WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING AUGUST 6, 2014

WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING      AUGUST 6, 2014

          Chairman Glen Williamson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Also present were Supervisors Gary Vink and Mike McCullen, Treasurer Patrice Winfield, Road Manager Mark Pallow, and Clerk Paul Raymond, plus Jeff and Jeanne GrandPre, Mark and Lisa Sisterman and Pat Story.

Paul read the record of the July meeting. Mike said that at the July meeting they voted to pay Pat and Jeff for their participation at the land-sale hearing in Pine City July 15; the record says this was approved at the June meeting.  Glen moved that the non-officer members of the committee who attended the land-sale hearing be paid a stipend of $25, plus mileage.  Mike seconded.  Passed.  Gary moved to approve the July record; Mike seconded; passed.

OLD BUSINESS:  Land-Sale Committee Report:  Pat and Jeff drafted a position paper and presented it with Mike to the Pine County Commissioners at the special hearing July 15. Mike said the Board was very respectful and gave them a fair hearing and an hour of floor time.  Mike said that at the end of the hearing the Board said they were only selling the Schmedeke Lane land at this time, 240 acres in Section 32.  The other parcels will be sold in the future.  We have the letter from Greg Beck which lays this out and which the Board reviewed at several meetings, but it was confusing and the board assumed they wanted to sell all the parcels immediately.  Pat said Commissioner Hallan indicated that many hours had been spent on the procedures and rules to sell tax-forfeited lands, and they tried to balance the interests of Pine Co. and Wilma Township.  They plan to draft clearer rules and procedures for public lands.  For one thing, they hadn’t considered the amount of tourism generated by the County and Wilma Township, attracted in part because of the public access to forests and waterways, and the businesses that benefit from this.  The projected sales, including our park, will need to be approved by the State Legislature because they adjoin waterways.  Mike and the committee said they would not object to selling the 240 acres adjacent to Schmedeke Lane because of the money the County put into the road extension, but Mike fears that we will have this same fight all over again next year.  Jeff said the Commissioners want to stiffen the policy on memorial land to make it even harder to sell this designated land.  Glen thanked the committee for their work and efforts.  The Pine Co. Courier had a good article on the hearing (attached).

Cemetery Report:  Jeff compiled many pages of requirements for making a municipal cemetery.  Because of the need for a Board of Trustees and committees and the number of people required to oversee a cemetery, Jeff recommended that the Board not proceed with creating a cemetery on our park land.  Mike moved that the Board adopt the Committees’ recommendation and table the idea of a town cemetery.  Gary seconded; passed.

Township Legal Seminar:  Saturday, Sept. 27, 9-4 p.m. in Rutledge.  Mike said this is a valuable seminar and moved that any officer interested in attending be  authorized to do so.  Glen seconded.  Mike said we should compile any legal questions we have so we can ask the attorneys.  Seminar is free.

Wilma Fall Fest:  Will be Sat. Oct. 18.  So far we haven’t lined up the Procrastinators.  Paul can email Stephanie and Dennis Hanson to confirm their participation.  Mike said the fire dept. will donate paper plates.  Paul suggested fewer prizes to take up less time with the drawings.  Glen said Paul can be on the committee with Toni and Patrice. Patrice has a group of businesses who she has solicited for prizes in the past to contact.

District 7 Meeting:  Will be Wednesday, Sept 3, the same night as our scheduled meeting.  Gary moved that we postpone the September by one week, to Sept. 10; Mike seconded.  Glen urged officers to attend to vote for him for Director.  He will drive and we can carpool.

Wilma 2015 Certified Township Aid:  We will get $4,424. in 2015, in two installments.  We just received our first installment of our 2014 aid and Patrice didn’t know what it was for or from.  It is to provide property tax relief, and is based on the adjusted net tax capacity of agricultural land compared to other property and our total land and water acreage and population.

Road Report:  Our gravel pile contained 54 loads, 702 yards.  Hopkins total bill to haul the gravel was $3,466.  It was enough to do the designated gravel on all our roads, including South Duncan and the Mayfield Rd.  Pat said he is ashamed at the muddy entrance to our fire hall; Mike moved to purchase 1 load, 12 to 14 yards of crushed granite to spread in front of the fire hall up to our tank.  Pat said he put a layer of minus 1 ½ rock on his drive and topped it with class 5 gravel, and this prevented the mud from coming up.  In order to charge T&T or any other loggers/haulers from their escrow accounts, Paul needs a detailed accounting of what gravel and work was done on any roads that were damaged by logging activity.

