WILMA TOWNSHIP  BOARD OF  SUPERVISORS’ MEETING, WEDNESDAY AUGUST 2, 2017

          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, Eldon and Marjorie Schmedeke and Pat Story.

Paul read the record of the July 5 board meeting.  Gary moved to approve; Glen  seconded.

ROAD REPORT:   Alden did a road grading, ditching and gravel in July and today:  Crooked Lake Road: Ditching at 2/10 mile is holding up so far.  He can’t do the big ditching project because there is so much trees and brush in the ditch it can’t be dug out. 5 18-ton loads gravel; spread and blade); Eagle Head Road:  Replace culvert 1/10 mile in and ditch; 1 ½ load road gravel and ½ load of 1 1/2” dirty rock. 5 18-ton loads gravel; routine blading.  Alden talked with Jeff Shute, Chair of Danforth Township, and they have agreed to allow us to spend more money and gravel on the range line roads;  Tamarack Pine Drive:  Spread gravel and blade; North and South Duncan Roads: Spread and blade gravel; Fust Lane, Mink Farm Road, River Cabin Road, Little Tamarack Road, Vink Road, Dollar Lake Road, Short and Kenny Peterson Roads: Routine blading. The rip-rap project on Little Tamarack Lake Road and digging out and dropping the culvert on Mayfield Road will be done at the same time, so they only make one trip. Pete Anderson Road:  One load gravel; spread and blade; Alden said the road should be ditched at the first part where the corduroy is exposed before gravel is put down;   Schmedeke Lane:  Spread gravel; routine blading;  Heller Drive:  2 loads gravel; spread and blade grave;  Paul will bill New Dosey, Danforth and Arna for their half of range line roads.

Glen asked Paul to contact Arna Township to get approval for the work we plan to do on Pete Anderson Road, including the big job of bringing all the washed out stone and gravel at the culvert back on to the road, and then probably spreading more gravel over the culvert  and to give them Alden’s number as contact person.

Backup Grader Operator:  Steve Menth has talked with Alden and definitely wants the job; his over the road work will get reduced this fall and Alden said he wants to retire.

 Schmedeke Lane Extension:  Eldon took the floor and said he has paid thousands of dollars in taxes to Wilma Township on his landholdings over the years. He wanted to know why Schmedeke Lane was not on the agenda.  Glen said that we had conferred and decided to see if Eldon attended the meeting, and to put him on the agenda if he was at the August meeting.  Eldon said he has a right to ask the township to extend the Schmedeke Lane extension at least another 500 feet and to remove the stumps and trees at the end of the existing extension and extend and make this a decent road. Alden told Eldon that the township cannot build a road on private land, but only land that has been deeded to the township.  The County had agreed to build the base of the extension to a length of two 40’s, or 2,640 feet, and to pay Wilma Township $10,000 to bring this extension up to township and county specs.  The county later added more class 5 gravel to the extension, and Wilma ditched the road and leveled and spread the gravel.  The County was emphatic that they would not be responsible for any further extension of the road, and Wilma signed an agreement with the County that said the township will make no further demands on the County for any work on this extension. Eldon did not sign the agreement.  He said Wilma only built up and accepted half of a road.  He doesn’t want anything from the County but from Wilma Township for all the taxes he pays. He said Wilma paid nothing for the road extension; the County paid it all. Wilma recorded this extension as, “West 66 feet of the east 132 feet of the NE ¼ of SE ¼ and the West 66 feet of the East 132 feet of the SE ¼ of NE ¼ Section 11, Township 42, Range 17.” Glen asked Paul to contact the MAT attorneys and ask if we have any legal obligation to extend this road further than the original agreement, considering the large amount of taxes Eldon has paid.  Eldon said he will get an attorney if he has to to if the town will not do anything for him.  Glen said that it is the consensus of the town board that they have fully fulfilled their agreements and obligations for the Schmedeke Lane Extension, and no mention was ever made about making it longer than the road the county built and the township accepted as a township road.  As it is, it is longer than the original agreement.  The full Schmedeke Lane has been measured at 3,340′ long, about .6/10 mile.

