WILMA TOWN BOARD MEETING, JUNE 1, 2011

WILMA TOWN BOARD MEETING, JUNE 1, 2011

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, Clerk Paul Raymond, and Terry Mullins and Jolie Wichlidal from Danforth Township, and Eldon Schmedeke.

Paul read Toni Williamson’s record of the May, 2011, meeting. Gary moved to approve; Mike seconded.

OLD BUSINESS:  Internet subsidy: Patrice said that after the board voted to subsidize her Hughesnet satellite internet connection at $20/month, she felt that was too much, and would be happy if she could receive $10/month instead.  Paul asked if it were possible for the Clerk to also receive a small subsidy as he also had the Hughesnet satellite installed and uses the internet for reports and to transmit meeting records to the website and for township correspondence.  Mike moved that instead of paying $20 to the treasurer, that the township subsidize both the clerk and treasurer at $10 per month each.  Glen seconded.  Mike suggested paying it all at once, but Gary said we don’t know what will happen in the future, and should keep it month to month.  Glen said he also uses the internet for township business, but Mike said his are not legally required reports, and for now we should limit it to the clerk and treasurer.

ROAD REPORT:  We got a bill from Danforth Township that included several months of work. The board discussed the bill but did not act because Crooked Lake Road was on the agenda  later.  Road limits are off now, so loggers may be using the roads again.   Mayfield Road: Gary cut some trees on the road.  He said the last two culverts that were damaged by Carlson Timber must be dug out and reset; they can’t just be filled in.  Patrice asked about the barricades;  how long is our road?  Gary said even though they’ve posted it as private land, the road is a township road all the way to the end.  Mike said it used to go all the way to Crooked Lake Road.

Road Inspection: Paul read Toni’s record of the road inspection May 18th.   The record noted many township dead-end and minimum maintenance road signs will need to be replaced under the new road reflectivity ordinance.  We will have to submit a plan for replacing the signs by January 21, 2012 and the signs will need to be replaced by 2015.  Mike said we should file the report, but shouldn’t replace the signs until we need to.

DEPUTY CLERK:  Glen said he would like it on the record that Toni did a fantastic job filling in for the clerk for 8 months and proposed a resolution commending and thanking her for her work, which included two elections and Boards of Audit and Review.  Mike seconded this.

NEW BUSINESS:  Crooked Lake Road: Terry Mullins and Jolie Wichlidal asked for the floor on behalf of the citizens on Crooked Lake Road.  They had already addressed the Danforth Town Board, and said that their board is willing to do the necessary work if Wilma agrees.  Jolie said Crooked Lake Road has been so bad that cars have had to park out on the road and that the school bus driver refuses to drive down the road. They asked that the road be ditched by Bob Johnson’s because it keeps getting washed out.  Mike said that there was a ditch there originally and that Bob Johnson filled it in when he put in his driveway and field.  We had requested that Danforth put in a ditch there when they took over responsibility for road maintenance.  Jolie said the Danforth board is willing to gravel from 30 to Bob Johnson’s and will put in a ditch, if Wilma agrees to pay half.  Gary said that Bob Johnson has damaged the road by hauling his cultivator or whatever down the road and tearing off the crown and busting the binder from the aggregate.  Mike said that the two townships have done $4,000 worth of work the last couple of years.

Terry Mullins lives on the Danforth side at 53501 Crooked Lake Road.  He bought in 1997, the same year as Jason Palme.  Their deeds  said that the road was deeded to their property and was not a township road, but when they went to the courthouse to check on the records, it had been registered as a rangeline road.  He said it is loggers who have torn up the road.  He said that our road inspection report didn’t mention the washed out area.  He said the road is only 12 feet from the center at that point. Gary said the road inspection was on a dry day.  Terry said there never was a ditch at Bob Johnson’s and that the hill there is in the right-of-way and should have been removed.  Terry said the road is a liability issue for the townships as in places it is all clay and very slippery when wet.

Mike said originally the road was a 2-rod rangeline road, but that he was able to drive it all the way years ago when he was in college.

Jolie presented a letter from Jack Anderberg at 52502 Crooked Lake Road on the Wilma side claiming that the road was built by Tom Lenneman and they all assumed it was a private road until they were told by the township to remove the gate that they put up.  Jack requested that the towns apply gravel to the road and cut back the brush so snow can be plowed and vehicles not be scratched.

Glen said that since Jolie and Terry are not on the Danforth board, our road manager needs to meet with Danforth’s board to make an agreement on gravel and maintenance.  Mike asked Paul to write to Danforth’s board chair Jeff Shute asking them to outline what they propose to do and the estimated costs, including any ditching, brush removal and gravel, so we can have our road manager or board attend their next meeting the 3rd Friday of July at 4 p.m. at Danforth Chapel to make an agreement. Their billing to Wilma Township could be gone over then also.  After the work, Mike said, we should contact the school district about their buses refusing to use the road and inform them that the road has been upgraded and repaired.

Jolie thanked the board for their time and action.

Town Hall Addition: Paul said that Patrice had come up with an idea that could greatly improve the use of the town hall and should make everyone happy, those who want a new town hall and those who love our existing town hall:  to build a separate, well-insulated addition on the east side of the hall, running the length of the hall, with a kitchen on one end and a bathroom on the other.  This addition could be sealed off in the winter and could be heated year-around, so we could have running water.  We could also have storage space since our closet is so small.  Eldon said this doesn’t address the problems with the current hall like outdated wiring and no insulation.  We have 3 new windows on that side of the hall and they could be moved to the new addition.

Mike said we should make a preliminary investigation and talk to Mel Elliot, Jr., to see if he could come up with a plan and a rough estimate, plus he could check our existing building for the feasibility of adding on to it.

Duxbury Store 3.2 License: Mike moved that we approve the 3.2 beer license for the Duxbury Store.  Glen seconded, and he and the clerk signed the application.  Toni will notarize it.  Paul checked the cigarette license, to see if that had been renewed.  He had forgotten to tell Toni about it.  It didn’t appear to have been renewed so Paul will bring it to Joe; the fee is $10.

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

Mike McCullen                                            $        21.22

Paul Raymond                                                       75.48

Glen Williamson                                                    188.58

Toni Williamson                                                    132.09

Patrice Winfield                                                     128.32

ECE                                                                      54.59

Pine Co. Courier                                                    15.04

Barb Smith                                                            35.00

Patrice Winfield (expenses)                                    57.86

Paul Raymond (expenses)                                      10.00

Gary Vink (mileage)                                               15.30

Glen Williamson (mileage/expenses)                       32.13

Gary Vink                                                             323.14

Total Bills:                                $     1,088.75

Mike moved to approve the Treasurer’s report and to pay all the bills and to transfer $1,100 from savings into checking.

Summer Short Course: We need to pre-register if we are going. Glen said he can’t make it to Black Bear and will need to go to St. Cloud, but that he could not carpool any other officers there.  Patrice said she and Paul could carpool to Carlton.  Glen moved that any officer who wishes to attend the short courses be permitted to register and bill the township. Mike seconded.  Glen asked about Toni attending as Deputy Clerk to take the CTAS training.  Mike got a first responder’s call and had to excuse himself for awhile.  Glen asked if we could make a resolution that any future trainings be approved for all officers once and for all.  Paul said he thinks it’s good that it be voted on every time it comes up.

Glen welcomed Paul back from Puerto Rico and to our town and to his clerk’s job.

Donated paper: Paul asked what happened to the ream of paper Eldon donated to the township.  Patrice said she had it and would give half to Paul.

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

Paul Raymond, clerk