Chief Van Eyll blocks Citizens on Social Media
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Chief Van Eyll blocks Citizens on Social Media

Please see the official Orono City Council remarks with the count here: https://youtu.be/Ri4eozm-jL8?si=4QZks2lmt0MFnVVa This information has been available to all for quite some time.

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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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Orono’s “Taj Mahal” Public Works Open House
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Orono’s “Taj Mahal” Public Works Open House

So here's the truth about the Taj Mahal and a budget overrun of nearly double: https://www.facebook.com/reel/297723062767698

This ridiculously large and frankly warehouse style building now sits as the monument to the Walsh regime. Unattractive? Too large for a City of around 3200 homes losing population for the last three years? No one wants to buy services from Orono now until there's a new administration City of Orono, Minnesota Government

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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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$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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Why doesn't Maria Veach Recuse herself from all Fire Related Matters?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Why doesn't Maria Veach Recuse herself from all Fire Related Matters?

What is a conflict of interest?

A conflict of interest is a situation in which a person or organization has two or more competing interests. When a conflict of interest occurs, the person or team can't perform their duties appropriately because it could mean betraying their interests to one of the parties within the situation. When such a situation arises, it's often a legal requirement for the primary party to remove themselves.

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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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In His Own Words: Orono Planning Commissioner Dennis Libby
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

In His Own Words: Orono Planning Commissioner Dennis Libby

In their own Words

Orono Planning Commissioner Dennis Libby has been very active, along with Mayor Dennis Walsh, in commenting about both private citizens and former officials. Both of them have been posting on Nextdoor through the local Politics group and commenting in various meetings. Attached is one of Libby’s rants criticizing former city officials during the 7/12/23 Coffee for the Mayor meeting. Is this ethical, professional or warranted? Isn’t the City Council and the rest of the departments including City Staff supposed to be nonpartisan?

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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 paves over more green space at Hackberry Park
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Orono paves over more green space at Hackberry Park

Why is Orono taking the middle of a park for hardcover parking in a neighborhood? What happened to T-Ball? Won’t this bring more traffic and more league games to the small neighborhood park? More noise, more traffic, less green, less trees and less habitat for wildlife?

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Is Trust in Orono City Council at an all time low?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Is Trust in Orono City Council at an all time low?

Apparently, the trust in Orono City Council continues to plummet. With another preselected City Council member, #mariaveach, there seems to be little balance and open discussion. Most of Orono’s city business appears to be done in subcommittee meetings out of the public eye. Ms. Veach was appointed to three subcommittees in apparent Conflict of Interest because she and her husband who is a Firefighter may benefit from her work.

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Ben Franklin wonders where the City of Orono Reserves are?
Barbara Schmidt Barbara Schmidt

Ben Franklin wonders where the City of Orono Reserves are?

Citizens of Orono and beyond, please ask Orono Mayor Walsh and City Staff where Orono financial reserves are right now, and into the next few years.

In the past, Orono had cash reserves on hand for several departments for emergencies and unplanned expenses. Are all those reserves gone now?

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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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