OLD BUSINESS:  Town Grader Hall and Fire Hall Roof Repair:   We have three estimates:  1. MJW Construction out of Princeton, Marv Woolhouse:  $7,000 to remove and replace the metal roof; 2. Miller’s Roofing from Pine City, Randy Miller: $6,365, remove and replace existing roof; Beaver Roofing from Moose Lake, Steve Vogel: $3,580 (He will repair all the fasteners, install hex headed washers and screws; install urethane caulking on all fasteners; remove ridge cap and install new foam vented ridge and reinstall). 2 year warranty on leakage.  All three have A+ Better Business Ratings.  Reference from City of Sturgeon Lake, Scott Helfman, where Steve did same repair on their garage: Very satisfied and said Steve has good reputation.  Not one leak in 1 ½ years.    Steve has repaired many roofs this way.  Paul said the first two contractors didn’t even mention that the roof could be repaired without replacing it.  Glen said the advantage of removing and replacing the existing roof is that we have a new roof for decades to come, but the much lower price of Steve Vogel makes that an attractive alternative.  Paul recommended Steve;  Gary moved to hire him; Glen seconded; passed.  Glen said he wished Mike could have been there to see the choices and have input, but we need to get it done as winter is coming.  Steve said he could do the interior work in the winter, but Gary said we can’t park the grader or trucks outside when it’s very cold. None of the estimates included the interior ceiling repair.  Paul said Mike climbed up into the attic and he thinks the insulation will dry out once we have a sealed roof.

Township Records/Safe:   Walmart.com has good fireproof safes at reasonable cost, including delivery to our hall for $9.99, or to Walmart for free. Stack-On 14 Gun Fire Resistant Security Safe with Electronic Lock, $338 + $9.99, 20x23x56”, 293 lb. Stack-On 8 Gun Fire Resistant Security Safe with Combination Lock, $335 + $9.99, 18x15x55”, 234 lb. Fortress FS14E Fire-Resistant Gun Safe, $351 + $9.99, 20x55x17”, 227 lbs. Paul said the first one sounds the best to him and it is the largest.  Glen moved to authorize Paul to order this safe to be delivered to the Grader Hall, and to give them our tax-exempt form so we are not charged sales tax.  Gary seconded; passed. Paul said he will find out how to do this and will take care of it.

NEW BUSINESS:  Failing Bridge:  Pat Story asked for the floor to discuss the bridge on Pine Co. 25 just east of Co. Road 24.  He said Todd Langstrom of the Pine Co Highway Department is familiar with the deficiencies of this bridge. Langstrom said there is no good way to repair it except to rebuild and it is slated for repair or replacement in 2021. It was in worse shape during the flood of July 2016. The logging trucks hammer the bridge at high speeds. Spots keep sinking and get filled in. Gary said whole chunks of the bridge have fallen out and someone tried to burn it down a few years ago.  Glen moved that the board adopt a resolution stating the long history of stress on the bridge from floods and gravel and logging trucks and resolving that we petition the county to put this bridge replacement project on the fast-track or higher on their list of prioritites, and not to wait for another four years. Paul will write the resolution and Glen can sign it.

2018 Fire Protection Agreement:  Glen moved that Wilma sign the agreement for 2018 and pay the Duxbury Volunteer Fire Department $4,500.  Gary seconded; passed.

District MAT Annual Meeting:  Will be Thursday, August 31 at Anoka Ramsey College in Cambridge.  Glen has filed for District Director, and wants all board members to attend to vote for him. Glen moved that any officer who wishes to attend be authorized to attend; Gary seconded.  He will pick us up at 5:30.

Wilma Certified Town Aid for 2017:  We will get $3,681 from State of Mn., in two installments. MATIT Workers’ Comp. Dividend:   We got $698 back.

Treasurer’s Report and Claims:  Patrice said the township association recommended against debit cards because of the potential liability.  She would like to apply for a credit card, transfer our Exede and dental insurance accounts to the credit card, and then drop the debit card. Glen moved to allow her to do this, with a limit of $5,000, and the card be in her name.  Claims and bills for August total $10,923.93, plus $150 on the debit card, and she requests a transfer of $13,000.  Most of the claims were for Hopkins Gravel. Gary moved to approve the report and to transfer the funds; Glen seconded.

Gary moved to adjourn; Glen seconded.  Meeting adjourned 9:00 p.m.

Paul Raymond, Clerk _____________________________

Attested to by Glen Williamson, Chair_____________________________