WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF APPEAL AND EQUALIZATION, APRIL 8, 2019
Chairman Glen Williamson
called the meeting to order at 1:15 pm at the Wilma Town Hall with
the Pledge of Allegiance. County Assessor Lorri Houtsma and Wilma
Assessor Bob Brewster attended, plus Supervisor Gary Vink, Patrice
Winfield, Pat Story and Clerk Paul Raymond.
Paul read the record of
last year’s Board of Equalization. Gary moved to approve; Glen
seconded.
Pat
Story, Parcel R32.5084. Pat questioned how
the estimated market value is determined and where are these records
kept? Bob explained that estimated market values are based on a sales
study of qualifying sales; the assessor has to set values at 90% –
105% of sales in the previous year, October 1, 2017 to September 30,
2018. The assessment records are stored at the assessor’s office in
the courthouse. Qualifying Sales have a CRD, Certificate of Deed
filed with the Auditor who gives it to the Assessor. Excluded sales
are family sales, forced foreclosures, and token sales. The increase
in EMV for the 33 townships in Pine County is set by the sales in
each township the previous year and a half ago, and must be set
between 90 – 105%. Ours is 90.3%, which is low. The only actual
increases in Pat’s market value would be if he had an inspection and
had added buildings or other changes, and he didn’t.
Patrice
Winfield,
Parcel R32.013:
Patrice said her estimated values usually rise 2 or 3% but for next
year they went up 4.5%. Bob said some people’s values rise
differently from the person next door because swamp land and high
ground and other classifications rise at different rates, but
essentially the increases are evenly and fairly distributed among
taxpayers. If anyone’s actual taxes increase it is because their
levies changed; either the township or county or school.
Gary
Vink, Parcel R32.0079, Duxbury Store and Bar:
Bob said that most commercial assessments went up in 2019, but in
2007 the County Assessor Troy Stewart came out and lowered the value
of the store 20% since it is not open year-around, and the bar only
during hunting season. Parcel
R32:1041, the Farm: Gary
said he applied to put the land under the county forest plan, but
this doesn’t show up on his 2020 appraisal. Lorri looked up Gary’s
application online and said he submitted it in December, 2018 and the
deadline for 2019 was before last May., but she did approve his
application and it will apply in future years and reduce Gary’s taxes
by 35%. The number to contact the forester to get a managed Forest
Management Plan 2C is Paul Swanson at 320-216-4245.
Two
Trailers at Two Creeks:
Propertys M32.8900.08 and M32.8900.03:
Both trailers were appraised as personal property since their tags
were not current. They both have since renewed their tabs and Glen
moved to remove them from the tax roles; Gary seconded.
Assessor
Certification:
Gary’s certification is good through 2020 and Glen was re-certified
this past year, for three years.
Gary moved to adjourn;
Glen seconded. Meeting adjourned at 2.00 p.m.
WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF REORGANIZATION AND SUPERVISORS’ MEETING, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019
Wilma Township Board of Supervisor – From left to right, Paul Raymond, Clerk; Gary Vink, Supervisor; Mike McCullen, Supervisor and Glen Williamson, Chair. Not in photo, but present, Patrice Winfield, Treasurer.
Chairman Glen Williamson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with the Pledge of
Allegiance. Also present Supervisors Mike McCullen and Gary Vink,
Treasurer Patrice Winfield, Clerk Paul Raymond, Grader Operator Alden
Shute.
BOARD OF
REORGANIZATION: Elected Supervisor Glen Williamson and Treasurer
Patrice Winfield were sworn to a three year and two year term by
Clerk Paul Raymond. Mike nominated Glen to serve as Chairman; Gary
seconded. Passed. Mike moved that Gary be assistant Chair; Glen
seconded; passed. Treasurer Patrice designated Northview as our bank
of deposit. Mike moved that The Evergreen and Pine County Courier and
the Town Hall and the township website be our notice-posting and
publishing places. Mike moved that the wages and salaries for 2019
as voted and approved by the townspeople at the March 11th
Annual Town Meeting be adopted.
Chairman $105/meeting (over three hours, $22.50/hour); Supervisors,
$100/meeting (over three hours additional $18.00/hour); Clerk and
Treasurer $100/meeting. Special reports and paperwork $16/hour.
Election judges $16/hour (including head judge). Grader Operator
$25/hour for grading and plowing; $20 hour for inspections and
reports; Assistant Grader Operator, $20; General labor $16/hour;
Major mechanical work, $30/hour; Mechanic Assistant, $16/hour; Annual
Meeting Moderator, $75/meeting; Out of town meetings, $150/full day;
$100/half day. Mileage at Federal rate, now $.58/mile. Gary
seconded; passed.
Notice-posting:
Glen moved to keep posting notices in
the Pine County Courier, the Evergreen, and wilmatownship.com. Mike
seconded.
Monthly
Board Meetings:
Glen moved that we meet the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30
p.m. in 2019/2020. Gary seconded. Township
Donations:
Requests from OSAC, Family Pathways, Pine County Historical
Association and Seven County Senior Federation for continued
contracts. At 2018’s annual meeting, a total of $300 for all requests
was approved by the voters for 10 years. Mike moved to give $75
apiece to each of them; Glen seconded. Passed.
