WILMA TOWNSHIP ANNUAL TOWN MEETING – March 11, 2014

WILMA TOWNSHIP ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
March 11, 2014 

       Clerk Paul Raymond called the 107th Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Wilma to order at 8:20 p.m., following the Board of Canvass, with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Also present were Patrice Winfield, Glen, Toni and Mason Williamson, Jeff and Jeane Grand Pre, Mark and Maureen Pallow, Gary Vink, Barb Smith, and Mike McCullen.

Paul asked for nominations for Moderator.  Gary nominated Patrice; Mike seconded.  Mike nominated Jeff; Patrice seconded.  Patrice was elected Moderator.

Paul read the record of last years’ annual meeting.  Gary moved to approve; Glen seconded.  Approved.  Patrice announced the election results:  Supervisor, Gary Vink 12 votes, one blank, one write-in; Paul 13 votes, one write-in.  Certificates of election given.

Patrice gave out the financial statement and fund balances for 2013. Paul moved that reading of all checks be waived.  Gary seconded.  Gary moved to approve the report; Jeff seconded.  Passed.

ROAD REPORT:  Road Manager Mark Pallow gave the road report.  It’s been a hard year for snowplowing, and all township roads were plowed, and received routine grading and maintenance in 2013.  Repairs were completed on Mayfield Road, for FEMA, and more repairs were done due to intensive logging activity on the road.  The North Duncan Road project was completed with two culverts installed and gravel put down.  Pat Story requested township approval to plant trees in his cul-de-sac on Lost River Road.  2013 was Wilma’s year for the east Range Line Roads, Pete Anderson and Langstrom.  Mark would like to remove some trees shading and overhanging Mayfield Road.

LEVIES:  Road and Bridge Levy:  Gary moved and Glen seconded to keep the fund at $16,000 for 2015.  Passed.

Building Fund:  Mike said we still need repairs on the Fire and Grader Garage and some repairs on our town hall.  Paul moved that it remain at $5,000 for 2015; Glen seconded.  Passed.

Fire Fund:  We don’t have discretion for this fund as all townships are billed $4,500.  Glen moved that we set the levy at $4,500; Glen seconded.  Passed.

Park Fund:  Gary moved that we keep the fund at $100; Toni seconded; passed.

General Fund:   We always run short on this fund, but we are able to transfer from other funds.  Mike moved that we keep it at $10,000; Jeff seconded; passed.

WAGES:  Although the Board of Supervisors has the final vote and decision on setting wages, we have always had a public voice and vote on these.  Supervisors’ wages were changed to an hourly rate when we once had a long-winded Chairman and meetings would last many hours.  Glen said other townships have a straight meeting rate, like we do for our Clerk and Treasurer.  Mike moved that we set a meeting rate for Supervisors at $50 per meeting, $55 for the Chairman, for meetings up to three hours; overtime would be paid at the current hourly rate of $20.50 and $18.00.  Jeff seconded.  Passed.  This applies to regular board meetings and Boards of Equalization, not for road inspections, which Gary said can last all day.  Glen moved that other wages, Clerk, Treasurer, General Labor, Grader Operator, etc. remain the same as 2013.  Toni seconded.  Passed.

Out of Town Meetings:  Discussion on the length of half-day meetings, which usually require more than half a day, and full-day meetings, which often run until late.  Patrice moved that out of town meetings be raised to $75 for half-day meetings and $150 for full day meetings.  Mark seconded.  Passed.

Election Judges:  This has stayed at $10/hour for many years.  Glen moved that it be set at $12/hour for 2014.  Mike seconded.  Passed.

Mileage Rate:  Glen moved that we continue to use the Federal Mileage Rate, which has gone down to $.56 for 2014.  Toni seconded.

SNOWPLOWING:  Discussion on whether we should increase this due to the heavy snows this year.  Mike reminded us of the history of our grader and how it was purchased to serve the people of our township.  We originally did private drives for free, until the law said the town could not lose money doing private drives.  Mike said the citizens have already paid hundreds and thousands in taxes for maintenance, grader operators, fuel, and insurance for the grader.  This year was an unusually heavy one, but other years we have had as few as one or two plows.  Mike moved that we leave snowplowing for the 2014-15 season the same as this year, but that for driveways 1,000’  to ½ mile, the rate be $175, and for over ½ mile, $350 per season.  Jeff seconded.  Passed.

OTHER DONATIONS:          The township received three requests from community groups for support.  Seven County Senior Federation:  Patrice explained the benefits and services Seven-County provides.  Paul moved that we again donate $100, like last year.  Glen seconded.  Gary said the law says townships can only support groups that work within that township; Patrice said 7-County does work in Wilma, including meetings of the Pine County Wanderers.  Passed.

