March 12, 2024, Board of Canvass Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 10:40 p.m. by Chair Douglas Nelson.

Clerk issued Oath of Office to the Board of Canvass members and Board of  Canvass Members took the Oath of Office.

Clerk presented the Canvass Reports and abstracts to the Board  with 57 voters that voted. Results of the township election: James, Wilson 34 votes; write-in Donald Swanstrom, 22 votes; write-in Dorothy Galinski, 1 vote. Wilson was elected as the new supervisor to replace Charles Kuettel.

Board reviewed  and concured, or dealt with any errors or write-in issues through the required statutes. There was none,.Board moves to declare the results of the vote and signs off on the Summary and any other abstracts.

Clerk was authorized to issue notification to candidate/s and request their signed campaign financial forms within the time period.

Douglas Dreesen motioned to approve all items presented, seconded by Wilson, motion carried. Dressen yay, Wilson yay, Nelson yay.

Board adjourns as the Board of Canvass at 11:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by,
Lita Wallace, Town Clerk

March 12, 2024, Township Board Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 9:45 p.m. by Chair Kuettel.

Town officers Present: Chair Charles Kuettel, Vice-Chair Douglas Dressen, Supervisor Douglas Nelson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp.

Guests: Stephanie Jones, Stephen Jones, Steve Mueller, Bonnie Dressen, Ted Wallace

Clerk’s Report: Copies of the February 13, 2024 minutes were distributed to attendees and they were given time to read it. Nelson motion to approve the minutes, second by Dressen, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Treasurer’s Report:

FEBRUARY 2024
Total Funds on Hand 2/1/2024 $252,921.12
Plus: Deposits $5,837.33
–Interest on Accounts 417.48
–Town Road Aid 1,832.85
–Taconite Production 3,587.00
Less: Disbursements $11,590.62
–Payroll 752.47
–Fire & EMS 10,000.00
–MAT – Township Dues 315.44
–Other Expenses 522.71
Total Funds on Hand 2/29/2024 $247,167.83
Checks Written 1976 – 1985

MARCH 2024
Expected Receipts
Forfeit Land Revenue – not known
Checks Written 1986 – 1997 $2,531.14
No transfer to checking needed

Motion made by Nelson, second by Dressen to accept Treasurer’s Report. Motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Treasurer Nelson will move checking and savings accounts to National Bank of Commerce from Superior Choice Credit Union and the officers will sign using “DocuSign”, sign paperworks online. Motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Old Business

  • Reminder: Spring training on April 5, 2024 at the DECC for town officers
  • Reminder: schedule of LBAE meeting: Tuesday, May 7, 2024, 2:00-3:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall
  • Update on the computer software (Microsoft Office and Bit Defender) – Wallace reported that the software MS365 has been purchased and installed on the clerk laptop with John Wall’s help. He will get in contact with other officers to get it installed in their laptops. Wallace also mentioned that Ray Barnes has 4 Bit Defender licenses that he can share with the township. Bit Defender on the clerk’s laptop is working. Treasurer and deputy clerk will need to contact Ray Barnes to get access code for Bit Defender.
  • Update on the West Branch Road: If the township did not get the grant, Plan B would be to have assessment going to property owners. Kuettel motion for Nelson to work with a local lawyer to obtain information on how to establish an assessment for residents and the legality of it. Nelson to also inquire if obtaining an assessment will prevent future grants. Kuettel second. Motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

