the Golf Course. Kim is responsible for managing the golf course clubhouse and
coordinating events like the Annual Tree Lighting. Julie who joined the city in December of 2023 is responsible for
building maintenance and custodial services for city owned facilities. This team all shares the same goal of making
the City of Orono the best that it can be!
6.04 Parks and Trails.
6.04.01 Park Usage.
Sports Fields - The sports fields at Bederwood and Hackberry were busy throughout the year. The soccer
field at Bederwood, along with t-ball and flag football at Hackberry, saw heavy usage.
• Lurton Dog Park —The dog park continues to be one of the busiest Orono parks. 456 parking passes were
purchased with more than half of the passes being sold to nonresidents. A project to expand the parking lot was
completed and was welcomed greatly by the park patrons. Access to the dog was disrupted for most of the year
due to construction on Wayzata Blvd, contributing to the slight decrease in parking passes in 2024.
6.04.02 Parks Turf Maintenance and Improvements.
2024 was an excellent year for park maintenance. Our team concentrated on addressing some overdue
maintenance in the parks, and we were thrilled with the results.
• Playgrounds - Several playground areas were pruned to improve light, airflow, and visibility. All
playgrounds were thoroughly inspected for safety and pressure -washed. This provided a great opportunity
to add new mulch to the playground containers.
• Continuing Education — The Parks Department staff were trained and licensed as pesticide applicators. As
certified applicators, we remain informed about regulations, safety, and environmental impacts.
Lurton Dog Park: An additional 14 parking stalls and one additional ADA stall were added to the parking
lot, as well as re -striping and new fencing. Staff enhanced the landscaping at the park entrance and
around the dog bone sculpture.
22
32
• Big Island — Maintenance and cleaning were performed weekly throughout the summer, and septic tanks
were pumped out —a significant task for an island.
• Tree Maintenance — Many trees in the parks were trimmed to remove dead branches, raise the canopy,
and improve overall health. Several Ash trees were removed due to the impact of the Emerald Ash Borer
(EAB). The Parks Department staff, along with a certified arborist, are currently implementing a Tree
Management Plan. This plan will guide the city and staff in making thoughtful decisions as we address the
Emerald Ash Borer damage throughout our parks, facilities, and right-of-way's. This project was made
possible by a grant awarded by Hennepin County, representing an exciting opportunity for the City of
Orono to maintain and protect one of its greatest assets.
6.05 Golf Course.
The Orono Orchard Golf Course had another successful year. Kim Linder,
the clubhouse manager, played a key role in introducing new leagues and
expanding the junior golfer program. Last year, all league nights were fully
booked, and they are returning this year with additional morning leagues.
The golf course hosted four tournaments, all of which had great turnouts.
Spring rains temporarily alleviated drought conditions, but summer
brought heavy rains that created wet conditions, impacting cart usage on
the course and leading to fewer rounds played. By September, near -
record warm temperatures and minimal rainfall returned drought
conditions in the fall of 2024, which increased the need for staff to
manage watering and irrigation repairs.
Additionally, drainage repairs were completed between the 4th green and the 5th tee box, as well in and around
the clubhouse.
Golf Course Revenues
Year
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Greens Fees
$246,026.24
$252,577.16
$240,372.36
$275,949.80
$230,790.11
Rentals- Golf Carts &
Clubs
$85,925
$101,383.11
$103,678.33
$113,071.04
$90,666.09
Alcohol Sales
$12,066.89
$16,159.11
$20,686.46
$26,161.23
$20,175.92
Concessions
$5,163.29
$9,048.63
$11,561.61
$12,267.26
$10,522.98
Merchandise
$3,928.32
$6,053.66
$5,966.67
$6,013.00
$6,584.00
$353,109.60
$385,221.67
$382,265.43
$433,462.33
$358,739.10
&XL.m �"`- In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the golf
300Yea Celebration course, a new pavilion was built, with generous support
from the Orono Lions Club, and new apple trees were
planted nearby. Tree and buckthorn removal also
became a significant focus for the staff at the course.
23
33
6.06 Events.
On December 7th, the City of Orono hosted its 5th annual
Tree Lighting Event at the Orono Orchards Golf Course.
Live music, a toy and food drive, hot chocolate, s'mores,
and more made the event a huge success! The Orono
Lions generously donated their time to grill hot dogs and
brats for those in attendance. A big thank you to our
amazing 2024 Tree Lighting Sponsors!
6.07 Facilities.
In 2024, the Parks Department took on the additional responsibilities of managing the newly opened Public Works
building while still managing the old Public Works building now serving as a Fire Station. Repairs, renovations and
added amenities continued at all the facilities.
24
34
7.0. PUBLIC WORKS
7.01 Overview.
The public works department is responsible for the maintenance of the city's infrastructure including streets,
stormwater, water, sanitary sewer and fleet. In addition, the department provides several community services,
including the brush site and clean up days. The department also provides service via contract for operational
maintenance services of Water, Sanitary Sewer, Stormwater, and Parks, Streets (minus snow removal) for the City
of Spring Park.
2024 was a special year for the Department with the grand
opening of our new state of the art Facility to meet the
e growing needs of the city's Public Works, Parks and Fleet
departments.1�
A summary of Orono work effort in 2024 in the form of tasks completed broken down into key areas is listed
below.
7.02 Organization and Staff.
To accomplish the Public Works mission we have a small, but dedicated team of full time, part time and seasonal
employees. Public works has a staff of 13 full time employees, plus seasonal positions during the summer. The
mechanic focuses on the maintenance of our fleet (including police and Fire vehicles and equipment) and ensuring
equipment is working properly for use throughout the city.
We had two employees resign and Our Utility Supervisor Scott Oberaigner retire after 34 years of service to the
city. We saw our administrative assistant get promoted to a position in our fiance department. The three new
hires this year replaced the resigned, retired and promoted employees.