Pine County Historical Society:  They’re in their third year at the AskovMiddle School; we have given $1 per citizen in the past; Mike moved that we change it to $100 like the other groups.  Jeff seconded.  Passed.

Old School Arts Center The OSAC had to close for the winter when Lourey’s couldn’t keep the building heated.  They found a new buyer, and the OSAC will reopen with an exhibition on March 21.  They also will be teaching pottery, with a kiln Barb and Rick Smith donated.  Last year the people voted to donate $100, but when Gary said the Loureys had received a grant of $46,000, the Board rescinded the donation. Barb said the grant was actually $4,000, not $46,000.  Glen moved that we donate $100 this year; Toni seconded; passed.

TOWNSHIP SEPTIC ORDINANCE:  The County will adopt a revised Sewer and Septic Ordinance on April 1st.  The Township must revise our ordinance to make it at least as strict as the County’s by April 1, 2015, or we can let the County take over all septic inspections and licenses.   We have already drafted a new ordinance, but the board may not act on it until they have to, since our current ordinance is fine.  Copies are available for inspection, or can be downloaded by email from the Clerk.

TOWN PARK LAND:  The State, County and Wilma Township always believed that we owned the full 36.5 acre Park west of the Eagle Head VFD Station.  When we were researching the Park last year when we were discussing building a new town hall, the County discovered that we only owned the bottom half of that 40, minus the School House and Eagle Head Station.  The State Legislature and Pine Co. Board of Commissioners have to authorize a conveyance to the Township of the north 20 acres under conditional use, since the TamarackRiver runs through it.  The Board has made this request.  We will get full and clear rights to our lower half this year, no longer conditional use, and the Duxbury Fire Dept. has a lease on the Eagle Head Station.

COUNTY LAND SALES:  The County has several parcels of County land in WilmaTownship that they want to auction off in the next few years, including our Park.  The Board of Supervisors have passed a resolution that whereas there is a finite amount of public land; and whereas now any citizen has access to State and County public lands; and whereas some of these parcels are now landlocked and the township would have legal hassles granting and guaranteeing easement; and whereas any benefits obtained from adding these lands to our tax roles would be offset by denying our children and their children the freedom to use these lands, we oppose the sales of any public state or county lands, except for our public Park.  The County has said that these parcels will be withdrawn from sale if the Township objects.

BOARD OF APPEAL AND EQUALIZATION:  The meeting to appeal property tax assessments for 2015 taxes will be Wednesday, April 23, 1 p.m. at the Town Hall.

WILMA FALL FEST:  We have authorized $500 the past several years for Fall Fest.  The Procrastinators Band costs $300 to $350.  All the prizes and labor and food and  many supplies are donated, and it has been a successful celebration for our Township.

Glen moved that we authorize $500 again for 2014 Wilma Fall Fest; Barb seconded; Passed.

Jeff moved that the meeting be adjourned; Jeane seconded.  Meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

Paul Raymond, Clerk

WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING, MARCH 5, 2014

WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING,   MARCH 5, 2014

          Chairman Glen Williamson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Also present were Supervisors Gary Vink and Mike McCullen, Treasurer Patrice Winfield, Clerk Paul Raymond, Road Grader Assistant Ben Glocke, and Pat Story.

Paul read the record of the February meeting.  No corrections.  Gary moved to approve; Mike seconded.

OLD BUSINESS:  County Septic Ordinance:  Patrice made copies of the county’s new ordinance so the Supervisors could study it.  We must adopt this ordinance as a township ordinance within one year of April 1, or we can give our jurisdiction to the county and go under their ordinance.  Glen asked Paul to find out if we can retain our own septic inspector and permit issuing under the county ordinance, or if we need to pass our own. Issue tabled until April meeting.

NEW BUSINESS:  County Tax-forfeited land sales:  Greg Beck sent a list and maps for two sales of lands in WilmaTownship.  One, a large parcel in Section 11, north of Jensen’s and west of the new Schmedeke Lane extension, to be auctioned off on Sept. 19, 2014.  Another list of parcels adjacent to public waters in Sections 8, 9, and 17, including our park land the town and state and county always believed we already owned.  The Legislature needs to rule on these, and will be auctioned in the next 3 -5 years.

Mike said he personally opposes the sale of any state or county public lands into private hands.  He said any tax benefit we may gain by having these properties back on the tax roles is offset by the loss forever of public-access hunting and fishing lands.  Pat Story said there is a finite amount of public land, and any sales decreases this.  Patrice said she agrees with Mike, that those lands that now are publically owned, either by the county or the state, should remain public.  Mike said another issue with the county’s proposed sale is that many of the parcels are landlocked, and this leads to a lot of lawsuits and hassles for the township so people can get easements through other people’s land to get to their landlocked parcels.

