WILMA TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ ROAD INSPECTION, MAY 21, 2014

Supervisor Mike McCullen called the meeting to order at 10 a.m. at the Duxbury
Store. Also present, Supervisor Gary Vink, Chairman Glen Williamson, Road Manager Mark Pallow, Clerk Paul Raymond, and Danforth Township Supervisor Jason Palme.

CROOKED LAKE ROAD: Jason said a chronic problem is the culverts on Crooked Lake Road freeze in the winter time, causing any melt or runoff to go over the roads. Gary said that is an unavoidable issue when you have water in the culverts at below zero temperatures.
¼ mile down, past Bob’s driveway: Supervisors recommend 1 load gravel. The culvert at this point, right past the ditch repair area, freezes over and the end of the culvert on the west side is not visible. Supervisors agreed that someday this may require a new culvert, and flooding here should be monitored.
Crooked Lake landing: frozen culvert; no action.
One mile, by Jason’s property: County Surveyor cut into road and did not restore it to original condition, at 52979 Crooked Lake Rd. Supervisors recommend 1 load gravel to restore road.
One ½ mile down: More Surveyor damage. Paul can write to highway dept. and notify them of damage and ask if we can be reimbursed, if he has the receipts and documents to show the remedy.
End of Road: Landowner Eric Ternes gated the entrance to Mayfield Road, but did not lock the gate. Loggers (T&T) have left a huge pile of debris, much of it in the Mayfield Road right-of-way. Supervisors said to notify Eric Ternes and T&T to remove the debris, or to deduct the damage from their escrow account. Paul needs the receipts and records to document deductions. We have $1,900 in T&T’s escrow.

ESCROW FUND BALANCES, MAY 2014:
T&T: $1,933.25
Carlson Timber 500.00
Wermerskirchen 500.00
Berthiaume Logging 500.00
Midwest Hardwoods 500.00

EAGLE HEAD ROAD: Tree across road @ 55902 Eagle Head Rd. Culvert at end of the road has water, may need new culvert someday. Supervisors recommend monitoring.

DOLLAR LAKE ROAD: Supervisors recommend load of gravel at end for turnaround.

VINK ROAD: Supervisors recommend two load of gravel at the end of Vink Road, to be deducted from T&T logging, and two loads at the beginning of the road. Mark said T&T did inspect the road with him before their logging activity, but did not inspect it with him afterwards. Supervisors directed Paul to write a form letter of our road policy to send to all loggers, specifying that they need to arrange an inspection meeting with the Wilma Road Manager before logging/hauling activities and also afterwards, or their escrow may be forfeited. Paul needs documentation of when T&T did the logging and receipts and records of gravel and repairs.
Water over road at entrance. The culvert is crushed or collapsed. Glen said we should have a road map showing all our culverts. 1/2 mile up road, after Tim McCullen’s property line, Supervisors recommend one load pit-run and 3 loads of Class 5, to be documented and deducted from T&T’s escrow account. By Smith’s, road needs ditching, on east side of Smith’s driveway, plus one load gravel.
There are concrete barricades and a gate at northwest end of the road. Gary asked Paul to write Greg Beck and tell him that the road is barricaded and that the county will not have access to their land because of the barricades, if they want to sell land west of there. The maps of the proposed sale show an expected easement from the end of Vink Road directly west to the County’s land.

VINK ROAD TOTALS: 8 loads gravel, four in the middle, two at the beginning and two loads at the end. T&T to be charged for 6 loads, township for two. Road Manager is to use his discretion on final gravel and repairs needed.

LANGSTROM ROAD: Eldon Schmedeke joined the road inspection for the range-line roads and for Schmedeke Lane. 2014 is Wilma’s maintenance year for Langstrom Road. Town will put the annual two loads of gravel at the end of Langstrom Road and Pete Anderson Road. Any tree removal will be up to the Erickson’s and Dennis Schmedeke. Duane Glienke is willing to remove trees on right of way, but ownership and disposal of the timber will need to be negotiated between them. Eldon said the board should tell the County that any time they authorize logging on a township road, that they should cut the trees to a full 66′ right-of-way on the roads.

PETE ANDERSON ROAD: Markville has trimmed brush along the road all the way up; road looks very good. Routine blading. Fallen tree in right of way ½ mile up. Culvert at 57891 Pete Anderson Rd. is too high, and is under water. Supervisors recommend one load gravel on both sides of the address sign. At 58502 need 1 load Class 5 gravel to fill a hole in the road at the Brown cabin. There is a culvert at the driveway access into Eldon’s land the town damaged and replaced with a 12-15′ culvert, but Eldon said it should be 30′. Eldon said he put gravel on this culvert.