7.03 By the Numbers (Metrics).
Department
2021
2022
2023
2024
Fleet
173
531**
651
655
Facilities
247
162
229
***
Sanitary
3098
3546
3074
3430
Water
959
2562
1232
1337
Streets
771
1302
1565
1329
Stormwater
125
210
784
473
Other: (Admin; Events)
523
501
449
30
Completed Tasks
5896
8814
7984
7695
** The addition of the mechanic position in 2022 led to the increase in equipment tasks that we were able to
complete.
*** Other used to include Parks, Engineering and Facilities now compiled under their sections.
25
35
7.04 Streets.
The department's goal is to preserve and improve the city transportation system providing safe and reliable
roadways for our residents, integrated with county and state systems in a way that is fiscally and environmentally
responsible. The city maintains 57 miles of public streets; 1417 street signs, 3 bridges, 13 guardrails, 125,000 feet
of pavement marking and 73 city owned street lights.
7.04.01 By the Numbers (Metrics).
Strategy
Measure
Target
2021
2022
2023
2024
Focus efforts and
Average PCI Rating
80+
79.9
78.5
80.7
80.9
Ton of Asphalt used in
Decreasing trend '2�j
74.5
73.1
52.65
38
resources on
preventive
Patching
maintenance in order
to maximize the
Feet of Crack Sealing
25000
31000
0
51,858
Miles Overlaid
2.5
1.25
3.4
.38
0
longevity of the
Miles Reconstructed
1
.65
.5
1.04
1.7
pavement. React to
maintenance issues.
(includes reclaims)
Signs Inspected
100% of
269
315
479
322
Maintenance
District
Execute City Street
Signs Replaced
60
62
21
95
93
Sign Policy to replace
Signs Reduced
As many as possible
9
0
2
36
worn or damaged
guide, warning, &
regulatory signs.
Execute City Snow and
Number of Snow and Ice
NA
13
17
42
10
Ice Policy
Events
Reduce chlorides used
Tons of salt per mile per
0.25
1.82
.26
.42
.76
through adoption of
event
snow and Ice best
Gallons of Brine Pretreat
50
10
10.2
34.9
7.6
practices
per mile per event
*2024 Snow and salt calculations are based on 2023-2024 winter season.
I] ,
SPEED
LIMIT
30
YIELD
HO
PASSING
LONE
26
36
7.04.02 Key Activities.
Holiday decorations consisting of flags, banners and lighted decorations are put on our street lights to display
holiday cheer, show support to our community, and honor our veterans.
7.05 Stormwater Maintenance.
The department's goal is to protect property and the natural environment from the effects of flooding and
pollution through proactive maintenance of the stormwater drainage system. The city maintains and extensive
stormwater system consisting of 598 culverts & Storm Pipes, 11 outfalls, 433 catch basins and 16 storm ponds.
7.05.01 By the Numbers (Metrics).
Strategy
Measure
Target
2021
2022
2023
2024
Decrease the risk of flooding for facilities
# of structures
0
0
0
0
0
flooded
Reduce pollutants from entering the
Cubic Yards of
Increasing trend
23
38.9
25
50
stormwater system and surface water bodies
sweepings removed
7i
through street sweeping.
from city streets
Pounds of phosphorus
Increasing trend
—11.5
—19.4
22.7
25
removed
7i
Proactively maintain the system by inspecting
Number of Structures
100% of
91
71
469
300
1/5 of the system each year and using those
inspected
Maintenance
inspections to inform maintenance activities.
Area
Number of structures
As needed
1
3
3
9
replaced or repaired
# Of ponds Inspected
100% of
4
4
4
4
Maintenance
Area
7.05.02 Key Activities.
The storm culvert on Tamarack Drive was replaced in November of this year. Various ditching projects also
occurred though the summer and fall to improve drainage in areas of the city.
7.06 Sanitary Sewer Maintenance.
The department's goal is to provide a safe and efficient sanitary sewer collection system. The sanitary sewer
system consists of 329,728 feet of sewer main, 1238 Manholes, 46 Lift Stations, 19 Stationary Backup Generators
and 4 Portables serving 2253 customers.
27
37
7.06.01 By the Numbers (Metrics).
Strategy
Measure
Target
2022
2023
2024
Clean and inspect all city sewers
at least every five years to
identify area requiring
maintenance or possible I&I
locations to drive sanitary
rehabilitation projects.
Feet of sewer main
cleaned/televised/ inspected
100% of
maintenance
Area
45,345
35,021
26,000
Number of sewer Backups
0
0
0
1
Number of I&I Exceedances
0
0
0
0
Inspect all of the City's lift
stations annually and
rehabilitate 2 per year
Lift Stations inspected
46
46
46
47
Lift Stations rehabilitated
2
2
2
2
Inspect all new Sewer
Connection for compliance with
CEAM standards
Number of sewer service
installation inspections
100%
57
52
24
Reduce I&I though inspect and
require repairs to sanitary
sewer Services
Point of Sale Sewer Inspection
79
74
80
[Issues
25
21
38
I Correction made
20
17
30
7.06.02 Key Activities.
The City's Point of Sale Inspection Program, consists of inspection of residential sanitary sewer service lines of
homes for sale. The service line leading from the home to the sewer main, this inspection is looking for damage of
the pipe including, blockages, cracks, tree roots and dirt or water infiltrating the line. The city gets charged from
Met Council for excessive inflow and infiltration into the sanitary sewer system. Public Works staff completed 80
Point of Sale inspections and outside vendor inspection reviews. Data from this year indicated that 49% of lines
inspected required some kind of repair.
7.07 Water System Operations.
The department's goal is to provide safe and reliable drinking water that meets federal and state water quality
requirements. The municipal Water system consists of over 126,000 feet of water main, 4 wells, 2 water towers,
293 hydrants, 362 valves serving 1180 customers.
7.07.01 By the Numbers (Metrics)
Strategy
Measure
Target
2022
2023
2024
Proactively maintain the system
through inspections and exercising
hydrants and valves.