Fire Hall Doors:  The Board moved the meeting outside to inspect the fire hall doors, and Glen moved that we replace all three fire hall doors, with an electric opener on the grader bay door, and R12 insulated doors. Mark’s brother does doors, and Mike asked Paul to find another bid to compare.  Paul will work with Mark to find the best vendor.

Glen asked Paul to contact Sentence to Serve to see if they will paint the town hall again.  The roof of the fire hall still leaks.  Mike said the Fire Dept. is moving towards parking all rigs at the new Eagle Head Station, once it’s insulated and heated.  They removed the house this week, so it is now all the fire departments for the lease term.

Township Picnic Tables:  Paul asked if Zion Church In Markville can borrow the three green tables on Sat., August 23, for their free corn and bratfest.  Gary moved; Mike seconded.  Passed. Paul put a new bench on one that was broken, and has painted all three tables.

Primary Election  next Tuesday the DVFD training day.  The training will be changed to Monday to avoid a conflict. Paul, Patrice, and Jeff and Jeanne will judge.  Polls open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Pat Story Concerns:  Pat said he understands that Wilma has no zoning, but he is upset and disgusted with piles of scrap left in public view on River Cabin Road.  Pat said the pile is being scattered and is spreading.  He said there is also inappropriate dumping on county and township roads, such as a big screen TV dumped on the Forest Road at Graces’ Lake.  Mike said this is a DNR issue, and it is a crime to dump on public roads.  Jeff will give Pat the phone  number of the person on the County who handles hazardous wastes.  Paul contacted Edward Melzark who told him to call Robert Fischer at 320-216-4221, and they sent the Sentence to Serve guys out to pick up the TV and sofa on other county roads.  Paul will write to the DNR about the TV on the Forest Road.

Pat is also concerned with the level of housekeeping in our fire hall.  Some of the wiring is hazardous and backwards: reversed polarity.  The drain is plugged.  Paul said we can hose out the drain with the fire hose on Monday’s training, and Glen moved that Paul call Chuck Drilling to come out and repair our electricity, and have Chuck work with Mark and Pat and add a new outlet to the big bay for the door opener, and bring the electricity up to code.  Gary said the grader should be cleaned before it’s returned to the garage, to avoid plugging the drain.

Escrow Accounts:  Paul needs details and invoices showing what work was done on what roads and when, in order toe charge against escrow accounts.  Mark will put down in writing the different roads and amounts spent relating to damages.  Mike said there’s a grader parked on Vink Road, and he wants them to understand that they must not grade a township road.

DFD Grant:  Pat said he got a phone call from Senator Al Franken congratulating him on receiving the $46,000 award for fire equipment for the Duxbury VFD, for safety gear.  He told Pat that next time to call him to help with getting the grants.  Pat was disappointed that we lost the $189,000 grant for a new pumper tanker.  Mike said they don’t like fire departments to use political influence to get AEG grants.

TREASURER’S REPORT AND BILLS:  Patrice gave the Treasurer’s report (attached).  Claims were presented:

Jeff GrandPre (stipend, mileage)                          $             72.60

ECE                                                                                    57.25

Mark Pallow (expenses)                                                     24.08

Pat Story (Stipend)                                                             25.00

Patrice (expenses; election)                                                 76.00

Jeanne GrandPre                                                                 51.00

Jeff GrandPre (elections)                                                              80.68

Hopkins Gravel                                                             3,466.00

Security Life Ins. (Dental)                                                 443.52

Gary Vink                                                                         151.91

Patrice                                                                               101.58

Mark Pallow                                                                     297.82

Mike McCullen                                                                 132.06

Glen Williamson                                                                 50.79

Total Claims                  $        5,030.29

Gary moved to approve the Treasurer’s Report, to pay all the bills, and to transffer $5,000 from savings to checking.  Mike seconded.  Glen moved to adjourn the meeting; Gary seconded.  Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

 

Paul Raymond, Clerk______________________