Diane Chesness1
Sabrina Hille
From:Sandy Lindenfelser
Sent:Monday, September 23, 2024 7:39 AM
To:Daryl Rausch; Adam Flaherty; Sabrina Hille
Cc:Audra Etzel
Subject:FW: Fire Station - I cannot support this at this time
Please see the email below.
Sandy
Sandy Lindenfelser, AdministraƟve Assistant City of Otsego | 13400 90th Street NE | Otsego, MN 55330 763.441.4414
Office | www.ci.otsego.mn.us
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-----Original Message-----
From: Diane Chesness <diane.chesness@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, September 20, 2024 12:56 PM
To: Audra Etzel <AEtzel@ci.otsego.mn.us>; Tina Goede <TGoede@ci.otsego.mn.us>; BriƩany Moores
<BMoores@ci.otsego.mn.us>; Jeff Dahl <JDahl@ci.otsego.mn.us>; Ryan Dunlap <RDunlap@ci.otsego.mn.us>; Jessica
Stockamp <JStockamp@ci.otsego.mn.us>; Sandy Lindenfelser <SLindenfelser@ci.otsego.mn.us>
Subject: Fire StaƟon - I cannot support this at this Ɵme
I have many many quesƟons regarding a new fire staƟon. I have been to Council meeƟngs, planning commission
meeƟngs, I have watched many Council meeƟngs online read the minutes from many of the different departments
minutes and read all the informaƟon on social media.
Most of the informaƟon, misinformaƟon, counter-informaƟon, etc. tends to leave a lot of us wondering and arguing
what the right call is. Before going any further on this fire staƟon many quesƟons need to be and asked and answered.
My quesƟons revolve around the reality of need. I believe we can all agree that protec Ɵng human life is the number one
priority of a fire department. While our homes and things are important to each one of us, they do not equal the
importance to human life. Anyone can argue that any amount of money spent on prevenƟng a loss of life, is totally
jusƟfiable. Under our current fire service plan, has our city suffered a disproporƟonate amount of injuries or fataliƟes
historically? And can those losses be directly linked to lack in our current service contracts?
Also, regarding our current contract services with the surrounding fire departments, have you, the city Council had
documented discussions with each of them regarding the feasibility of future contracts and what those would look like
and does each of the ciƟes want to conƟnue with the contracts? If you have, I would like to know how to find these
documented discussions. If you have not, don’t you believe that that is important so we are all talking facts? If you have
not had any documented discussions with the other fire departments, why not?
2
I believe, had the city Council put this before the taxpayers to vote on, the council would have had much more support if
the vote had supported the building of a new fire staƟon. The way the council has decided to fund this project is truly
amazing in its own right! By choosing that direcƟon you have not only made it much more expensive to build it but you
have also taken away our vote is truly is mine boggling. I truly want to know why the Council went this route and I
believe we all have a right to know this and if it is not documented somewhere, it should be. I know you have heard this
many many Ɵmes before, but you have all been elected by us to not only do right by us but also to listen and work with
us. Which this has absolutely not been done regarding this whole fire staƟon.
I cannot support the city Council on this new fire staƟon in its current form, and I believe that more evaluaƟon is
definitely needed before pulling the trigger and such a large investment. The expense that has already been spent on this
so far is nothing but recklessness! I could go on regarding hiring a fire chief, along with a brand new truck, and all the fire
tracks before even having tax payers support and a plan for a new fire staƟon is uƩerly laughable, but I believe if you all
were looking at it from us that have voted you into office you would agree with that.
Diane Chesness
14510 92nd St., Northeast
Otsego