Number of water main breaks
0
4
5
3
Hydrants flushed
293
325
107
96
Valves exercised
308
412
3
11
Water Services inspected
All new
36
25
10
Ensure wells, plants and storage is
reliable and functioning efficiently
Gallons pumped
As needed
156M
144M
97M ** Rainy year
7.08 Fleet Division.
The Fleet Division is responsibility for preventive maintenance and repairs to our equipment and fleet for all
departments. This consists of over 200 pieces to maintain. To accomplish these tasks the Fleet Supervisor /
Mechanic and Mechanic coordinate repairs and schedules with departments for out of service times.
28
38
7.08.01 Key Actives.
The Fleet Division's move into the new facility has allowing for an
increase in the efficiency of maintenance of the fleet. The added
space and equipment has assisted with maintaining an inventory of
spare parts and supplies, which has help to minimize equipment down
time. The division also assists departments with capital replacement
planning and equipment specifications for department purchases.
7.09 Services.
The public works manages several public service activities and events. They include the City Brush site, leaf and
grass clippings drop off, mulch and compost. The city also hosts spring and fall cleanup days.
7.09.01 By the Numbers (Metrics).
Strategy
Measure
2022
2023
2024
Spring and Fall Clean up Days
Residents served
297
223
230
Material Collected: Used Bicycles
76
87
110
Material Collected Appliances
196
114
189
Brush site
Residents served
n/a
3288
4541
Cubic Yards of Wood chips
4200
4000
5160
Much and Wood Chip issue point
Cubic Yards of Mulch
225
380
478
Cubic Yards of Wood chips
400
118
200
7.09.02 Key Activities.
During the Spring and Fall clean up one of the items accepted were bikes (new, used and unwanted). The bikes
weigh in at about 2,700 pounds, but more importantly, keeping these bikes on the road reduces the need to
manufacture new bicycles, which saves the world from approximately 8500 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution
and other greenhouse gasses CO2.
The city also partners with Hennepin County Environment & Energy, who recycles unused, new and gently used
building construction supplies, the Salvation Army, who recycles gentle used household clothing and furniture, and
Joni and Friends (Health care supplies) all who help manage the donations reducing the waste to the landfills.
29
39
8.0. ORONO FIRE DEPARTMENT.
8.01 Overview.
The Orono Fire Department is responsible for responding to calls for service in part of Orono. OFD uses a hybrid
model of part-time and paid -on -call firefighters to staff a duty crew from 0600 to 2200 hours. The Duty Officer and
the paid -on -call firefighters respond to calls for service from 2200 to 0600 hours seven days a week.
In the first 6 months of 2024, the Orono Fire Department started training,
working on the apparatus, creating a relief association, and modifying the old
public works building. All of this was completed, and we were operationally
ready for our start date to service a third of Orono. July 1, 2024, was a special
year for the Department. This was the first day that we responded to calls for
service. The picture to the right is our first -ever duty crew: Deputy Chief
Chwialkowski, Firefighter Jackson, and Kennedy.
8.02 Organization and Staff.
Orono continued to recruit and hire fighters throughout the year.
We ended the year with a Fire Chief, a Deputy Chief, two Captains,
two Lieutenants, nine part-time firefighters, and seven paid -on -call
firefighters for 22 personnel. We will continue to add firefighters to
our roster throughout the year as we ramp up for service to all of
Orono starting in January 2026.
8.03 Apparatus and Equipment.
The Orono Fire Department has a rescue pumper (E1), a ladder truck (L1), a
tanker/tender (T1), and three command vehicles. The Duty Crew uses E1 to
respond to calls for service, travel to perform preplans, and other duties. E1 is
housed out of Fire HQ, the old public works building. L1 is housed in the garage
by the Navarre water treatment plant. We also keep one of the command
vehicles at that location. The duty officer uses one command vehicle to respond
to calls for service, and the Fire Chief uses the other. From January to July,
firefighters mounted all of the trucks' equipment.
8.04 Fire Facilities.
The Orono Fire Department has two buildings that are used as fire stations. Fire HQ is the old public works
building; the other is a garage next to the Navarre water treatment plant. The firefighters have worked very hard
to make the fire stations their home.
30
40
8.05 Training.
We train as a group almost every Wednesday night. Each month, we also do online training that can be completed
on shift or at home. Our firefighters averaged 76.67 hours of training for the past six months, or a total average of
153.34 hours when projected over a year.
8.06 Response and Other Duties.
The Orono Fire Department responded to 95 calls for service from July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024. July was
our busiest month, followed closely by September. Our busier months are usually the summer months, and calls
tend to drop off in the fall and winter.
Calls by Month
�111W-WIXI INN' 1:1201► I:I:1:�041to] MI:i►101TH 1:1:1:i.]x81:1► I:l:I;a
31
41
Monday was the busiest day of the week. This will vary from year to year and over the past 10 years the middle of
the week was the busier time.
Calls by Day of Week
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
Our busiest time of the day is 1600 —1700 hours. The Duty Crew responds to calls from 0600 — 2200 hours, which
accounts for 82% of the calls for service. This is the usual distribution of calls by hour compared to the last 10
years for call data.
7-8
9-10
11 - 12
13-14
15 - 16
17 - 18
19-20
21-22
23-0
1-2
3-4
5-6
Calls for Service
0 2 4 6 8 10
12 14
32
i Pi
The Orono Fire Department responds to calls for service, performs preplans, attends community events, and
educates the public on fire prevention and compression -only CPR. We were at a community event about twice a
month, educating the citizens on community risk reduction. The firefighters completed 40 preplans. A fire preplan
is a detailed document that outlines specific procedures, hazards, and preparations for responding to a fire
emergency at a location. The preplan helps ensure that we are informed and prepared to act quickly and
efficiently, ultimately enhancing the safety of occupants and minimizing property damage. Regular updates and
drills are essential to keep the plan effective. These preplans are stored online in our response program First Due.
