WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5, 2016

Chairman Glen Williamson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Also present, Supervisor Gary Vink, Treasurer Patrice Winfield, Clerk Paul Raymond, Grader Operator Alden Shute, Clayton Heller, Jr., and Eldon and Marg Schmedeke.

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

ROAD REPORT: Little Tamarack Lake Road Erosion Control Project: We received approval of our application to the DNR to fill in the eroded edge of Little Tamarack Lake Road. Permit #2016-1133. “Allow road fill, including Class #5, below ordinary high water level to recover township road.” Permit was granted August 15^th, but DNR did not notify Glen or Paul. Alden said they’ve put 20 loads of gravel on that road already, but not in the erosion area.

Schmedeke Lane Gravel and Pete Anderson Road Flood Damage: Glen and Paul inspected Schmedeke Lane with Eldon and with Todd Booker from Pine County on September 12, to determine where gravel was needed and where Carlson Timber had an oil spill, and also Pete Anderson Road for flood damage from the July 11 flood. The county put down 2-4” of gravel on the Schmedeke Lane Extension and on Eldon’s two driveways. Alden had to blade it and build up the road. On Pete Anderson Road, Arna is responsible for repairs in even numbered years like 2016. Arna Township attended the meeting with Denise Baran and the HSEM and is filing a request for assistance with Homeland Security Emergency Management for Pete Anderson Road. Paul sent Arna the photos of the washout for their application and proposal for repair.

Paul contacted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Greg Beck and Mark LeBrun and reported the oil leak or spill. Todd Booker confirmed that it was oil. Glen told Paul to contact the MPCA again and see what they intend to do about it.

The county moved the stop and road sign at Duxbury Road that Carlson moved to the other side of the road but said they will not replace the damaged county culvert at the very beginning of the road that has been torn up by a grader.

Eldon took the floor and said the board never should have accepted 2” of gravel on the Schmedeke Lane Extension but should have insisted on more. He wants the ditch restored so oil and waste water doesn’t flow into the creek. He said it needs to be done before the ground freezes. Eldon said Mel Elliot used to ask the DNR to blow up the dam periodically, not that he did it. Paul did call the DNR to see if they will do beaver abatement and dam destruction. They said only on state land. Eldon said this dam is past the private land south of Duxbury road and is on state land. Paul talked with Cheryl Wickham who said they have someone who wants to trap out the beavers. Paul can contact the DNR again.

Eagle Head Road Flooding: Gary said the road has had water all summer because of a beaver dam somewhere east of the road on the Ackerman’s land. Alden said we need to get permission from the Ackermans to get rid of the beavers and the dam. Gary said he has searched and cannot find the dam.

Carlson Timber Mayfield Road Escrow Account: We still have $500 escrow accounts for Mayfield Road with Betheaume Logging and Carlson Timber when they started logging in September, 2013. Paul went through the claims from 2013-2014 following the payment of the escrow to see if he could document damages. Paul documented the repairs to send to both Carlson Timber and Bertheaume Logging.

OLD BUSINESS: Wilma Township WIFI: Glen gave a report on WIFI Committee by Glen; The ECRDC agreed to the memorandum with Wilma, and have paid Wilma $7,000 so far for expenses to install WIFI at our hall, to include internet hardware and professional services. Glen ordered the fourth dish and will have Exceed deliver and install their equipment, and find an installer to put up the dishes on the pole, and we will have fast WIFI at our hall, by October 22^nd, Glen hopes. Glen said Exceed needs to have a credit or debit card on file. Patrice will get one from the bank. Clayton said they will give us our number to use almost immediately. Glen will sign a three-year contract for the equipment rental. Alden said his nephew does pole work and has spikes and he will ask him if he can install the dishes.

Township Records: No update about Mike getting a fire-proof safe for our township records.

Sentence-to-Serve Work: So far no response to the new request for the Pine County Jail Sentence to Serve Program to sand and poly the town hall floors. Clayton Heller said he would check the leak in the chimney pipe to see if it can be capped and sealed. Mike had volunteered, but he is out of town for awhile.

