ORR- The Orr City Council made short work of a light agenda on Monday, wrapping up its monthly meeting in just 11 minutes while advancing plans for a $262,600 replacement of the city’s aging water meters.
The council authorized the city to apply for approximately $131,500 from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Public Works Grant Program for the project. The remaining cost would be covered through Community Development Block Grant funding, with the city planning to submit that application this fall.
The project would replace 105 residential meters and 26 commercial meters and add an automatic meter reader.
According to the city’s grant application, the existing meters and associated reading equipment are aging, increasingly unreliable, and require frequent maintenance. The new system would improve billing accuracy, provide better information for detecting leaks and unaccounted-for water, and reduce the staff time required for manual readings and repairs.
The preliminary engineering estimate prepared by Bollig Engineering includes $200,500 in construction costs, $42,000 in engineering, administration, and other nonconstruction expenses, and a $20,100 contingency.

Audit accepted
The council also accepted the city’s 2025 audit, although a detailed presentation and review will come later when the city’s auditor attends a council meeting.
Clerk/Treasurer Angela Fabish said the city will receive a clean, unmodified audit report with no Minnesota Legal Compliance findings. The city appropriately addressed all findings identified in the previous year’s audit.
Completion of the audit was delayed by additional work needed to incorporate the Orr Fire Relief Association pension valuation report into the city’s audited financial statements.
The council also approved renewing the city’s Blue Cross Blue Shield employee health insurance plan for 2027. Rates will increase 9.8 percent, while the plan will retain its $2,000 deductible and 30-percent coinsurance requirement. The city has used the plan for the past three years, and no benefit changes are planned.
Medica rates were not yet available for comparison and are expected in October.
As part of its consent agenda, the council approved changing Fabish’s title from city clerk/treasurer to city administrator-clerk/treasurer.
The accompanying job description designates the administrator as the city’s chief administrative officer, responsible for coordinating daily city operations and overseeing municipal departments, finances, personnel, budgeting, grants, elections, public services, and implementation of council policies.
The council also declared a 2016 Ford E450 Braun Chief XL ambulance as surplus property and authorized its sale through open bidding. The city will advertise the ambulance with a starting bid of $25,000, and the vehicle will be sold as-is.
In other business, the council:
•Approved a $6,088.75 invoice from Viita’s Excavating for work that included replacing a grinder pump at the Orr Community Center and clearing a backed-up line at the airport.
•Approved the purchase of a $940.88 airway-management training device for the ambulance service.
•Accepted a $57,666.50 payment representing the Orr Ambulance Service’s July installment from the Cook-Orr Healthcare District levy.
•Accepted a $250 donation from Catherine Donovan for the Orr Fire Department.
City staff also reported that the Tourist Information Center had welcomed more than 1,700 visitors during a busy summer period.