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.
Mayor Walsh, Park Commission spend taxpayer funds to design Pickleball Courts at Bederwood Park
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?
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?
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.
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.
You are Invited! Hackberry Park Listening Session April 29 10-11 a.m.
Don't miss the first Hackberry Park Listening Session held Saturday April 29 (tomorrow!) from 10-11 am at Hackberry Park. This is your chance to weigh in on what the Orono Park Commission is proposing for this Park.
Show us the Money Mayor Walsh - Where are the Budgets?
Have you noticed that both the Public Works Building and Fire Department overall budgets are missing?
They haven’t been presented along with short term and long term plans. Is it because they don’t want the citizens to know how costly these items are going to be now and in the future? Who runs multi million dollar projects with “intuition” as Mayor Walsh explained in his last coffee with the Mayor?
Mayor Walsh’s Bluffgate Continues
Now taxpayers are spending our dollars to see if there’s a way to circumvent the current ordinance with code changes. Imagine all those new retaining walls around the lake without oversight - is that what is best for property values and habitats?
Are we done yet? How much is the new Public Works Building going to cost taxpayers?
Are we done yet? What is the total cost of the Taj Mahal Public Works Building?
We were told $13 million for the initial bonding and now we are projected close to $17 or $18 million for the project. Quite the 50% overrun isn’t it?
Orono City Council Member Matt Johnson: needs a variance for his Free right-of-way land
Council member #MattJohnson seems to have no problem apparently trampling the city code, his future neighbors or the free speech of his fellow council members.
After heavy-handily getting Orono to give him public right-of-way for free so he could create two new lakeshore lots, he is now asking for a variance to build on one of them. On April 17th, the Orono Planning Commission agreed to give him his variance against citizen unrest.
It’s Time for Orono to Listen
Let’s ask for a Listening Session For Hackberry Park Development Now
One of the primary reasons that there is so much unrest in Orono at this very moment is because the Park Commission and City Council are not asking the Citizens what they want BEFORE starting Park design and master plans.
Because the Citizens were not a part of the process from the beginning, there have been what appear to be four false starts.
Lack of listening sessions at Summit Beach, Lowry Woods Nature Conservation Area, Bederwood Park and Orono Golf Course lead to citizen unrest about the lack of engagement with the general public.
Orono’s Matt Johnson chides fellow council member
Dear Mr. Council member Matt Johnson;
Please note that openly disparaging fellow city council members appears unbecoming and unprofessional.
Stop the division please, and let’s get back to “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
#togetherwearebetter #citizensfororono #MattJohnson #cityoforono #orono #oronocitycouncil #citizensfirst
Hackberry Park Slated for Development
Orono’s Hackberry Park is now slated for development without citizen input. Once again, the City of Orono is spending funds to design what they want in their park without asking citizens what they’d like to see. This is the fifth park in two years to have developments implemented without citizen engagement. Add Lowry Woods Nature Conservation Area, Summit Beach, Bederwood Park and the Orono Golf Course to that list.
You are Invited! To the “TajMahal” Ribbon Cutting
Come one, come all to the groundbreaking of possibly the most expensive project in our small town’s history. Why haven’t the updated details been shared with citizens? The mystery may lie in how large the project has become. The latest numbers say over 18 million but one thing is for sure…it’s going to cost taxpayers somewhere around $5 million or more in interest alone.
Are We Done Yet? What is the budget for the new Public Works Building?
Sadly, the New Public Works Building has apparently doubled in size since the feasibility study and the citizens of Orono were charged nearly $100k to fill in a wetland to accommodate it. What’s going on? Stop by the ribbon cutting to see and/or write to you City Council member to ask why and how this came to be.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
The numbers in Orono don’t lie, however, the chaos around them confuses the truth. In four examples detailed here regarding the Orono Golf Course, the citizens of Orono have voiced their concerns and continue to stand up for their rights.
Orono In the News
A sourced and somewhat detailed account of the Orono’s City Council and Mayor Dennis Walsh. There’s been a lot of unrest in Orono lately and this article helps to spell out some lack of transparency, some criminal complaints and lawsuits pending against the city.
Only Orono Citizens Know
Only the Orono Citizens know what they want. They need to be surveyed!
Grab a Shovel Orono
Citizens of Orono! You’re about to break ground on one of the least publicized, yet most expensive taxpayer projects in our small town’s history.