WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING ,  SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

          Chairman Glen Williamson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Also present were Supervisor Gary Vink, Treasurer Patrice Winfield, Clerk Paul Raymond, and Ben Glocke.

Paul read the record of the August meeting; Glen moved to approve; Gary seconded.

OLD BUSINESS:  Schmedeke Lane Extension:  Glen met with Eldon, who told him that he did pay the county the money they were requiring to turn the extension over to Wilma Township.  He gave Glen a statement asking that Schmedeke Lane “Must be extended 300 more feet to properly accommodate access to the newly created 100 acre parcel, including a culvert and pit run gravel, built up with class 5 gravel, 26′ wide.”  Gary said he understood that the issue was closed since Eldon had missed the deadline, and he doesn’t feel the town should proceed any further.  Let the county keep the road as it is.  There was a question of whether the county will still give the township the road and the $10,000 to improve it if Eldon does not sign and agree to our January agreement with the county:  “Agreement by the Town of Wilma and by Eldon Schmedeke, Citizen of Wilma Township, to Accept Pine County’s Offer and to Abide by the County’s Terms and Conditions for the Buildup and Repair of Schmedeke Lane Extension.”  Eldon has not signed the agreement, which does not provide for any further extension or development of the road beyond it’s existing length.  Glen said the township and the board cannot afford to extend the road, and he made a motion that the township accept the County’s offer to pay Wilma Township $10,000 to build up only the existing extension, if the county will honor this agreement without Eldon’s signature.  Paul will write to Cathy Clemmer.  She has made it clear that “If Wilma adopts the road and the County pays Wilma for the repairs, once the Road Order is filed with the Pine County Recorder, the County will be out of the picture and any further requests/demands concerning the road will be between the township and Eldon.”

Wilma Fallfest:  Dennis Hanson of the Procrastinators will turn 70 the day of Fallfest, October 18, and Stephanie would like to recognize him.  Dinner will start at 6 p.m., and the music at 7:30.

District 7 MAT Meeting, Cambridge:  Four officers attended, as well as Fran and Dave Levings-Baker, to show support for Glen who was running for Director.  There were a lot of important legislative issues covered and representatives from Franken and Nolan’s offices spoke, plus we got new information on election judges and their tax status and procedures.  Glen made it to the fourth ballot, but was not elected.

Township Legal Seminar:  This free all-day seminar covers many legal issues affecting townships.  Paul plans to attend.  Saturday, September 27, 9-4 p.m. in Rutledge.

Fire-Hall Doors and Wiring:  Paul solicited a quote from a building contractor for replacing the doors, and Glen asked Mark to get a quote from his brother-in-law. So far we have gotten no estimates.   We will replace three doors, with the large grader door with a electric door opener.   Pat Story met with Chuck Drilling to get an estimate to bring the fire hall up to electrical code and wire for the new garage door opener. We should have the quote at the next meeting.

Road Report:  Ben represented Mark for the road report.  Ben asked what Hopkins charges for loading and for hauling gravel.  They will be bringing gravel to Mayfield Road tomorrow, a load of class 5  to top the 24′ x 30′ culvert at the washout.  This is 9” larger than the old one.  Mark and Ben and Duane Glienke will install it.  Ben said they had to cut trees that posed hazards on the road.  Gary said the people on the road moved the warning barricades he put up and put logs in the washout, without replacing them, so he had to.

NEW BUSINESS:  Propane Prebuy:  Gary moved to prebuy 1200 gallons at $1.849/gallon.  Glen seconded.

T&T’s Escrow Deposit for Vink Road:  Mark said to refund their $500 deposit, but deduct one load of class 5 gravel.  Gary said they crushed the culvert on the road.  One load is about 14 yards, about $200.  T&T have three escrow accounts:  2/15/14. $500 for Crooked Lake Road; 1-2-14 $500 Mink Farm Road; 9/11/13, $500 Vink Road.  No action taken.

Pressure Washer:  Ben asked permission to purchase a pressure washer to clean

the road grader.  Gary moved to authorize Mark or Ben to buy an electric  pressure washer, up to $300, or up to 20% over without Gary’s authorization.  Glen seconded.

Cooperative Purchasing Venture:  We got an application; Glen said to fill it out and send it.

Fleet and Surplus Services Division:  All officers had to sign the renewal to be able to purchase surplus inventory.  We haven’t used surplus services.  Mike was not present to sign.

State MAT Convention, November 20-23 in Duluth:  Glen moved that he and Paul be authorized to attend.  Gary seconded.  Paul will drive.  Gary said to keep receipts of any expenses.

Yard Light:  Our hall yard light flickers on and off.  Glen instructed Paul to call ECE to have them repair it.

Sentence-to-Serve, Town Hall Painting:  Dan Raden is the new coordinator for the program.  He said they could paint the town hall if we provided the paint, and pressure-washed the hall before hand.  They can’t do it until next summer.  Paul said he could do it this fall, but Gary said it is already too cold.

New CTAS Program:  This will be implemented in the new year.  Training in the new program will be offered at the State MAT Convention and also in Duluth on October 6.  Patrice said the township will need a new computer for the program; the OS on the old one will be obsolete.  Glen moved that he be authorized to research computers  and printers for the township.  Gary seconded.      Patrice said our current printer still works but sometimes freezes.

Treasurer’s Report and Claims:  Patrice gave the Treasurer’s Report (attached).  Bills presented:

Hopkins Sand & Gravel                                                $           526.72

Jeanne GrandPre (election judge)                                        66.00

Paul (expenses, training and election training, July)         138.60

Mark Pallow                                                                       61.60

Federated Propane Cooperative                                              2,218.80

Glen (expenses)                                                                  78.40

Paul (expenses and election, Aug.)                                    219.60

Joe Vink                                                                              60.00

Jeff GrandPre (election)                                                      72.00

Patrice (expenses, election)                                               148.00

Evergreen                                                                              7.32

Pine Co. Courier                                                                 13.16

ECE                                                                                    58.67

U.S. Treasury                                                                   594.40

Mark Pallow                                                                     254.89

Ben Glocke                                                                       180.08

Paul Raymond (July and August)                                     341.69

Gary Vink                                                                         154.23

Glen                                                                                  157.92

Patrice                                                                               168.08

Total Bills:                     $        5,520.00

Gary moved to approve the Treasurer’s Report and to pay all the claims, and to transfer $5,500 from savings into checking.  Glen seconded.

Glen moved to adjourn the meeting; Gary seconded.  Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

__________________________

Paul Raymond, Clerk

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTICE

WILMA TOWNSHIP

MEETING CHANGE 

September Board Meeting Postponed

One Week, Now 9-10-2014

7:30 p.m

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______________________