33
43
9.0 ENGINEERING.
9.01 Introduction.
The City Engineer is responsible for all public engineering and construction projects within the City of Orono. Key
areas of responsibility include: Construction; Development of the Capital Improvement Plan (street, sanitary
sewer, water main, storm sewer, bridge, and trail improvements); Grading Permit/plan review; Infrastructure
Review of proposed Developments; Management of infrastructure; Planning; Project Development; and Surface
Water Resource Management.
9.02 Organization and Staff.
The engineering staff consists of the City Engineer and a contract for engineering services with Bolton and Menk,
Inc.
9.03 Project Management.
Efficiently manage the design and construction of city projects. The table includes large capital projects
undertaken or completed in 2024.
ID Name
Project Description
Status
21-039 New
The project included
The project was substantially complete
Public Works
the procurement of a
in April of 2024. The project was
Facility
site, design, site
completed on time. Staff moved in in
preparation, utility `
May of 2024.
extension and �.
construction new 1`
Public Works Facility.�,,.,�
�q
22-021
The project is the final of a series of sanitary forcemain
The project was substantially completed
Forcemain
replacement project along Tonkawa Road. The projected
in the spring of 2024.
replacement on
replace 1630 ft of forcemain along Tonkawa road and
Tonkawa and
1500 feet along Partenwood Road.
Partenwood
PROTECT LOrATio% -
34
44
24-001
This project includes the
The project was completed in 2024 on
2024 Streets
reconstruction of Willow Drive„g;
time and under budget.
South (Fox to Brown), Partenwood
and Orchard Park Road.
o,
(fig
�f �'. •�4Wa
% 8
23-014 Sanitary
This Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation project consisted of
The project was completed on time and
sewer
Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) lining of infiltration susceptible
on budget.
rehabilitation
sanitary sewer pipes, manhole reconstruction, and lid
Project
replacement. The purpose of the project is to reduce
Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) into the Sanitary sewer
systems and extend the life to the existing pipes. The
lining process creates and new durable pipe within the
older pipe at a much -reduced cost from open curing or
directionally drilling in order to replace the older pipe.
24- 026 Lurton
This project was to expand the r N' I- � t"
._t,'
This project was completed in 2024
Parking Lot
existing parking lot to install 15
`
using a combination of contract and
Expansion
additional parking stalls.
parks staff labor.
Project
24-034 Navarre
This project included the renovation of the vehicle
The project was completed intime for
Fire Facility
storage facility at the Navarre water plant to facilitate its
the assumption of service by the OFD in
use as a temporary fire vehicle facility.
June of 2024.
9.04 Support to Staff Departments.
Provide support to the Planning and Zoning department through review of grading plans and development plans.
Strategy
Measure
I Target
12022
2023
2024
Complete Grading
Reviews
Number of building permit Grading
reviews completed
100% of those required
293
214
165
35
45
10.0 POLICE DEPARTMENT.
36
ORONO POLICE DEPARTMENT
2024 ANNUAL REPORT
Mission Statement
"The members of the Orono Police Department
are committed to providing the highest quality
policing through fairness, service and pride. To
foster this ideal, we promise to work in
parternship with the communities we serve.
ORONO POLICE
Email: pdwebpolice@oronomn.gov
Website: www.oronomn.gov/6a/police
Facebook.com/oronopolicedepartment
Or Twitter@policeorono
Non -Emergency: 952-258-5321
Administration: 9 5 2-249-4700
2730 Kelley Parkway, Orono, MN 55356
'9_
PF m
Message
We are pleased to present the Orono Police Department's 2024 Annual Report. Our
department is proud to serve the communities of Mound, Minnetonka Beach, Orono
and Spring Park. We cover approximately 28 square miles of land and serve over
20,000 citizens. We value our community relationships and strive to provide the
highest level of professionalism and compassion to every contact we have.
This report will encompass our community outreach programs, police services as wel
as crime trends and other activity throughout our jurisdiction.
On behalf of all of our staff members, thank you for
your continued support and we look forward to serving
you in the New Year.
Table of Contents
Community Outreach
IPMBA
National Night Out
D.A.R.E
Heart Safe Community Initiative
Traffic Safety Car
Bike Safety Rodeo
Embedded Social Worker
Halloween Boo Blast
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Program
Holiday Tree Lighting
Lake Minnetonka SWAT
Drug Take Back
Crime and Activity Reporting
Community Road Clean -Up
Activity Summary
Polar Plunge
Statistical Analysis Comparison
Firearm Safety
Supplemental Reporting
High School Forensics Day
Call Volume Summary
ivestigations Summary
Police Programs
Explorers
West Metro Drug Task Force
Reserves
CSO-Cadets
Personnel
2
48
Community Outreach
National Night Out
We had many wonderful neighborhoods hosting the 2024 National Night Out. It was a
great way to meet one another, build the community, and discover how to keep our
communities safe and a great place to
live. Our police and fire departments
joined each party. We had six police
officers, the chief of police, as well as
police reserve officers, a community
service officer and police cadets who
joined together to be at each
gathering. We want to thank everyone
who participated in this incredible
community event.
Heart Safe Community Initiative
Creating a Heart Safe Community is a public health initiative to help more people
survive after a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The action plan created within this initiative
prioritizes where and who to target in the community with CPR training and AED
strategic device placement, such as in our schools and teaching our students. Ten
Orono police officers, along with over 50 other public safety professionals participated
at this year's event at the Mound Westonka High School. Through several different
stations students learned to recognize warning signs and symptoms of SCA, the
knowledge of CPR training and how to use an AED.
3
49
Bike Safety Rodeo
The Orono Police Department, along with Our Lady of the Lake School and Mound Fire
Department, participated in the second annual Bike Safety Rodeo. A bike rodeo is a fun
way to introduce bicycle safety to kids and also gives them a chance to practice these
skills. The event was a great turnout. There were four stations that included an
obstacle course, bike maintenance checks, helmet fitting and hand signals
time to help the kids become better bicyclists.