Township Legal Seminar: Paul gave Glen a book of the sessions at the seminar with all the power-points on contracts, encroachment and rights-of-way; road improvements and realignments; township costs for enforcement, etc.

NEW BUSINESS: MAT 2016 Educational Conference and Annual Meeting: Will be November 17, 18, and 19 at River’s Edge in St. Cloud. Paul and Glen are attending and will get scholarships from the County Township Officers Association.

Pine County Township Officers Meeting: Saturday, October 22, 9 a.m. Hinckley American Legion. Glen encouraged all officers to attend. Same day as Fallfest.

Wilma Fall Fest: Toni Williamson, Barb Smith and Paul Raymond are on the committee. Glen and Toni picked up Toni’s posters at Kettle River Grafix. Barb took posters for Askov, Glen for Danbury, and Paul for Sandstone. Barb brought some of the prizes. Glen and Toni got the casino package and other prizes. Glen said they’ll do drawings only before the band and during intermission. All is ready and and Procrastinators booked. October 22, 6 p.m. Glen moved that we dispose of all the old and obsolete equipment and the non-working microwave. Clayton agreed to bring it to the dump in Pine City and will invoice us for the costs and his mileage.

Snowplowing 2016-2017 Season: Fees will be due at the next board meeting, November 2, 2016. Paul will post and publish this.

State and Federal Election: Will be Tuesday, November 8, polls open from 10 am to 8 pm. Paul, Patrice, and Jeff and/or Jeanne GrandPre will serve as judges.

Treasurer’s Report and Claims: Patrice gave the Treasurer’s Report (attached). Claims totaled $6,802.03. Glen moved to approve the report, and to pay all the claims, and to transfer $7,000.00 from savings to checking. Gary seconded.

Gary moved to adjourn; Glen seconded. Meeting adjourned 9 p.m.

Paul Raymond, Clerk _____________________________

Attested to by Glen Williamson, Chair_____________________________

WILMA TOWNSHIP  BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING, WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

Chairman Glen Williamson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Also present, Supervisor  Gary Vink, Treasurer Patrice Winfield, Clerk Paul Raymond, Grader Operator Alden Shute, and Eldon and Marg Schmedeke.

Paul read the record of the August 3 board meeting.  Gary moved to approve; Glen seconded.

ROAD REPORT:  Little Tamarack Lake Road Erosion Control Project:  Alden said they’ve put a fence along the lake shore to prevent further erosion,, and Mark was able to grade the road and level the holes and ruts in the road. We still need a proposal that we can submit to the DNR. Without the proposal, they can’t approve it. No work can be done until we have all the permits.  Alden has all the paperwork and photos so he and Hopkins can make up an accurate proposal.

Flood Damage:  Eldon took Glen and Paul to see the flood damage on Pete Anderson Road, and the logging damage at the end of Schmedeke Lane.  Arna is responsible for repairs in even numbered years like 2016.  We have not received any  proposals from Arna to repair the  large culvert damage where it was washed out, or for the flooding in the first part of the Pete Anderson Road.  Alden said they put two loads of gravel on Heller Drive and one on McCullen Drive and on Mayfield Road for flood damage. Paul will send Arna the photos and ask them for their proposal for repair.

Glen said there was an oil spill or leak in the logging area at the end of Schmedeke Lane.  Gary said he saw a damaged oil barrel that was behind Carlson Timber’s logging equipment, but it’s gone now.  They also filled in the ditch on the west side of the road.  Paul had written a letter to Carlson Timber about these issues, but Glen said not to send it. He instructed Paul to write to Greg Beck and tell him about the damage and oil spill, and to also contact the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency and report the oil.  We need to inform Greg about the stop and road sign at Duxbury Road that Carlson moved to the other side of the road and raised about 10 feet, and about the damaged county culvert at the very beginning of the road that has been torn up by a grader.  Eldon said to ask them to replace it with a longer culvert.

It is important to document all the work and have Hopkins delineate which roads get gravel, especially on range line roads like Heller Drive and Pete Anderson Road. We will still try to get some federal assistance from the Homeland Security Emergency Management Agency.