New Business

  • Motion by Nelson, second by Kuettel to accept the 2025 Levy in the amount of $60,000.00 with $25,000.00 for Pequaywan Fire & EMS as accepted at the Annual Town Meeting. Motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen nay, Nelson yay. Dressen votes nay as he believes the road plan goes against the oath that he took as a town supervisor not to tax anyone who doesn’t live on the road. Motion carried.
  • Results of the township election James, Wilson 34 votes; write-in Donald Swanstrom, 22 votes; write-in Dorothy Galinski, 1 vote. Wilson is being elected as the new supervisor to replace Charles Kuettel.
  • A new filing cabinet purchase was requested. Motion by Dressen, second by Nelson to approve, motion carried. Motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay. Dressen will purchase the filing cabinet.
  • Question whether deputy clerk gets paid for attending Annual Town Meeting as requested by the clerk as it is part of training purposes and assistance to the clerk – per MAT it is at the discretion of the board: Nelson motion to pay meeting rate, Dressen second. Motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.
  • Unemployment Insurance was discussed. Board requested the treasurer to follow-up and report an update next month.
  • Discussion on Pequaywan Fire and EMS to do a monthly update and safety column on the town website and/or Facebook page: Nelson discussed with fire chief at last meeting. Chief was in favor. Motion by Nelson to add, second by Dressen. Motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.
  • Letter from Representative Natalie Zeleznikar: a task force was formed to financially help EMS programs in Minnesota
  • Per Minnesota Association of Townships, the following are information that should be in the minutes of board meetings:
  1. the kind of meeting (e.g., regular town board meeting);
    2. name of the governing body;
    3. date, time, and place of the meeting;
    4. full name of all the town officers, present or absent;
    5. reading and approval of previous meeting minutes;
    6. reading and approval of the financial report;
    7. the individual items of business raised and the full name of the officers making and       seconding the motion;
    8. the votes of the supervisors on any action taken in the meeting, including the vote of     each supervisor on each appropriation of money, except for payments of judgments,           claims, and amounts fixed by statute; Minn. Stat. § 13D.01, subd. 4(b);
    9. adjournment and time of adjournment; and
    10. signature by the clerk and chair upon approval.

Correspondence
Received:

  • Various emails from St. Louis County Elections regarding the March elections
  • Invoice from Daisy Wallace for March 2024 web maintenance in the amount of $75.00,
  • Letter from Representative Natalie Zeleznikar

Sent:

  • Mailed Absentee Ballots for Town Election residents

Public CommentThe Public Comment section is a courtesy extended to persons wishing to address the Board. If you wish to comment during the Township Meeting, follow the protocol below: One public comment per citizen which is limited to two minutes. Submit comment information by the first Saturday of the month to peqclerk@gmail.com with your full name . The board can either address the issue, assign someone to address the issue, or do nothing.
Public comment request: N/A

Next Meeting
, April 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.

Dressen motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:40 p.m., second by Nelson, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Respectfully submitted by:
Lita Wallace, Clerk
Shane Stolp, Deputy Clerk

 

March 12, 2024, Annual Town Meeting Minutes (Unapproved)

  • The meeting was called to order by clerk Lita Wallace at 8:40 p.m. The meeting was held at the Pequaywan Fire Hall.
  • Attendees: Clerk Lita Wallace, Bill Scalzo, Lynn Scalzo, Faye Swanstrom, Don Swanstrom, Doug Dressen, Deb Pomroy, Bonnie Dressen, Carol Nelson, Dale Brooks, Corbin Ringsred, Katlin Dellenbach, Lori Rich, John Rich, John Wall, Chris Jussila, Thomas Getchell, Dorothy Galinski, Laurie King, Ken Kost, Mike Nilsen, Nancy Nilsen, Steven Call, Melodee Call, Ted Wallace, Stephen Jones, Stephanie Jones, Steve Mueller, Matt Nielsen, Debbie Maida, Jeff Maida, Charles Kuettel, Brian Linn, Penny Linn, Jeff Gruver, Jim Wilson, Mark Freeman, Daryle Waldriff, Thomas Jackson
  • Wallace read the result of Township Election for one open supervisor position as follows: James Wilson, 34 votes; write-in Donald Swanstrom, 22 votes; write-in Dorothy Galinski, 1 vote. James Wilson won the election.
  • Election of a moderator (registered voters at Pequaywan Township): Chris Jussila and Mark Freeman were nominated. Mark Freeman declined. Voters voted for Chris Jussila to be the moderator which he accepted with a unanimous vote.
  • Moderator announced Agenda for rest of Meeting (moderator, subject to modification by vote of electorate) in which there was no change.
  • (Moderator) Review and approve previous year’s annual meeting minutes: The clerk provided copies of the 2023 Annual meeting minutes. A motion and second  to approve the minutes were provided, and voted unanimously, motion carried.
  • Road Report was provided by supervisors Douglas Nelson, Charles Kuettel, and Douglas Dressen. Discussion ensued around how much has been spent on the road over the years, grant status for assistance on repair, and potential assessment for residents. Further discussion to take place at board level. See below for more information on the Road Report.
  • (Treasurer) Reading of Board of Audit Report was completed.
2023 Cash Control Statement 1/1/2023-12/31/2023
Fund Beginning Balance Receipts Disbursements Ending Balance
General Fund $26,772.97 $48,073.55 $33,903.89 $40,942.63
Road and Bridge (On-going Maintenance 11,782.09 4,349.55 9,371.99 6,759.65
Fire and EMS 21,525.28 18,373.31 18,000.00 21,898.59
Building/Property Maintenance Fund 3,500.00 1,994.12 0.00 5,494.12
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve) 171,929.15 7,471.73 0.00 179,400.88
Total $235,509.49 $80,262.26 $61,275.88 $254,495.87
  • Treasurer presented comparison of Levy and Expenses from previous years
SUMMARY 2024 LEVY 2023 LEVY   2023 EXPENSES 2022 EXPENSES
General Fund $26.000.00 $35,000.00 $33,903.89 $18,669.77
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance 2,000.00 2,000.00 9,371.99 3,168.83
Fire and EMS 25,000.00 18,000.00 18,000.00 16,500.00
Building/Property Maintenance Fund 2,000.00 2,000.00 0.00 0.00
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve) 5,000.00 2,000.00 0.00 0.00
Total $60,000.00 $59,000.00 $61,275.88 $38,338.60
  • (Pequaywan Fire Chief Tom Getchell) Report from Pequaywan Fire & EMS and request for 2025 Levy:  The Fire Department is requesting $25,000.00 which is the same as in 2024 and to be paid in two installments in 2025. Electors vote on the amount to provide for fire department, supervisors will render the final decision during March Town Board Meeting. See 2024 Budget at https://pequaywantownship.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/PLVFD.pdf

