ORR- The Orr City Council had a relatively routine list of items to consider at Monday’s regular meeting, with one item in particular they were likely delighted to approve.
City business operations have been somewhat challenged since former city clerk Cheri Carter retired, and even more so after recent new hire assistant clerk Jennifer Whittemore resigned following a dispute with the council over mileage reimbursement. Carter and former deputy clerk Laura Manai stepped in to help ensure essential functions such as payroll and paying bills were covered, and the council took a big step back toward normalcy last month with the hire of Angela Lindgren as clerk.
On Monday, they brought the city office back to full strength by approving Ellen Little as the new deputy clerk.
The council approved a modification to the Orr Ambulance policies that will require staff to work a minimum of 24 hours a month. The policies were last modified in 2019, and the change is intended to assure adequate coverage. In a separate agenda item, the council approved a memorandum of understanding that will allow the ambulance service to recoup money they pay out for EMT training if a person receiving the funds does not complete the training or does not serve on the ambulance crew for a full year.
Ambulance director Donna Hoffer also said she’d been contacted by Cook Ambulance Director Roland Shoen about creating what she termed a 12-hour/24-hour agreement. Hoffer said that Cook Ambulance doesn’t have sufficient staff for providing coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the agreement would allow the Orr Ambulance to provide additional coverage. Hoffer said an attorney was drafting an agreement that would be presented at the next council meeting.
Hoffer also said that they were going to get a heating system installed in the cabin of one of the rigs to prevent icing on the floor, a common occurrence on long runs on cold days. The system is similar to one ambulances in Alaska use, she said.
In other business, the council:
• Approved a short-term rental permit for Dennis Cote for 19668 Hillcrest Drive.
• Reviewed propane bids and selected low bidder Rainy Lake Oil at $1.299 a gallon.
• Accepted donations of $100 for the ambulance service from Dolores Jacobson, in memory of Bill Purdy,and $7,275.12 from the Orr Lions Community Foundation for the ambulance and fire department.
• Approved a pay request from Benchmark Engineering for $36,945.50 for work on the King Road lift station project.
• Approved a travel request from Lindgren to attend a two-day clerk’s academy training event in St. Paul in September.
$Although previously approved at last month’s meeting, the council approved a formal resolution giving Voyageur Country ATV Club permission to post trail signs in town.