Halloween Boo Blast and Local Celebrations
Lunds & Byerly's hosted a Boo Blast and Fall Festival at the
Navarre location. Kids arrived dressed in their costumes and
were greeted by employees, police officers and firefighters.
They participated in fun activities and definitely enjoyed their
treats!
.A_.
It was a fun
Orono officers also had the privilege of being guests at the Orono Woods Halloween
Celebration. The bingo caller was even dressed as the Police Chief! or maybe it really was
the police chief?
C!
50
Holiday Tree Lighting
Officers joined our communities in the annual holiday tree lighting festivities in Mound
and Orono. Thank you to the Westonka Community and Commerce for sponsoring
these events!
Drug Take Back
There is a real national concern for drug overdoses. It is a clear and present danger to
public health and safety. The Orono Police Department is committed to participate
with the DEA in an effort to reduce the misuse and availability of these drugs in our
community. We provide means to safely and appropriately dispose of unwanted and
unneeded prescription drugs. We do this by taking part in the Drug Take Back Day.
Anyone in the community can safely dispose of unneeded medications from home, no
questions asked, and can help in the prevention of substance abuse disorders. Please
see our website for future Drug Take Back event dates.
k,
51
Community Road Clean-up
Rotary members, reserve officers, explorers, the Deputy Chief, the Police Chief and
other volunteers participated in the annual road clean-up day in April. The snow over
the winter hides all the trash that unfortunately accumulates along the roads in our
community. The disappearance of the snow in the Spring makes it all visible. These
volunteers spent their time making our cities look clean and beautiful again.
Polar Plunge
Once again, Orono officers braved the icy waters and participated in the Mound Polar
Plunge. They assisted in raising a total of $87,086 for Minnesota Special Olympics!
Firearm Safety
For the sixth year now, the Orono Police have hosted a DNR Firearm Safety course for
youths in our community. Instructors from Orono PD partnered
with the MN DNR and Chunks Automotive Service to provide a
new generation with a complete safety course. Students ages
11 and older attended a classroom -based
firearms certification course where they
learned now to handle firearms safely,
responsibilities of a hunter and wildlife conservation.
participated in a Field Day where
they exercised their knowledge in
scenario -based training. Each student finished the
course with a final exam and received a firearms safety
certificate. The class was filled with 20 great students
again this year.
They
52
High School Forensics Day
The Orono High School offers a forensics class to their students. In this class, the
students conduct multiple labs relating to forensic science that routinely occurs in law
enforcement. The Orono Police Department, along with officers from West Hennepin
Public Safety, Wayzata Police Department, agents from r ,,�, 11,�
the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the
FBI have hosted a Forensics Day class for
the past several years. The day includes
sessions from the Hennepin County
Medical Examiner's Office, a K-9
demonstration and multiple interactive
stations and scenario -based incidents where the students play the role
as police officers and interact with role players. They conduct traffic stops, with
scenarios that officers encounter daily, including compliant drivers and drivers that
need to be arrested.
At another station, students can see, feel and try on different police equipment,
including SWAT gear. The day provides some hands-on experiences for the students
and, as always, is an exciting day for officers to work closely with students in
demonstrating law enforcement's commitments to their communities.
�I
Em
7
53
Police Programs
Explorers
Law Enforcement Exploring is a program sponsored by local
law enforcement agencies to provide career information
and scholarship opportunities to students aged 14
(completed 81" grade) to 20. Each year, Explorers test their
skills and training at the Minnesota Law Enforcement
Explorers Conference. This year's conference was held in Rochester, MN in April and
was attended by all six of the Orono Police Explorers along with their four Police
Explorer Advisors. This year the explorers brought home 1" place in Crime Prevention,
1st place in Job Interview, 4t" place in Hostage
career opportunities • life skills Negotiation, 4t" place in Traffic Crash and 5t" place in
service learning • charact— ' Arrest and Search. Congratulations to this outstanding
education • leadership
experience
group of individuals.
The conference had more than 700 explorers participating in various events and
categories. The explorers are led by Orono Police Officers Mike Fournier, Trey
Wiebusch, Brayden Sherman and Jane Szczepanik.
E.
54
Police Reserves
The Orono Police Reserves worked many events this past year and took on new
members. They worked many regular events such as Tour De Tonka, football games,
Orono High School graduation, Polar Plunge, Holiday
Train, Orono Tree Lighting, Gear West Half Marathon,
Long Lake Fire 5k, Orono High School Forensics Day,
Explorers, and many more events around the Lake
Minnetonka area. We currently have 11 members that
range from college students to business owners. The
reserves donated around an estimated 500 hours to
our communities. We had reserve officer Melissa
Sorenson graduate from the Hennepin County Reserve
School in 2024. Reserve officer Jonah Hamberger
completed and also joined the U.S. Marine Corps.
Congratulations to Melissa and Jonah!
Police CSO-Cadet Program
Pictured: Deputy Chief Wittke,
Officer Slipka, Reserve Officer
Peluf, Reserve Officer Bagan and
Officer Sherman
In recent times, it has been very difficult to recruit new officers into law enforcement.
In attempt to remedy this issue, in 2023, the Orono Police Department created a CSO-
Cadet program. The CSO-Cadet program's intent is to hire individuals before they go to
college, employ them throughout college, give them scholarships towards their
education and then retain them as police officers when we have openings.
In the Summer of 2023, we were able to employ two CSO-Cadets, Izzy Bagan and
Kohlton Beck. Izzy, a graduate of Orono H.S., is doing four years of work at St. Thomas
University where she is double -majoring. Kohlton is the son of our Sgt. Kenny Beck and
is a graduate of Delano H.S. He has invested in the two-year program at Alexandria
Technical College and should finish in the Spring of 2025.
We are in the second year of this program and it is going very well. Both CSO-Cadets
have shown a ton of dedication to the program and even volunteered during their time
off as Orono PD Reserves.
E
55
International Police Mountain Bike Association -
IPMBA
In 2024, the Orono Police Department sent three officers to get their certification with
the International Police Mountain Bike Association. This 32-hour certification combines
Emergency Vehicle Operations for bike officers with patro
procedures, tactics, night operations, mock scenes and basic
bike maintenance and on -the -road repairs. Officers are able to
deploy their bikes to assist with community events, traffic
control, crowd control, and assist on calls for service. Utilizing
a bike can provide a stealthy approach to doing extra patrol in
neighborhoods, and checking business during the night hours. In 2024, Orono's bike
officers were able to use their bikes during Our Lady of the Lake Bicycle Safety Rodeo,
and the Spirit of the Lakes Parade.
D.A.R.E
Officer Schultz continued her appointment as the school resource officer for Mound in
2024. She taught another successful D.A.R.E program with a combined 235 6th graders
from Grandview Middle School and Our Lady of the Lake. The students covered 10
lessons and presented slideshows on the topics they learned. Thank you Officer Schultz
for your commitment to our local students!
7
10
56
Traffic Safety Car
In order to further enhance traffic safety in our communities, the Orono Police
Department has partnered with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Office of
Traffic Safety and acquired a new grant -funded police vehicle that will target distracted
and reckless drivers. The vehicle chosen for this task
was a Mazda CX-90, which was upfitted by Guardian
Fleet Services in order to equip the vehicle with a full
emergency vehicle lighting and technology package.
This specialty marked traffic unit will allow for the
detection of distracted drivers who traditionally
correct their behavior in the presence of marked law
enforcement, but return to distracted driving when
no law enforcement is visible nearby. In addition to
being used by officers during patrol shifts and during Toward Zero Death enforcement
campaigns, the squad will be deployed to our neighborhoods and schools to further
educate drivers of all ages on the importance of prioritizing safety behind the wheel.
Embedded Social Worker
Hennepin County established a new program in 2019 to have an embedded social
worker amongst officers in police departments throughout the County. In 2022, Orono,
along with 6 other local departments joined this program. The goal is to connect
individuals that may be experiencing homelessness, mental health situations, and/or
substance abuse issues with a social worker that can provide ongoing support,
resources and appropriate services. Officers can provide referrals to the social worker
when they are concerned about a citizen's situation and ongoing care.
In 2024, 137 cases were referred to our social worker. Positive impacts have been
made from both the law enforcement system side and those that are experiencing
these health concerns.
Embedded Social Worker Expansion within Hennepin County
2019 2020-2021 2022 2023 2024
5 workers 15 workers 31 workers 45 workers 45 workers
11
57
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Program
This program was developed in 2020. The UAV's provide us with better capabilities
when searching an area for a lost or missing person along with a larger safety margin
when dealing with critical incidents. The UAV was deployed without a search warrant
50 times in 2024. The reasons for a UAV deployment without a search warrant
allowed by statute are provided below:
Reason Code
Reason
1
During or in the aftermath of an emergency situation that involves the risk of
death or bodily harm to a person
2
Over a public event where there is a heightened risk to the safety of
participants by bystanders
3
To counter the risk of a terrorist attack by a specific individual or organization
if the agency determines that credible intelligence indicates a risk
4
To prevent the loss of life and property in natural or man-made disasters and
to facilitate operational planning, rescue, and recovery operations in the
aftermath of these disasters
5
To conduct a threat assessment in anticipation of a specific event
6
To collect information from a public area if there is reasonable suspicion of
criminal activity
7
To collect information for crash reconstruction purposes after a serious or
deadly collision occurring on a public road
8
Over a public area for officer training or public relations purposes
9
For purposes unrelated to law enforcement at the request of government
entity provided that the government entity makes the request in writing to
the law enforcement agency and specifies the reason for the request and
proposed period of use
The date of deployment and the reason code are required to be submitted to the BCA
UAV Data Collecting Unit each year. The following are the number of times and the
reason code for each deployment reported by our agency in 2024:
Reason Code
Number of Deployments
1
11
8
39
"All other reason codes = 0
12
58
Lake Minnetonka SWAT
The Lake Minnetonka SWAT team is comprised of 14 officers r
from around Lake Minnetonka including Orono, Wayzata, South
Lake Minnetonka, Minnetrista and West Hennepin Public �"raft
Safety. These officers attend monthly trainings to stay current
on regional and national trends, and put these skills to the test
at the annual Minnesota Tactical Officers Association held at Camp Ripley. Lake
Minnetonka SWAT makes the most out of their collaborative organization by
combining the assets in place within each department to have the most amount of
equipment and technology available to assist with resolving an active incident.
In 2024, they saw the retirement of Lake Minnetonka SWAT Operator, Minnetrista
Ofcr. Chad Griggs. South Lake Minnetonka Sgt. Mike O'Keefe continued in his role as
SWAT Commander, while Wayzata Sgt. Brad Schoenherr continued with his role as
Team Leader and Orono Sgt. Ryan Spencer as Assistant Team Leader. Minnetrista
Officers Pat Johnson and Spencer Koch and Orono Officer Brayden Sherman became
new SWAT operators and completed basic SWAT training.
In 2024, Lake Minnetonka SWAT attended over 75 hours of SWAT specific training.
The team operators, along with the MRAP, were deployed in a total of 6 on duty (4)
and call out (2) capacities. Two of the responses in 2024
were for officer involved shootings. An "on -duty" response
is classified as having enough SWAT resources currently
working to handle the given situation. This can also mean
operators who were working assigned to a call for service
to utilize their training and ability to help resolve a high risk
situation, which may not yet meet the threshold of a full
SWAT call out.
Lake Minnetonka continues to recruit for open positions
within their service area, and highlight the advanced
training, team camaraderie, and service to their community
and profession as the top reasons to join.