For 2022 and 2023, their expenses exceeded their income. A question was asked about their 2024 income and expenses and again the loss projected. Getchell said that that future levy requests would be higher. Getchell mentioned that dead balsam issue is a fire hazard. Residents thanked the fire department for taking care of pile of brush on Rossini Road and for the work throughout the year. A resident requests board increase their funding by $5,000 with no action taken.

  • Treasurer presented total levy which was not increased from 2024. The Levy for Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve) was set at $35,000.00 to make up for the lowered Levy in 2023 and 2024. It was discussed that we should build up this fund in order to be in a better position to apply for matching funds grants for road improvements.
  • (Moderator) Motion(s) to approve general levy and any dedicated levies (road & bridge, plus others determined helpful to treat as designated and not just a budget item from the general fund) and to affirm total levy including funds for Pequaywan Fire & EMS. Eligible voters vote on the 2025 Levy as proposed by the present Town Board.

Motioned and seconded (voted 37 yays and 3 nays) to set a levy of $60,000 as presented including $25,000.00 for Pequaywan Fire & EMS, motion carried.

SUMMARY Estimated Balance 1/1/2025 2025 General Levy (Receipts) 2025 Budget (Disburse ments) Estimated Balance 12/21/2025
General Fund $46,900.00 $5,000.00 $ 30,000.00 $21,900.00
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance 3,750.00 5,000.00 5000.00 3,750.00
Fire and EMS 21,900.00 15,000.00 25,000.00 11,900.00
Building/Property Maintenance Fund 7,500.00 0.00 0 7,500.00
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve) 184,400.00 35,000.00 0 219,400.00
Total 264,450.00 $60,000.00 $60,000.00 264,450.00
  • General Discussion of Items of Concern: This section can be used to allow the residents to voice their opinions on any matter, but such input is only advisory to the board. Common issues may include culvert policies, desired posting locations, etc.

–A resident recommended to update the community Pequaywan Lake Association directory and suggested to put it on the Association website. However, there was a strong consensus not to put it on the website due to spam concerns and hacking.