Eldon said the water at the beginning of the Pete Anderson Road is aggravated by a beaver dam about a quarter mile or more south of Duxbury Road on Langstrom Creek.  He said Mel Elliot used to blow up the dam periodically, but no one has done it for years.  Paul called the DNR to see if they will do beaver abatement and dam destruction.  They said only on state land.  Eldon said this dam is past the private land south of Duxbury road and is on state land. Paul will contact the DNR again.

Carlson Timber Mayfield Road Escrow Account:  Along with their new escrow payment for Schmedeke Lane, we still have $500 from them for Mayfield Road in 2013. Gary had said he would look at his records from three years ago to see if he could document damages.  He said we put 35 loads of 13 yards of class 5 gravel on the Mayfield Road in 2013-14 for the logging damage, and the work was completed by March, 2014.  Paul will  check claims from 2013 and 2014 to document the repairs to send to both Carlson Timber and Berthiaume Logging to show our documented repairs done that were Carlson’s and Berthiaume’s fault.  Glen moved that we move the $500 escrow from both their accounts into the Road and Bridge Account to pay for the damages, and notify both logging companies.  There was a discussion on raising the escrow requirement to $1,000, because Carlson’s damage may be more than $500, but this was tabled.

OLD BUSINESS:  Wilma Township WIFI:  Report on WIFI Committee by Glen; The ECRDC and Glen signed the memorandum/contract to Wilma, guaranteeing Wilma $10,000 for expenses to install WIFI at our hall, to include internet hardware and professional service such as internet subscriptions.  Thus far, $1,014.14 of it has been used for equipment, and $7,346 is set aside for subscriptions to an internet provider (Exceed), and installation, for a total of $8,340 of the $10,000. This leaves $1,640 for administration and extra costs for the installation and unforeseen expenses o complete this project.  The ECRDC was only able to purchase three of the four needed dish antennas.  As soon as we get the deposit, Glen will order the fourth dish and will have Exceed deliver and install their equipment, and find an installer to put up the dishes on the pole, and we will have fast WIFI at our hall.  He asked Patrice to create a separate fund like the escrow fund for all ECRDC deposits and expenditures so we can account for every dime.

Township Records:   Mike had said he found a good fire-proof safe for reasonable prices at Sam’s Club and Glen had moved that Mike be authorized to buy a safe, with a top price of $600. No word if he bought it yet.

Sentence-to-Serve Work:  So far no response to the new request for the Pine County Jail Sentence to Serve Program to sand and poly the town hall floors. We can’t have this done until the roof-leak by the furnace pipe is sealed, since water damages the floor by Patrice’s table.  We don’t know if Mike repaired the leak, but there is no water under the exhaust pipe tonight after the rain.

NEW BUSINESS:  MAT 2016 Educational Conference and Annual Meeting:  Will be November 17, 18, and 19 at River’s Edge in St. Cloud .  The County MAT Association is giving 5 scholarships of $300, and Glen and Paul have applied.  Registration deadline is October 18. Glen said that he has brought far more financial benefit to the town from the training and conferences he’s been sent to than it cost to send him, including the $10,000 for the WIFI he got by being a member of the ECRDC, and the $600 tuition he got for being on the MAT County Township Officers Board.  He said to keep that in mind when he asks to go to the Urban Short Course or the District MAT Meeting.

International League of Cities:  Glen received an invitation to join for $250.  Gary moved to ignore this; Glen seconded.

Township Legal Seminar:  Saturday, September 17, 2016, Rutledge City Hall, 9-4 p.m.  Free. Paul plans to attend. Any legal issues or questions are answered free by our paid township attorneys. On agenda:  Contracts, encroachment and rights-of-way; road improvements and realignments; township costs for enforcement, etc.

Treasurer’s Report and Claims:   Patrice gave the Treasurer’s Report (attached). Claims totaled $8,665.89.  Glen moved to approve the report, and to pay all the claims, and to transfer $9,000.00 from savings to checking.  Gary seconded.

Gary moved to adjourn; Glen seconded.  Meeting adjourned 9 p.m.

Paul Raymond, Clerk _____________________________

Attested to by Glen Williamson, Chair_____________________________