13
59
Crime and Activity Reporting
Activity Summary
270 Investigative Cases
86 Theft Cases
42 Assaults
192 Department Arrests
53 Fraud/Forgery
16 Criminal Sexual Conduct
21 Death Investigations
5 Motor Vehicle Thefts
0 CVO (0 resulting in death)
3 Referred Vulnerable Adult
Cases
11 Burglary Cases
0 Arson
119 Handgun Permit to
Purchase
0 Robbery Case
0 Homicide
Part I / Group A Crimes
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5 ■�� , ■I
Homicide Rape Robbery Agg Assault Burglary Theft MV Theft
■ Mound ■ Orono ■ Spring Park ■ Mtka Beach
Arson
14
60
Statistical Analysis Comparison of 2023 and 2024
Part I — Group A Crimes
2023
2024
% Change
Homicide
0
0
0%
Rape
3
4
33%
Robbery
1
0
-100%
Aggravated Assault
11
5
-55%
Burglary
13
10
-23%
Theft
95
87
-8%
Motor Vehicle Theft
7
5
-29%
Arson
0
0
0%
Total
130
111
-15%
Supplemental Reporting
Reported as a pursuit by a peace officer of a fleeing suspect in a motor vehicle.
Pursuits
2022
2023
2024
5
4
6
Day of Week Call Volume Summary
Day of the
Week
1
2
Priority
3
4
5
Total
Sunday
867
78
1094
197
0
2236
Monday
992
101
1007
283
0
2383
Tuesday
924
112
1076
322
0
2434
Wednesday
1095
72
1121
278
0
2566
Thursday
1025
97
1221
301
0
2644
Friday
1111
118
1256
343
0
2828
Saturday
1031
101
1399
185
1
2717
Tota 1
7045
679
8174
1909
1
17808
The Orono Police Department was dispatched a total of 17,808 calls in
2024. The highest call volume day of the week was Friday.
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Investigations Summary
Aggravated Assault
Orono officers were called to a domestic assault and the suspect had interfered with
the victim calling 911. The suspect had been consuming alcohol and was pushing and
hitting the victim and then put her in a chokehold and then threw her to the ground
and continued assaulting her by punching and squeezing her neck with both hands.
The victim was able to break free at one point and was able to run out of the house
and across the street to a neighboring building. The suspect then took her wallet, keys,
cell phones and vehicle and drove away. Officers were able to locate the suspect and
arrested and charged him with Domestic Assault by Strangulation, Interference with
911 Call and DWI. He was convicted on Gross Misdemeanor charges.
Burglaries
The Orono Police Department along with at least eight other metro agencies
investigated over 60 known burglaries where suspects were targeting high profile
victims, breaking into their homes stealing over $100,000 in jewelry. These are still
open investigations.
Officers responded to a call of a burglary in which the reporting party told 911 dispatch
that he arrived home and noticed several food items left out in the kitchen that were
not left out when he left earlier in the day. The owner showed officers Ring Camera
video of a suspect trying to gain access into the home. Officers and a K-9 searched the
home and located the suspect in the basement bedroom lying in bed. Officers took the
suspect into custody without incident. The suspect told officers he was at the
residence to pick up sticks for the neighbor and said he entered the home through an
open window and that he also needed sugar. The male was charged with 2nd Degree
Burglary and is awaiting a jury trial scheduled for March 2025.
DWI/Drug Arrests
While on patrol, an officer was notified of a vehicle in the area in which the registered
owner was revoked and had a felony warrant for 5t" Deg Drug Possession. The officer
noticed the suspect vehicle drive past him and the officer visually ID'd the driver as the
registered owner. The officer conducted a felony traffic stop on the vehicle and told
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the driver he was under arrest for his warrant. After some resistance, the driver was
out of the vehicle and handcuffed. Officers conducted an inventory search of the
vehicle. Officers located a baggie and box of suspected meth and syringes. An officer
also located a 40 caliber hollow point round of ammo. The male was booked for 51" Deg
Drug Possession, DAR Obstruct Legal Process, Possess Ammo/Any Firearm -Previous
Felony Conviction and for the Felony Warrant. The case remains open in Hennepin
County Court.
An officer was in his squad near Surfside Park when he was approached by a male
stating a black Tahoe just backed into a wagon his kids were in while they were walking
to their car. The RP said everyone was okay but thought the driver was drunk and
actively trying to leave the scene. Officers approached the Tahoe and the driver was
immediately argumentative and denied anything happened. While officers were
speaking to witnesses, the driver put the Tahoe in reverse and began to back up but
stopped when instructed to. The driver then exited her vehicle to discuss paying for
the damaged wagon with the RP. At this time, the officers detected a strong odor of
consumed alcoholic beverage coming from the driver and saw she had glossy eyes and
dilated pupils. When asked, the driver said she had drinks earlier in the day. The officer
had her perform SFST's, which she failed. The driver was placed under arrest and
transported. A sergeant stayed on the scene with the driver's 2-year-old child until the
child's father arrived to pick her up. Further testing of the driver provided a final result
of .20BrAC. The case is open with the HCAO for 2nd Degree DWI and Neglect or
Endangerment of a Child.
Stolen / Recovered Motor Vehicles
Officers responded to a call of a freshly stolen vehicle. The vehicle description was
shared and another patrol officer intercepted a vehicle believed to be the stolen
vehicle and initiated a pursuit. The officer lost sight of the vehicle as it was travelling at
a high rate of speed and had turned it's lights off. As officers were searching the area,
they came upon a crash scene and found a vehicle had crashed into the side of a
garage. Officers later learned this was the accomplice suspect vehicle.
The stolen vehicle was again located by a Wayzata officer and continued in a pursuit
until the vehicle was disabled by spike strips. Two occupants of the stolen vehicle were
arrested. The occupants of the crashed vehicle had exited and officers found one of
them hiding in a second story of the garage and the other was found by a Wayzata K-9
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officer hiding in the bushes, both were arrested. The crashed vehicle was also stolen
from another city. The four suspects were all juvenile males, ages 13, 14, 14, and 17.
The charges for the cases included Fleeing in a Motor Vehicle (MV), MV Theft, Tamper
with MV, False Information to a Police Officer, Receiving Stolen Property, 1" Deg
Damage to Property and Reckless Driving.
