This week
Albertville City Council Meeting
I attended the Albertville City Council meeting on Monday to hear updates from the Albertville Fire Chief. They discussed a few items, including a formalized I94 dispatch agreement, a structure fire dispatch agreement with Hanover and Saint Michael, as well as an update on the Otsego Staffing Study.
The I94 dispatch agreement highlights a very important issue that has been ignored by the Otsego Council: what are we going to do about incidents on I94 when we cancel the contracts? The dispatch agreement that the Albertville Council discussed includes our stretch of that road and it formalized an arrangement that Albertville has had with Saint Michael to also respond to incidents on the highway. What this does is make sure that both departments are dispatched at the same time allowing Saint Michael to handle westbound calls while Albertville handles eastbound calls, ensuring a rapid response. It’s also another example of how we benefit from having contracts with our neighbors.
During the discussion, a Council Member stated the obvious: if this agreement stays in place after the contracts are terminated, it wouldn't exactly be mutual aid - especially since Albertville and Saint Michael can get to those incidents faster. The Albertville Chief clarified: Otsego's position is that it will be handling all the calls once the contracts are terminated. Not good.
The discussion that the Albertville Council had around our staffing study was enlightening, and highlighted a few areas that are, frankly, embarrassing. The first was our pay scale and how it relates to the surrounding cities. I was completely shocked to find out that our pay scale is almost double what other cities are spending. This is because that information is difficult to obtain, so I had to trust what we had been told as a Council; we had been informed multiple times that our pay scale was going to be in line with other cities. I even remarked at the time that I thought that was going to make it difficult to recruit - but to now find out we're paying almost double is infuriating.
When the Albertville Council was told how much we are going to be spending on staffing, the Mayor captured what everyone was thinking: "That's a lot." Indeed, it is. Another Council Member called out to me in the audience: "You guys printing money up there, Ryan? Got a mint or something we are unaware of? Godspeed, my friend, but that is a chunk of cash!" We're spending more on just personnel than all of the contracts costs combined. And we don't actually have a magic money printing machine - just taxpaying families and farmers who are going to be expected to empty their pockets for a vanity project.
The Albertville Chief also pointed out the reality of what is about to happen, especially if we are offering double the pay: this will not strengthen the regional response - it will dilute it. If we're all fighting over the same resources, that is only going to put more strain on everyone. This is why the national trend - and the trend in Minnesota - is for cities to combine resources, not divide them. This was also emphasized when it was pointed out that there is a very real risk that the State may move to regional fire districts in order to solve this problem... meaning we may be spending all this money only to be put into a situation where we have to end up combining our resources again, anyway.
The other main discussion point was the decision in the Otsego Staffing Study to focus on mutual aid. The Albertville Council was concerned that the Otsego Council still isn't getting it: Albertville is not going to provide free service to supplement our fire department. They read statements in our Study that imply we are demanding that they do. It clearly struck a nerve (and it ought to), because it was also pointed out that our version of mutual aid is very... unmutual. The narrative in our Study makes it clear that we're going to keep our full-time firefighters in the station with a fire engine, wait for our paid-on-call staff to show up, and then send them to the mutual aid call, rather than sending our first available fire truck. All I could do was to just put my head in my hands. One Council Member stated that he would be embarrassed as a Council Member if his Chief had offered that as a mutual aid solution. I can tell you, I was.
I suspect another letter may be coming our way to reiterate Albertville's position. As we draw closer to the termination date of the contracts, I think the situation will become more dire. After confirming that Otsego is contractually obligated to mail a notice to all of the residents currently served by the Albertville Fire Department - to inform them that we will be canceling service - an Albertville Council Member could be heard saying "I still feel bad for those people."
I do too.
Wright County Board Meeting
The Wright County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday as part of their regular meeting. Part of the meeting brought up some funding issues that have many concerned.
Jami Goodrum, Director of Wright County Health and Human Services, gave a presentation on the challenges with funding programs if the State cuts certain appropriations. The Governor's budget includes proposed cuts in funding for mental health services, among other areas.
This has caused concern among County staff and Commissioners because it is being assumed that continued funding will need to be shifted to local property taxes at an estimated increase of 10%. That's a lot - and it's almost comical to watch the reaction.
I say that because it was only a few years ago that the County had a 17% increase in property taxes. Just two years ago, Otsego was staring at a 20% increase. Even last year, the County increase was 6% plus 5% the year prior - and all of these increases were met with a shrugging of the shoulders. There seems to be a short-term memory problem in local government. All of the sudden, property taxes are being recognized as a regressive tax that impacts poor people and those on a fixed income the most!
I wonder if that same concern will be as evident when the bills for some of the spending in Otsego shows up... If 10% is bad and impacts those on a fixed income - would our Commissioners institute a call to action for a 30% or a 50% increase in property taxes too?
Next Week
City Council Meeting
The Otsego City Council will meet at 7pm on Monday at Prairie Center. The agenda for this meeting is brief, with only one item on the main agenda:
Consent Agenda:
Approve Claims List.
Approve Prior City Council Meeting Minutes.
Approve City Council Special Compensation for April 2025.
Approve Pay Application #33 for the West WWTF Improvements Phase 1 Project.
Approve Pay Application #7 for the Wellhouse 4 Treatment Improvements Project.
Approve Hiring of Seasonal Parks Maintenance Positions.
Approve Issuance of Temporary On-Sale Liquor License – Otsego Lions Club, Inc.
Adopt Resolution 2025-19 Approving a Revised Site Improvement Performance Agreement – Les Schwab.
Tanglewood 2nd Addition: Public Hearing, Approval of Final Plat and Development Contract
New charges this month bring the total spend on our one-person fire department up to $2,921,874.96.
Touch-a-Truck
The annual Touch-a-Truck event will be held at 6pm on Tuesday in Prairie Park. Food trucks will be available and there will be activities for kids.
Although the event was advertised as including the Albertville Fire Department, they will not be there. This marks a somber occasion for many as it will be the first year they are not included. In their place will be Otsego Fire Trucks.
The total cost of the two small trucks sits at around $915k, not including any additional equipment or livery you may see. We had to buy a hose just to make them look useful, but their only purpose for the next year and a half is only as an expensive billboard for events.
Heritage Preservation Commission Meeting - Canceled
The Heritage Preservation Commission would normally meet on Tuesday, but that meeting has been canceled due to the Touch-a-Truck event.
Special Public Safety Commission Meeting
The Public Safety Commission will meet on Wednesday at 6:30pm at Prairie Center. The meeting would normally happen on Tuesday, but had to be rescheduled due to the Touch-a-Truck event.
The agenda for this meeting includes a review of monthly reports from the fire departments as well as the Wright County Sheriff's Office. There will also be a discussion around electronic packets.
Additionally, Commissioner Sibert requested that there be a discussion around updating the mission statement for the Public Safety Commission. In her words, it is "outdated." The current mission of the Commission is as follows:
The Public Safety Commission is appointed by the City Council and is charged with developing a citizen complaint procedure, promoting public interest in and an understanding of police work. They serve as a forum for the citizens of Otsego to voice their opinions regarding community safety and police services. Please come and share your concerns.
Since the Public Safety Commission is established by the City Council and only has the purpose which is granted by ordinance (code 2-2-1), it does not have the authority to modify its own charge. I will be interested in hearing the discussion on why that needs to change and why it is outdated.