Breaking News: City of Orono Appears to Break Open Meeting Law
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Breaking News: City of Orono Appears to Break Open Meeting Law

BREAKING NEWS: The CITY OF ORONO appears to have BROKEN OPEN MEETING LAW again.

On Monday January 8th, 2024 three Orono City Council members gathered at the Long Lake Fire Department’s “Pinning Ceremony.” Orono Council members #MariaVeach, #MattJohnson and #RichardCrosby attended without a public announcement of a quorum (half or more members of City Council) to the Citizens of Orono.

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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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Walsh wants to spend $15-$20 Million Dollars Extra on Fire
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Walsh wants to spend $15-$20 Million Dollars Extra on Fire

Why do we need to spend $15-$20 Million or more Extra Dollars on a Duplicate Fire Department? That’s the fiscally prudent question that Mayor Walsh could not answer in the Coffee for the Mayor meeting held on 8/16/23. You can watch the entire meeting here: https://youtu.be/Rcu8c23X8qg

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Alert for Orono Homeowners - Your Lk Mtka Views are Diminishing
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Alert for Orono Homeowners - Your Lk Mtka Views are Diminishing

Orono lakeshore homeowners pay attention to what the city council is discussing. They are considering loosening or removing the Average Lakeshore Setback rules. This could allow your neighbor to develop additional structures or build a new house in front of your home, possibly blocking some of your side views to the Lake.

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Orono Taxes are Going Up AGAIN!
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Orono Taxes are Going Up AGAIN!

Orono Residents! Your #Taxes are about to go up AGAIN!

Mayor Walsh likes to spin the tax story to the fact that he hasn’t raised the tax rate, but your home values are going up every single year so your taxes are going up along with that trend.

#spendydenny could lower your tax rate like sister cities Deephaven, Shorewood and Minnetrista but no, he needs more funding for his multi million dollar boondoggles.

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Your Taxes Have been Going Up and Here's How
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Your Taxes Have been Going Up and Here's How

As home values go up so do your taxes, and the staggering truth is that we are all paying more - a lot more. Instead of lowering our tax rate like sister cities Minnetrista, Shorewood and Deephaven, Mayor Walsh is leaving it the same, and taking more and more from you.

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Breaking News:You Are Invited!
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Breaking News:You Are Invited!

The City of Long Lake will be holding a 'Follow-Up Forum: Long Lake Fire Service Updates' open house event on Thursday, May 18 to share the latest information regarding ongoing Long Lake Fire Department discussions, and to welcome community input from any residents of our fire service coverage area (Long Lake, Medina, Minnetonka Beach, and Orono).

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Stop Orono's Overspending Attend May 22 City Council Meeting
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Stop Orono's Overspending Attend May 22 City Council Meeting

Citizens of Orono - do you want to spend multi millions more on Duplicate Fire Service? Why is Orono talking about borrowing money from other funds for this expenditure? It's because they haven't told us a budget. Why? Because it's going to be expensive by anyone's guess.

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Thousands of Orono Voices were Silenced 4/24/23.
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Thousands of Orono Voices were Silenced 4/24/23.

Thousands of Orono Citizen Voices were Silenced April 24, 2023.

This is the moment that #MayorDennisWalsh pushes out consideration of a citywide citizen survey until December 11, 2023. Going along with this vote are Orono Council members #richardcrosbyII and #mattjohnson

A citywide survey would help to quell the unrest in Orono now and it’s exactly what would help a mediator end all the angst. The first step in successful negotiations is to listen to everyone at the table.

Mayor Walsh, are Orono Citizens even at the table?

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Is the City of Orono in Breach of Contract with the City of Long Lake?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Is the City of Orono in Breach of Contract with the City of Long Lake?

Is Orono in Breach of Contract with the City of Long Lake? Read the letter that was just delivered to the City of Orono in last week. In it you will find 4 possible breaches of contract:

1) Hiring away Long Lake's Fire Chief

2) Purchasing the Ladder Truck that Long Lake was considering to purchase

3) Approaching the state Legislature to move the present Fireman’s Relief Association funding from the City of Long Lake to Orono.

4) Refusing to pay future Capital expenditures for the Long Lake Fire Department.

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The Story of Funny Money and Two Fire Chiefs
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

The Story of Funny Money and Two Fire Chiefs

Why are Orono Citizens paying for two Fire Chiefs? Why does Mr. James Van Eyll have a command vehicle and he doesn’t have any fires to go to? Why was that written into his contract with the City of Orono?

Why are we paying over $100k in salary for at least two years and paying for his vehicle when he does not have a department to manage? Our fire service continues to be provided by Long Lake. Orono’s new fire chief just sits at a desk and figures out what a whole new department will need and cost. He does not fight any fires.

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