Glen moved to pass a resolution stating that because of the above reservations to losing public lands and for easement issues, that the Board of Supervisors of Wilma Township oppose any sales of county land in Wilma Township to private owners, with the sole exception of the north 20 acres of our park, which we believed we already owned, and which we want to receive for public access for our citizens by conveyance through an action of the Legislature and the Pine County Board of Commissioners.  Mike seconded.  Passed.  Paul will write to Greg Beck opposing the sales.  The Land Department letter states that if the township disapproves of these sales, they will be removed from the listings.  Paul will write to Beck.

Board of Reorganization:  Last year we held the board of reorganization at our April meeting.  The law according to the Township Association calendar states that the last date for this is March 31, and our board meeting this year is April 2.  Glen directed Paul to write to the township attorneys and get a decision whether we can hold our Board of Reorganization on April 2nd.

Board of Equalization and Review:  Scheduled for Wednesday, April 23, at the town hall, 1 p.m., to challenge property assessments for 2015.

County Township Officers Spring Meeting:  At Hinckley American Legion on Saturday, March 29, 9 a.m.  Paul and Glen will attend the planning meeting tomorrow.

Spring Short Course:  At Black Bear Casino in Carlton on Friday, April 4.  Glen will drive a carpool.  We can make final plans at the April 2 board meeting.

Annual Town Meeting and Election:  Next Tuesday, March 11.  Polls open at 5 p.m., Board of Canvass at 8 p.m., and Annual Meeting following.  Toni Williamson is head judge, with Patrice and Barb Smith.

DNR Fire Warden Dinner:  The township got a notice asking for a RSVP for the Fire Warden dinner at the AskovCommunity Center on March 27, 5 p.m.  Joe Vink is our Township Fire Warden, and Gary said he already got the notice and will be going.

Green Burial Seminar:  New DoseyTownship is hosting a day-long seminar on green burials, either on ones’ own property or in the public cemetery, Friday, March 28, from 10 to 2, with a lunch break.  They ask people to bring sandwiches to share.

ROAD REPORT:  Ben gave the road report as Road Manager Mark Pallow couldn’t attend.  Ben said it has been a busy month for snow plowing.  There are no loggers active in the township at this time, and no new equipment issues.  Mark is researching what chains to get to replace the old chains.  Plus cables for the swing blade.  Mark took 3 days to get everyone plowed in the last big snowfall.  Gary said it took him 3 hours to do the town hall and fire hall parking lot and driveway. We’ve had 78” of snow so far, and 59 days below zero temperatures.

Town Hall Back Door:  Gary said that because of settling or some other reason, the door jams are not air tight any more, and we need to fix them.  Cold air is coming in.  Pat Story asked what is the status of getting a new town hall.  Paul said we found out that we do not own the land on either side of the town hall/fire hall; the boundaries are at the edges of the halls, so there is no room to either expand the existing hall, or build a new one.  Glen said there is a lot of sentiment towards keeping our old hall, and it has been adequate for pancake breakfasts, weddings, Fall Fests, and board meetings.

Eagle Head DNR/Fire Dept. Station:  Pat asked if there is interest in the fire department getting state bonding to replace the well and septic that MN Dot destroyed at the Eagle Head Station, which is now the Duxbury VFD Eagle Head Station.  Mike said no.  Pat said he is making progress on getting some grants for the fire department.  He is corresponding with Shane Chatlain, who is in charge of the tower and tower building.  Pat said all his experience with state contracts is that they gave 20 year leases, but Shane insists they can only give the Duxbury VFD a 10 year lease.  Mike said this will influence any decisions to upgrade the pole barn or buildings.  They took out the heater that was in the side garages we would like to heat.

TREASURER’S REPORT AND CLAIMS:   Patrice gave the Treasurer’s Report (attached).  Bills were presented:

Paul (expenses)                                           $             10.00

MN Benefit Association (Life Insurance)                229.00

Bob Brewster                                                       1,529.00

ECE                                                                          61.37

Patrice (expenses)                                                     13.86

Gary (plowing)                                                        150.00

Glen                                                                          28.39

Patrice                                                                     242.88

Mark Pallow                                                           494.54

Gary                                                                          67.87

Mike                                                                          24.94

Paul                                                                         145.91

Ben Glocke                                                                34.63

Total Bills                      $        3,032.33

Mike moved to approve the Treasurer’s Report, and to pay all the claims, and to transfer $3,000 from savings into checking.  Gary seconded.  Glen moved to adjourn and meeting; Mike seconded.  Meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.                  Paul Raymond, Clerk