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
Wealthy Orono Leverages Charity for the Needy - For Themselves?
Wealthy Orono Leverages Charity for the Needy - For Themselves?
You read that right - Orono - the 6th Wealthiest City in Minnesota - is leveraging a charity to build a shelter at its own revenue-generating golf course.
Mayor Walsh Publishes his phone number for feedback
Now you know who to call - Mayor Dennis Walsh publishes his phone number on social media for feedback.
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.
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?
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.
Orono Mayor Denny Walsh appears to Break Open Meeting Law
Orono’s Mayor Walsh breaks Open Meeting Law 4/29/24
Authors Uncivil comments to Citizen
Once again, we see the flagrant disregard for process and procedure by Mayor Walsh. He decided to blast an email to the entire City Council in response to a very kind request from a Citizen. By sending an email to more than one council member, Mayor Walsh is in effect creating a quorum, and therefore subject to a violation of the Open Meeting Law according to MN Statute 13D.015.
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.
Maria and Mistrust: Why Citizens Are Finding Orono Council member Maria Veach untrustworthy?
Maria and Mistrust: Why Citizens Are Finding Orono Council member Maria Veach untrustworthy?
During the 4/22/24 City Council meeting, Ms. Veach brought up how she is trying to build trust with the community. One must earn trust, and when a relationship is so damaged by several factors, it may be an impossible hill to climb.
Since #mariaveach was appointed to the city council without a public interview, many factors keep building mistrust with the reasons she was selected.
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
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?
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?
Beautiful Orono! 2024 is the Renaissance Year
Orono's natural resources - including Lake Minnetonka, our wetlands and woods - are some of the reasons we love our home so much.
Let's make sure that 2024 is the Renaissance Year to vote for our environment and not against it.
Let's stop clearcutting trees and paving over our parks for niche activities.
Let's replant trees to offset our massive Ash tree losses, plant pollinator gardens and reforest our woods.
Keeping Orono's natural beauty for generations to come will be on the ballot this fall.
Breaking News: The City of Orono appears to break Open Meeting Law - again
Breaking News: The City of Orono appears to break Open Meeting Law - again
When will the City of Orono listen to and care about their Citizens? #dennywalshformayor blocks Citizens from his campaign page posting City Business and then forgets to inform them of upcoming public meeting? This administration appears to have a big problem understanding and respecting their residents.
The Ugly in Orono - A New Series
The Ugly in Orono: Our Parks Lack Upkeep
Why are our parks not being kept up? Why does it seem the Orono Park Commission spends more time and money on feasibility projects than general upkeep of our parks? Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on “study plans” - money that is going to consultants instead of investing in basic upkeep of our parks.
Why has Maria Veach flip flopped on her opinion of Orono Fire?
Is Maria Veach Misleading the Public?
When Orono Council member Maria Veach spoke on 4/8/24 at the Orono City Council meeting she read a document that we now have up on our website here: https://www.friendsoforono.org/maria-veach-1 There are many misnomers and several misleading statements that we will highlight throughout the coming weeks.
How can Ms. Veach advocate spending several times more for service that is essentially the same or that may be even less safe?
Cutting Service? Understaffed? Temp Firehouses? Are they Serious?
Are Orono residents getting the whole fire service story?
Orono’s new fire chief Van Eyll never hired one other paid on-call firefighter during their recruitment campaign other than those from the Long Lake Fire Department (LLFD).
Why is that? Because other departments and cities know about working with Mayor Walsh? Or was it because Walsh was trying to take over the LLFD? Or did outside firefighters not want to work with Van Eyll?
4/10/24 Coffee with Mayor: Shame&Blame LL, Citizens; Misquotes, Misinformation, Meanness, &Dating??
More Unbelievable Conversation with Orono City Officials
Listen to Mayor Walsh and Orono Planning Commissioner Dennis Libby deflect, distract and appear to blame and shame not only a Citizen at the meeting, but the City of Long Lake public officials as well.
Listen to Orono/Long Lake Firefighter apparently misquote Long Lake Mayor Miner, and then disparage the City of Long Lake.
Listen to Orono City Council member Maria Veach compare the process of fire service negotiations to her own experience of “dating in high school.” She is also taking credit for bringing the two “sides” together apparently against open meeting law.
The Citizen attending the meeting did point out that the Orono City Council does vote against Staff recommendations regularly, so if there is a plan from the two City Administrators/Fire Chiefs put forth, what will stop Walsh from block-voting against it? (Great point and this entire exercise may be a complete waste of time as the earlier Seals/Johnson negotiations were. And remember, Walsh cut the cord on communication just as there appeared to be an agreement.)
Read #denniswalshformayor latest post:
Read #denniswalshformayor latest post:
1) Orono is clearly not proud #dennywalshformayor
2) July 1st is the day that Citizens may be in danger with an unproven and slapped together Orono fire service in Navarre
3) Only four people in Orono made this "long term decision" for their own short term gain:
