Orono Mayor Walsh “It’s all about the money.”
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Orono Mayor Walsh “It’s all about the money.”

Mayor Walsh says Orono Golf Pavilion is all about Revenue to the City

So now your Lions Clubs International Donations are about making revenue for the wealthiest per capita City in Minnesota? Orono?

Tell the Orono Lions to do the right thing - Give $40k to the needy and not to the For Profit Golf Course that doesn't need it.

#togetherwearebetter @friendsoforono

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Breaking News: Wealthy Orono leverages Charitable Org to design/build structure in For Profit Golf Course
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Breaking News: Wealthy Orono leverages Charitable Org to design/build structure in For Profit Golf Course

Breaking News: Wealthy Orono leverages Charitable Org

to design/build structure in For Profit Golf Course

Orono Mayor Denny Walsh has coordinated behind the scenes to have a structure built on the Orono Golf Course. What is odd about this is that he is asking the Charitable Organization @Lionsclub to do it.

Currently, Walsh is spending tens of millions on other Orono projects so why rope in a charity to build something for - dare we say - a sport for the wealthy? Is it because he has run out of park funding right now in Orono? Is it because he wants this built for another special interest group?

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Why is Mayor Walsh Building without the Citizens?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Why is Mayor Walsh Building without the Citizens?

Today is the day to write a quick email to Orono’s City Administrator Adam Edwards! aedwards@oronomn.gov

Tell him why this Pavilion or Lean-to as Mayor Walsh calls it should be on hold until Citizens can share their ideas and opinions.

Orono’s Public Golf Course is a historic property and should be carefully considered when planning major changes.

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Isn't the New Public Works Building just Too Big?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Isn't the New Public Works Building just Too Big?

What is too big for a city of around 8000 people? Why did Mayor Walsh build a Public Works Building with an extra 25,000 square feet when our small down has been losing population for the last three years?

Why weren't we informed that he bonded this project at $13 million; bid it at $16 million and now has cost overruns somewhere around $22 million or more? The sad fact is he refuses to give Citizens a detailed budget in full and keeps piecemealing the details so he can keep going.

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Isn't Mayor Walsh Greenwashing Orono? #callhimonit
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Isn't Mayor Walsh Greenwashing Orono? #callhimonit

What is Greenwashing?

That’s when a person or entity releases and/or promotes environmentally friendly messaging to help them look like they are helping and/or care about the environment. In reality they are not helping, and in fact, may be harming the environment.

Isn't it interesting that Mayor Walsh chose Earth Day, Week and Month to start his own apparent greenwashing campaign for himself and the City of Orono?

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Orono and Mayor Walsh mixed Social Media Messaging
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Orono and Mayor Walsh mixed Social Media Messaging

Is Mayor Walsh employing Confusion? Control? Why is he reposting Orono City business posts with his own comments? Why not do that on the Orono City Facebook page? Or the Orono Fire page? As a public official is he misusing social media?

Is this further Citizen Suppression that Mayor Walsh seems to have a track record of implementing?

Remember when he changed Citizen comments from 5 minutes to 3 minutes? (contrary to #matthewjohnson's recent comments this move was due to Citizen unrest)

And then placed the Citizen comments at the very end of the meeting?

And in spite, he often schedules a 5 minute recess before the comment period so citizens have to wait that much longer?

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A Quote for Mayor Walsh
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

A Quote for Mayor Walsh

How can a couple of council members and Mayor Walsh think spending millions to create an entirely new fire department makes any sense? Where is their responsibility to the Orono taxpayers who would have to fund this?

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Mayor Walsh Disrespects Citizen Views, Again
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Mayor Walsh Disrespects Citizen Views, Again

Here's a fascinating exchange where Mayor Walsh has apparently blocked certain Citizens from commenting. Well we have far more views here than the Mayor's facebook page anyway. Please do comment below! Orono Fire Long Lake Fire Department #denniswalshformayor Thank you Shane for pointing out the obvious - Mayor Walsh apparently refuses to negotiate on any front and that is what will get him voted out this November. #togetherwearebetter Friends of Orono

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$2.66 Million from Utilities is paying for other Orono Projects?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

$2.66 Million from Utilities is paying for other Orono Projects?