SCHMEDEKE LANE: Eldon said this road has been an issue for 40 years. He feels he is being asked to pay for land he already owned. He said the extension as built is not according to code, and he feels that the Board is working with Auditor Cathy Clemmer and Commissioner Steve Chaffee without consulting him. Eldon said if he buys the strip of land bordering Schmedeke Lane he wants a clear title with no strings attached, but he wants the road to be built to the full width, 66′. Eldon said that at the entrance to Schmedeke Lane the county culvert is too narrow and no semi truck can enter the road. Eldon said there has never been gravel applied to Schmedeke Lane, but it should have Class 5 gravel applied the whole length. The Board recommends 3 loads of Class 5 gravel to be applied to the existing Schmedeke Lane. Greg Beck and Steve Chaffee will be attending our June 4 Board Meeting, and the Board encouraged Eldon to attend to address the road and land issues directly. He said he’s done talking to the Commissioners. For now, there will be no action taken on building up the Schmedeke Lane Extension until the impasse between the County and Eldon is resolved, and for now, it will remain a County logging road. The County is holding $10,000 for the township for gravel and repairs, pending the resolution. Mike said we could build a pretty good road for that, and then the township would take over ownership of the road.

NORTH DUNCAN ROAD: Board recommends two loads gravel at the beginning of the road. 1.4 mile up road, culvert has collapsed and there is a hole in the road. It needs a 24” 30 foot culvert, and whatever gravel is needed to fill in road, right past 57553 N. Duncan. At 1.6 mile the gravel ends, and Board recommends putting 2 loads of gravel at the end of the graveled part of the road every year.

SOUTH DUNCAN ROAD: 1/2 mile down road, clay has run down the hill where loggers cut into the hill, washing into and filling the ditch and washing out the road. Needs a ditch cut, if Mark can cut it with the grader. Board feels that the County should have the loggers repair the damages when they fill in ditches. Board will bring this up at our June meeting with Greg Beck. Gary said Mike Weidendorf did the damage.
¾ mile down road, S. Duncan is flooded. Ditch is filled in with runoff. Gary said we ditched it but T&T filled it in again. Board recommended Mark re-ditch the road after it is dry, and apply 10 loads gravel on rutted and damaged area.
Toni Williamson came to bring Mike’s truck to pull Mark’s truck out of the mud in the road; Mike moved that she be paid for one hour labor for her time and work. Gary seconded. Glen abstained.

HELLER DRIVE: Board recommends gravel over the culverts; one load on 2nd culvert 1/3 mile in, plus 3 more after. Paul should notify New Dosey to get their approval.

MC CULLEN DRIVE: Routine blading.

MAYFIELD ROAD: Culvert is plugged and water is washing over and eroding the road. The culvert needs to be inspected to see if it’s compromised when the water level drops, and if it’s just plugged, the Fire Dept. can blow out the culvert when the levels drop. The culvert is cut open and needs to be replaced. For now, 1 load pit-run gravel over culvert. Gary said the damage is from Betheume and T&T logging. One mile in, need 30′ 18” culvert, put in deep enough to drain the water. The second culvert in is buried too high and is exposed. The area around it was rip-rapped with stones, but is still eroded. Board recommends more rip-rap by the rocks and one load pit-run to fill it in and one load Class 5 over it. Split one load to fill both holes. Any digging or replacing culvert needs to have a utility locate done before any cutting because there are electric lines buried under the road before the private drive. Total gravel, 2 loads each of pit run and Class 5 for the road.

LITTLE TAMARACK LAKE ROAD: ½ mile in, at curve is under water, at the low spot and the edge of the lake before the cabin’s driveway. Needs one load gravel. Also one load before the boat landing, two loads total.

SHORT ROAD: Routine blading/maintenance.

LOST RIVER ROAD: Routine blading/maintenance. Driveway ditching inspected, that Pat Storey did. Looks adequate.

RIVER CABIN ROAD: Routine blading.

MONA DRIVE: Routine blading.

KENNY PETERSON ROAD: Routine blading.

Glen moved to adjourn meeting; Mike seconded. Meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m., 7.5 hours.

Paul Raymond, Clerk
attested to by: Glen Williamson, Chairman