Community Conversations Series Spring 2023

The Town Council and staff want to hear from you! 

What do you want to know about the Town’s municipal services? 

What’s important to you? How can the Town improve service delivery? 

Are there services you need more of or ones that you think should be scaled back? 

This spring, the Town will be hosting a series of six Community Conversations to talk with residents about core municipal services. Each of these sessions will be centered around a particular service or group of similar services and will offer residents the opportunity to learn about the service(s) from staff charged with their delivery. It's also an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback about what is, or is not, important to you and how we could better deliver Town services. We cordially invite you to attend and participate! 

Please join us in person in the Town Council Chamber or virtually on Zoom to participate live - or, watch the video livestream on the Town of Orono Facebook page or later on the Town’s YouTube Channel. Feedback is welcome at the meeting or by contacting the Town Manager’s Office via phone, email, or with a written note. 

The sessions are scheduled as follows and are described in detail at the links in each session name:

Schedule

Your feedback is important as it will be shared with the Town Council during the upcoming annual municipal budget process where Councilors establish the service level and operational work plan for staff to implement in the coming year. The municipal service level and priorities established and funded by the Town Council during the budget process will impact the municipal portion of your annual property tax bill. 

The Town Council’s budget workshops will begin on April 24th and continue through the month of May. All workshops are open to the public and will include a comment period to give your feedback regarding the budget discussions. Council wants to hear your thoughts and priorities!



Public Services & Infrastructure 
Thursday, March 9th at 6:00 PM 
Public services refers to those efforts and capital investments that provide the environment upon which our community functions. Join Public Works and Water Pollution Control Facility leadership to talk about: road and sidewalk maintenance; public trees; stormwater compliance; trash, recycling, and the landfill; cemetery maintenance; municipal environmental issues; capital infrastructure investments (roads, sidewalks, trails, sewer systems, etc.); and sanitary sewer treatment, processing, and disposal. 
Rob Yerxa and Chris Prue will be on hand to talk about what Public Works and the WPCF do and planned longer term capital investment in the Town's infrastructure. This is an opportunity for community members to learn more about these municipal operations and investments as well as to ask questions, make suggestions to better meet community needs, and share their priorities and vision related to public services and infrastructure.



Community Services, Programs, & Events
Thursday, March 16th at 6:00 PM
Community services, programs, events, and amenities seek to provide an environment that fosters a sense of community, pride of place, and belonging. While Town staff works across departments to support these efforts, they are, in large part, driven through Economic Development, Library, and Parks & Recreation. Join leadership from these departments to learn more about what we do; how you can connect, assist, and shape these efforts; and provide your thoughts about the community services the Town provides now or you would like to see in the future. 



Public Safety: Fire, EMS, & HazMat Response
Thursday, March 30th at 5:00 PM 
Public safety services are focused on keeping the community safe. Join Fire Department leadership to learn more and share your feedback about the Town’s fire and special incident response, emergency medical services, hazardous material response team, emergency management planning and response, life safety program, and public health response services. Ask questions, share feedback, and talk about the services and service level that is important to you. 



Public Safety: Police & Community Policing
Thursday, April 6th at 5:00 PM 
Public safety services are focused on protecting, serving, and connecting with the community. Join Police Department leadership to learn more about the philosophy, training, and best practices that underpin the department’s law enforcement and community oriented policing services. Ask questions and share your feedback about how the department can best serve the community. 



The Future of Orono: Planning & Development
Thursday, April 20th at 6:00 PM  
What types of economic activity and development work best in Orono? Join Community Development leadership to talk about your high level vision for the future of Orono. This discussion will begin in depth through the Comprehensive Plan Update process starting in 2024; however, this session provides a brief opportunity for you to learn more and provide feedback about the Town's planning and economic development efforts. 



Communications & Citizen Engagement
Thursday, April 27th at 6:00 PM 
What information do you want to receive from the Town? What methods work best for you to receive this information? What energizes you to engage in our governance process? What barriers exist that make participating in the process or accessing services difficult?