Snowplowing
2019/2020:
Mike
moved that we keep our private drive snowplowing rates for the
2019-2020 season the same as last year: $75; Drives over 700′, $100;
1,000′ to ½ mile: $175/season; over ½ mile, $350. Glen seconded;
passed.
APRIL
BOARD MEETING: Paul read the record of the
March 6 Board meeting. Gary moved to approve; Mike seconded.
ROAD
REPORT:
Alden reported that he plowed Little Tamarack Lake Road because it
gets blocked with snow. He will not plow driveways any more since
they are so soft. He will start grading roads as when they dry out,
maybe even this week. He had a flat tire on the grader and had to
make two trips to Glen’s Tire in Mora to replace the broken valve
stem. Deep Rock had to order a stem for the valve. Alden fixed the
hydraulic hose.
Snowplowing/Branches:
Two people have overhanging branches that interfere with the
grader, Paul Raymond and Tom Ackerman. They will need to be trimmed
before next years snow season. Paul will notify Ackermans.
Grader
Hall Furnace:
Even though the burners were replaced when Federated repaired the
heater in the grader hall and unblocked the birds’ nests, the furnace
stopped working again. Alden will call Federated, and he asked Mike
to move the fire department brush rig so the furnace workers can
access the furnace. Mike will.
Grader
Hall Drain:
Alden asked if the fire department can blow out the drain on the
floor. Gary said last time they had to blow it out from the outside
first and then from the inside. Mike said they will take care of it.
Gary said we need to shovel out all the mud and sand so it doesn’t
wash right back down the drain. Alden said he can get a better drain
cover that doesn’t allow so much dirt and debris to get in.
Grader
Hall Parking Lot/Driveway:Alden
said he’d like to try crushed red-rock gravel to lay down in the
driveway instead of the crushed rock we put down before. It is about
half the cost. He said he needs to cut down the whole driveway 2 –
3”and shape it so it can drain and put a small ditch for drainage.
Glen said we will inspect the success of the red-rock on McCullen
Drive at the May road inspection and can decide if it will work on
the parking lot and driveway.
OLD
BUSINESS:
Pine
County Township Officers Mtg:
Was Saturday, March 23 in Hinckley. Report by Paul given to board
and it is posted on the Pine County Township Officers website.
DSL
Internet:
Patrice contacted CenturyLink to order a phone line to the town hall
and that was installed. Today she was able to order DSL internet for
the town hall which will be installed next week. We have to pay the
business rate, which will total about $60 per month, half what we pay
now. She will cancel the phone once the internet is hooked up, and
she will cancel our Viasat account. Glen said the antenna going
north stopped working, although it does have power. He wants to go
up to see if the wire became unconnected and may need help from the
fire department. Patrice said we should not repair it if it only
reaches one township resident. Paul said the board already agreed to
put up the antennas to reach whoever they reach, and after all that
we paid, not to fix the wire doesn’t make sense. Until Alden got his
own internet, he was able to use the township internet, as does the
Duxbury Store. The modem costs $99 but they will give it to us for
free. We have to sign a two-year contract.
State
Election for Representative:
The election for Jason Rarick’s house seat was held March 19.
Patrice, Glen and Paul were judges. Nathan Nelson won, but not Wilma
Township.
NEW
BUSINESS:
Board
of Appeal/Equalization:
For voters to appeal 2020 property tax assessments, Monday, April 8,
2019, 1 p.m. County Assessor Lorri L. Houtsma and Wilma Assessor Bob
Brewster will attend. We need two supervisors, and both Gary and
Glen are certified. Mike said he might not make it.
Spring
MAT Short Course:
Is Friday, April 5 at the DECC in Duluth. Glen will drive and pick
up Paul and Patrice at 7 a.m. Gary said he can’t go.
Culverts:
Land and Cabins has a new price list for culverts. Alden given the
price list and Mike said he can order whatever he needs.
CTAS
Backup:
Paul’s CTAS program will not allow him to backup to a flash drive.
He has tried three, including a brand new one. He has sent his error
log to the State Auditor and their I.T. department is trying to
figure it out, but if they can’t fix it Paul would like to use
Patrice’s backup so he can load CTAS onto his laptop. Paul’s books
are caught up and match Patrice’s. Glen moved that if Paul can’t get
his program fixed, that he be allowed to use Patrices’s backup for
his laptop. Mike seconded. Passed.
Mail
Ballot Voting:
Auditor Kelly Schroeder is suggesting that townships with polling
places switch to mail-in ballots. This does not require a town
meeting; the board can pass a resolution to switch Wilma from public
voting to mail-ballot voting. We can’t do it only for some elections
and not others, but Kelly had said that they are trying to have mail
balloting for everyone if we ever have special primaries and
elections like we did in March. Her letter and a sample resolution
was given to the board. Advantages are lower costs, but Gary said the
whole point of democracy is for us to publicly vote at a polling
place. Mike agreed, that constitutionally we should have a central
voting place. Glen said it brings the town together when everyone
comes to the hall, and he got to make contact with a lot of citizens
when he was judge on the 19th.
Glen moved to table the matter; Mike seconded.
Treasurer’s
Report and Claims:
Patrice gave the treasurer’s report which will be posted on the
website. Total bills for March are $4,084.93 and she requests a
transfer of $4.000 from savings to checking. Gary moved to approve;
Glen seconded.