It’s a Budget Shell Game isn’t it? Are Orono Utility Rates so high they are funding other projects?

Under Mayor Walsh, the usage rates for Orono’s sewer and water has increased to the point that it has created a large surplus. Instead of reducing fees, Walsh is proposing taking $1.66 million from the sewer fund and $1 million from the water fund to make up budget deficits he has created with his oversized public works building and startup fire department.

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The Taj is now $11+M Over Budget?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

The Taj is now $11+M Over Budget?

Orono’s “Taj Mahal” Public Works Facility

Why so BIG Orono? Why add on an additional 30,000 square feet when our population hasn’t grown but 1% a year?

Why so BIG Orono? Having to bond for this has created interest payments of $6 million over 25 years.

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Is Mayor Walsh Pushing T-Ball out of Orono with Youth Sports Orgs?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Is Mayor Walsh Pushing T-Ball out of Orono with Youth Sports Orgs?

Is #MayorWalsh is wiping out T-ball fields in Orono so that he can put another nonregulation sized Soccer field in? Looks like this is an inside deal with #MariaVeach (Orono Westonka Treasurer) again.

The Hackberry Hill neighborhood and the Baseball Association want two T-ball fields. Orono Parks Superintendent #JoshLemons says that he is not going to follow the neighborhood's wishes because there are others out there that want a substandard another sized soccer field? Weren't you just complaining about Bederwood's substandard sized soccer field in a recent meeting Mr. Lemons?

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Who is Maria Veach? What are her motivations?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Who is Maria Veach? What are her motivations?

Something just isn’t right with Orono City Council member Maria Veach. She has two more conflicts of interest added to her list of seven.

The Orono City Council is hiring her Long Lake Firefighter husband on Monday, October 9, 2023. Why is she not recusing herself from all Fire related voting and negotiation?

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Mediation fails to end lawsuit between Long Lake and Orono
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Mediation fails to end lawsuit between Long Lake and Orono

The mediation between the City of Orono and the City of Long Lake did not bring our two cities closer together 9/26/23. Sadly, the Orono/Long Lake Citizens and the Long Lake Council want to come together and bring resolution to the contentious situation with three Orono City Council members. Please ask #mayordenniswalsh #councilmemberrichardcrosby and #councilmembermattjohnson to stop fighting with the overwhelming majority of constituents - stop spending tens of millions of dollars on a Stand Alone Fire Department we do not need.

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Where is the Revised Hackberry Park Plan? Why isn't it part of the Grant Packet for 9/25/23?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Where is the Revised Hackberry Park Plan? Why isn't it part of the Grant Packet for 9/25/23?

Once again we are discussing lack of process with the #OronoCityCouncil and #mayorwalsh

Apparently Mayor Walsh has been communicating with only one resident to revise the last publicly shared Hackberry Park Plan. Where is the new revised plan for Hackberry Park? This plan is part of a grant application that is up for approval tomorrow Monday, September 25 at the Orono City Council meeting.

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Why is Mayor Walsh Paving over T-Ball?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Why is Mayor Walsh Paving over T-Ball?

It's almost Hackberry Park's 50th Anniversary and look what's happening. The City of Orono wants to pave over one of the T-ball fields for a parking lot. How about parking on the Willow side and two T-ball fields so that next year can be a celebration and not a sad event with more hardcover?

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How is Mayor Walsh Funding his Pet Projects?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

How is Mayor Walsh Funding his Pet Projects?

Our Orono taxes are proposed to rise again this year. The city council wants to approve a 12% increase in property taxes for next year and this is on top of increased utility fees. Our Sewer rates are the 2nd highest in the West Metro. Our Water rates are higher than needed.

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Why is Walsh Eliminating T-Ball from Orono?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Why is Walsh Eliminating T-Ball from Orono?

Why would Mayor #DennisWalsh want to take away historic T-ball away from Orono? Is it because he needs funds to develop Hackberry Park? What this means is that T-ball will be wiped away from play in Orono all together. There are no other T-ball fields in Orono.

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