Year: 2016

The meeting was called to order by Chair Scott Mead at 8:45 p.m. after the Annual Meeting.

Attendance: Supervisors Scott Mead, Lee Kaplan, Don Swanstrom; Treasurer Kim Hand and Clerk Lita Wallace. Number of resident/s present – 4. Number of non-resident present – 1.

Clerk’s Report – February meeting minutes was approved. Motion by Scott, second by Lee, motion carried (Scott-yay, Lee-yay, Don-yay).

Treasurer’s Report

$243,531.51  – Total cash on hand as of 1/31/2016
+    4,149.77 – Deposits
–     2,596.09 – Expenditures
$  245,085.19 – Total cash on hand as of 2/29/2016

Motion by Don, second by Lee, motion carried (Scott-yay, Lee-yay, Don-yay).

Old Business

• Kim and Lita reported that following the instructions from the State of Minnesota Auditor’s Office in closing the CTAS Year-end Processing Procedures, they have completed the 2015 annual financial reporting requirement for the OSA (Office of State Auditor) and the Annual Report was submitted on March 7 with a deadline date of March 31.

March 8 Town Election results

• Scott Mead – 26 votes, re-elected for a 3-year term (no other candidate)
• Donald Swanstrom – 25 votes, elected for a 1-year term (no other candidate)
• Clerk – no candidate, 1 vote for write-in, John Wilson
• 24 votes yes, 2 votes no for “Town Question – Adoption of Option B – Appointment of Town Clerk (Shall option B, providing for the appointment of the clerk by the town board, be adopted for the government of the town?)”

Oath of Office – Scott Mead and Donald Swanstrom were sworn into office as supervisors and Lita Wallace as Clerk effective March 8, 2016.

New Business

• Tentative schedule of 2016 Local Board of Appeal & Equalization or Open Book meeting – May 5, 2016, 5:00-6:00 p.m., Pequaywan Fire Hall
• MN Association of Township (MAT) Officer List was received for signature of board members and to be returned to MAT
• Clerk and Treasurer received approval to attend CTAS in-person training in the Twin Cities. Motion by Scott, second by Lee, motion carried (Scott-yay, Lee-yay, Don-yay).

Correspondence

RECEIVED: Local Board of Appeal & Equalization (LBAE) “catch-up” online training, and temporary schedule of Open Book meeting on May 5, 5:00-6:00pm at Pequaywan Fire Hall; Election Department survey to conduct election training online instead of in-person; Auditor’s Office – Pequaywan rosters and instructions/forms for the Town Election; St. Louis County Association of Township Officers minutes of January meeting, February 24 meeting in Cotton, and Lobby Day bus for April; Internal Revenue Service change of mailing address to the new clerk’s address; four Absentee Ballot requests; CTAS training session available February 29 or later date; 2016 MAT Spring Short Courses; Century Link 2016 construction season; Unemployment Insurance Minnesota form for Wage Detail Reports for 1st quarter 2016

SENT: Four Absentee Ballots  by postage mail

For the record, Clerk will be paid $25 for attending Annual Meeting when performing duties as a Clerk.

Claims – Check numbers 1037 to 1046 were issued in the total amount of $1,825.32. Motion by Scott, second by Lee, motion carried (Scott yay, Lee yay, Don yay).

Public Comment – When there is construction, aside from informing Century Link, Frontier should also be notified.

Next Meeting:
April 12, 2016, 7:30 p.m., Pequaywan Fire Department, 8764 Pequaywan Lake Road

Motion to Adjourn at 9:30 p.m. by Scott, second by Lee, motion carried.

Submitted by Lita Wallace, Town Clerk

PEQUAYWAN TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING
February 9, 2016

Call to Order

Attendance: Board members – Scott Mead, Lee Kaplan, Kim Hand, Lita Wallace; Number of resident/s present – 5; Number of non-resident/s present – 1

Clerk’s Report – January 2016 minutes was approved. Motion by Scott, second by Lee, motion carried (Scott-yay, Lee-yay). Effective March, the minutes of last month’s meeting will no longer be read during the meeting. Board members will review the minutes from the website prior to the meeting. Copies of last month’s meeting minutes will be provided to the guests.

Treasurer’s Report

$260,694.69  – Total cash on hand as of 12/31/2015
+         673.11 – Deposits
–     17,836.29 – Expenditures
$  243,531.51 – Total cash on hand as of 1/31/2016

 Old Business – Update on West Branch Road repair work – Lee contacted St. Louis County (Steve Tverberg, Supervisor of Zone 5) to check if they would consider taking over the maintenance of West Branch Road owned by the township and they said no.  However, they will be working on the county portion of the road later this year and they offered us a chance to piggyback on the project. This should save us some money. We will follow up with them in the spring to get a cost estimate and payment schedule to see if this is feasible.