Theft / Fraud
Officers received theft from auto reports that occurred at the Susan E. Lurton Dog
Park. One reporting party said they had cash and a credit card taken from their wallet
that was left in their unlocked vehicle. A second individual indicated their wallet was
taken from their vehicle, which was also unlocked. Both victims had local fraudulent
charges on their personal credit/debit cards. Upon investigation, officers identified a
suspect that was in commission of the crime of financial transaction card fraud and
was also charged with tampering with a motor vehicle. Officers also identified a
suspect that was charged with aiding and abetting tampering with a motor vehicle and
aiding and abetting FTC Fraud. This case is under review by the Hennepin County
Attorney's Office.
Investigators received a call from a 68-year-old female victim of a fraud, Theft -by -
Swindle case, with an $85,000 loss in US currency. The suspect represented themselves
as a US Border Patrol Agent out of Texas. The "agent" told the female that they have
open cases against her and she needed to pay. He drove to her apartment on two
separate occasions, each time displaying federal identification and badges, which
turned out to be fake. On each visit to her home, the victim threw a bag of cash in the
back seat of the vehicle. The case is still an open investigation, however there are no
leads to locate or identify the scammer(s).
Criminal Sexual Conduct
Officers received a call from a juvenile stating that was a video being shared of her
having consensual sexual relations with a male. The juvenile RP was concerned that the
video was being disseminated without her consent. Investigators conducted several
interviews and executed search warrants on the digital media in question that resulted
in finding multiple pornographic videos that show the juvenile partaking in sexual
relations with a male who was recording the sexual acts he was partaking in with the
juvenile. The case is being reviewed by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office for Use
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of Minors in Sexual Performance/Pornographic Work and Possessing Pornographic
Work Involving Minors.
Assault
Officers responded to a call of a physical domestic. Upon arrival, officers noted physical
injury to the male's head and neck, as well as a ripped shirt. The male party identified
the other party involved as his roommate and brother. While interviewing the parties,
the victim stated to officers that the he was seated in a chair and the suspect held his
legs down and punched him in the face with a closed fist at least three times. One
punch was above the left eye causing significant swelling. The victim attempted to get
up from the chair but the suspect pushed him back down and placed both hands
around his neck and began choking him. The victim stated he was not able to breathe
during this roughly 30 second period of time. Red marks and scratch marks on his neck
were visible and photographed. Both parties admitted to having consumed alcohol
prior to this altercation and also admitted to previous physical encounters. The suspect
was arrested and charged with Domestic Strangulation. The case is awaiting a jury trial
scheduled in 2025.
Criminal Damage to Property
Officers responded to a report of property damage. The RP indicated that he had a DJ
gig at a venue in Mound and at the end of the night a male kicked one of the hard
cases for his equipment. The RP said he and this other male have been exchanging
words for the past few days and they also happen to live on the same street. The RP
was driving down his street to his house and drove by the other male when he heard a
thud near the back side of his truck. The RP pulled over and realized his rear passenger
window was shattered. An investigator spoke with the male suspected to have caused
the damage to the RP's truck and the suspect admitted to hitting the window on the
truck with a closed fist. The total cost to repair the truck is over $2,000.00. The case is
currently under court jurisdiction with the disposition of diversion and the suspect
ordered to pay restitution.
Drug Overdose
Officers were dispatched to an overdose where a 19-year-old male was found
deceased in his girlfriend's bedroom. It was reported that they had used heroin the
night before and the male never woke up after going to sleep. The girlfriend said the
heroin was purchased over the dark web and shipped through the mail. This case is still
an open investigation.
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West Metro Drug Task Force
Collaborative Partnership
The West Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) is a multi -agency coordination of drug
enforcement in our communities. They work to reduce the supply of illegal narcotics
and curb the criminal activity that is associated with drug abuse. The WMDTF is
comprised of officers, deputies and sergeants from the Orono Police Department,
Medina Police Department, Minnetrista Public Safety, West Hennepin Public Safety,
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, and the South West Metro Drug Task Force that
combined with them in 2024.
2024 Statistics
The WMDTF had another successful year in seizing large quantities of illegal narcotics
and confiscating guns and removing them from the streets in our communities. They
partnered with the DEA and FBI and participated in the High Intensity Drug Trafficking
Area West Metro Initiative (HIDTA) program.
Search Warrants .................................... 308 Meth........................................... 67,428.84 g
........242 Cocaine ................................. Arrests ........................................... ..... 11,383.15 g
Charges ..................................................... 382 Fentanyl........................................ 2,039.54 g
Indictments................................................
Guns......................................................... 72
Marijuana .................................... 84,128.40 g
Heroin...................
Ecstasy .......................................... 1,131.72 g
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Personnel Changes
New Officer
Stephen Thomas came to us with 5 years prior experience from the
South Lake Minnetonka Police Department. He has a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in criminal justice from St. Cloud State University. Officer
Thomas joined the Orono Police department in February of 2024.
Years of Service Recognition
Troy Carlson has been with the department for 5 years with prior
experience as a deputy with the Carver County Sheriff's Department.
Troy is currently a patrol officer as well as an operator for the
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles unit. Thank you Troy!
Aleah Lange has served the department for 5 years. She is currently a
patrol officer, a field training officer (FTO), and most recently joined the
Firearms Instructor team. Thank you Aleah!
Ik
Susan Schultz started with the department on March 3rd, 2004 and has
now celebrated 20 years of service. She has held positions as a patrol
officer, school resource officer and a drug recognition expert. She has
also led traffic enforcement programs and is a coordinator for some of
our community engagement events. Thank you Susie!
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Tony White started with Orono PD as an officer on May 11, 2004.
During his time at Orono, he has been a patrol officer and in
investigations. Tony has also been a Use of Force and Firearms
Instructor, and an operator on the Lake Minnetonka SWAT team.
Thank you Tony!
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