March 8 election update: In compliance with Minnesota Statutes, Public Notices of the election date and bad weather alternate date, and a Sample Ballot have been posted on the township webpage and at Pequaywan Inn. Scott will post the information on the town bulletin board.

New Business – Correspondence received this month were from St. Louis County to submit Annual Report of Outstanding Indebtedness for 2015 which Kim filled out and submitted, and Unemployment form that Kim has a question on which she is following up.

Claims – Check numbers 1031-1036 in the total amount of $3,756.48. Motion by Scott, second by Lee, motion carried (Scott yay, Lee yay).

Public Comment – none

Next Meeting – March 8, 2016, 9:15 p.m. or right after the Annual Meeting, Pequaywan Fire Department, 8764 Pequaywan Lake Road

Motion to Adjourn at 7:47 by Lee, second by Scott, motion carried (Scott yay, Lee yay).

Respectfully submitted,
Lita Wallace, Town Clerk

PEQUAYWAN TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING
January 12, 2016

Call to Order at 7:30 p.m. by Scott.

Attendance:

• Board members – Supervisors Scott Mead, Lee Kaplan, Don Swanstrom; Treasurer Kim Hand, and Clerk Lita Wallace
• Number of resident/s present – 8
• Number of non-resident/s present – 1

Treasurer’s Report

$        257,264.05	Total Cash On-Hand on 11/30/15
$             6,858.13	Deposits
$           -3,427.49	Expenditures
$        260,694.69	Total Cash On-Hand on 12/31/15

Motion to approve by Don, second by Lee, (Scott yay, Lee yay, Don, yay) motion carried.

Clerk’s Report – Motion to approve by Don, second by Scott, (Scott yay, Lee yay, Don, yay) motion carried with changes.

 Old Business

• It was clarified that Election Judges are employees of the township and not contractors and their pay is not subject to Social Security and Medicare deductions. Also, they are eligible for Workers’ Comp since annual salary is under $1,600.00.
• Lee conducted a presentation showing how funds can be built up to have a Reserve for Future Road Repair of the worst area of West Branch Road (approximately 1/4 mile) that might affect real estate taxes paid by residents. Future plan is to conduct a civil engineering study in 2016, soil boring analysis in 2017 and bid out the project as early as 2018, if we have accumulated enough funds in the reserve to cover the cost, as estimated by the engineering study.  He proposed to set the initial amount in this Reserve to $193,695. Motion by Lee, second by Scott (Scott yay, Lee yay, Don, yay), motion carried. He also proposed to request a $30,000 levy for 2017 during the Annual Meeting in March. Motioned by Lee, second by Don, (Scott yay, Lee yay, Don, yay) motion carried.
• Deadline for submission of Affidavit of Candidacy for open positions in the Town Board closed today at 5:00 p.m. Election will be held on March 8, 2016, at Pequaywan Fire Department, between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Absentee ballot is available by contacting the Town Clerk.
• Lita reported that all 2015 Receipts and Claims transactions, budgets; and vendor/ employee names and contact information have been entered into CTAS. A summarized reports of 2015 budget, receipts and expenses by fund, account numbers and object codes were provided to the Board Members.
• Kim reported that a PERA representative advised her that with the low annual income paid to Town Board members compared to the amount of time involved in managing the account, it is not to the benefit of the township to pursue it. The supervisors agreed.
  
  New Business
• The Annual Meeting will be moved to start at 8:15 and the Town Board Meeting right after that due to the Town Board election from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Motioned by Don, second by Lee, (Scott yay, Lee yay, Don, yay) motion carried.
• Kim presented reports and graphs of the 2015 Township Financial Report.
• Pequaywan Lakes Area Fire & EMS is requesting an amount of $13,500 for 2017, the same as in previous years. Motion to approve by Scott, second by Don, (Scott yay, Lee yay, Don, yay) motion carried. This amount will be requested for 2017 Levy for discussion during the Annual Meeting.
• Town Board members are invited to attend the 2016 DAT (Duluth Association of Townships) Meetings (1/21, 3/17, 5/19, 8/18, 10/20) – 6:30 PM Rice Lake Town Hall
• 2016 Employee W-2 Forms were distributed.
• An email addressed to all town clerks were issued by St. Louis County Public Works re- “Aggregate Crushing, Crack Sealing and Maintenance Stripping Program services they provide. Scott mentioned that he had talked to them that we do not need any of these done at the township this year.

Claims – Check numbers 1025-1030 were issued in the total amount of $17,836.29. Motion by Scott, second by Lee (Scott yay, Lee yay, Don, yay) motion carried.

Public Comment – During Powerpoint presentation, it was hard to see the screen from where people were sitting. Requesting to move the screen across the room or at the wall by the front door.

Next Meeting: February 9, 2016, 7:30 p.m., Pequaywan Fire Department.

Motion to Adjourn at 8:45 p.m. by Scott, second by Don, motion carried.

Respectfully submitted,
Lita Wallace, Town Clerk