  • The State of Minnesota set the Annual Town Meeting on the second Tuesday of March following the Town Election. The Annual Town Meeting will be held at Pequaywan Firehall
  • Motioned and seconded to set monthly Town Board Meeting date, time and location to second Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. with the exception of March Meeting to be scheduled after the Annual Town Meeting. Location is Pequaywan Fire Hall.
  • Motioned and seconded to set time to convene and call to order the 2025 Annual Town Meeting at 8:35 p.m.
  • Motioned and seconded to set primary voting place at Pequaywan Fire Hall; garage in case Pequaywan Fire Hall is not available due to unforeseen circumstances, secondary voting place is Pequaywan Trail Blazer Snowmobile Club (contact person is Ray Barnes)
  • Motioned and seconded to set voting time as follows:
    7:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m., Presidential Nomination Primary Election, Primary Election and General Election
    10:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m., State Election
    10:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m., Special Primary Election  and Special General Election
    5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Township Election
  • Motioned and seconded to set posting areas at:
    – pequaywantownship.org website
    – West Branch Road Marquee
    – Pequaywan Fire & EMS bulletin board
    – Pequaywan Inn bulletin board
    -Pequaywan Lake Community Facebook Page

All motions voted unanimously, motion carried.

  • Motioned and seconded to adjourn meeting at 9:58 p.m., motion carried.Respectfully submitted by:
    Lita Wallace, Clerk
    Shane Stolp, Deputy Clerk

———————————————————–

Annual Road Update by Supervisor Douglas Nelson

During the past year, the township spent $25,071.99 on the West Branch Road. The breakdown is as follows:

Snowplowing $2.298.85
Pothole patch by supervisor $73.14
Sinnot Blacktop, LLC $22,700.00

The largest amount was for Sinnot Blacktop, LLC at $22,700.00. This was in two stages. The first was patching the holes and filling in along the road edges. The second state was to fill the cracks with tar. These repairs have help up very well over the winter and will extend the useful life of the road by several years. The blacktop road is 30 years old. The repairs will buy us some time but it is nearing the end of its useful life.

The township has applied for a grant from the State of Minnesota under the Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP). We must thank Lynne Scalzo for doing all the work on this grant application. If approved, it will rebuild and repave the entire 2.3 miles of township road. The new road would be a 10-ton road limit with 2 layers of blacktop vs. the existing 7-ton road limit and improved shoulders. The grant amount would be in the amount of $1,435.594. The township would be responsible for engineering and miscellaneous expenses approximately $86,135.00. This grant requires us to build the new road to State Specifications. We should hear the results of our request by April 1st.

If we do not get the grant, our next option will be to apply for other state aid programs. These grants are need based and often use matching funds, The township must show that State that they are making a reasonable effort to fund the road project on their own before they are willing to help. During the past years, the township have been setting aside funds in the Road and Bridge Capital Reserve account that can only be used for the township road. We have been buying CD’s within the funds to create some income. To date, we have $179,400.88 in the fund. Last year, we put the funds levied into the General Fund. We now know we are better off having the funds in our Road and Bridge Capital Reserve account so we are better able to get State funds.

In this year’s levy, we are asking for $35,000.00 earmarked for Road and Bridge Capital Reserve. There is no increase in the Levy we are asking for over last year’s funding. Taxes are not going up! We’re just putting the money in a different category. Taxes will probably go down because of the increase in Taxable Market Value based on the recent home sales and new homes being built.

In addition, we get Minnesota State Gas Tax revenue which by law ban only be used for Road and Bridges. In 2023, we received $1,611.68. In 2024, we will receive $1,832.85 from this gas tax.

How does Pequaywan Township taxes “Levy” compare to other townships? We are far lower than most townships. The supervisors over the years have been very frugal with your money.

Pequaywan Township levy in 2023 was 9.011
Northstar Township 14.0256
Alden Township 20.133
Normanna Township 9.793
Unorganized Township 12.279

A little history of the Township road. The original blacktop was done in 1993 at a cost of $75,000.00 The cost was split 50/50 between the landowners and the township portion of West Branch Road and the township itself, each paying $37,500.00, The work was done piggybacking on a County Road blacktop project nearby that greatly reduced the cost. It is cost effective to do our project at the same time the County is doing work nearby.

Several numbers have been put forth about what the new road will cost. We received a bid last year from Sinnot Blacktop to do an overlay of the existing road at a cost of $651,100.00. Sinnott offered that they can do it in 3 phases to spread the cost over time.

In addition, we know there are a couple of areas where a new base needs to be installed. Typically removing about 5 feet of fill, installing stabilization fabric and refill with gravel compacting as you go then new blacktop. My best guess is that by the time we are ready to do the project it will be close to $1,000,000.00. This will be a 7-ton load limit road.

The quality of West Branch Road is important for the residents who use it every day as well as the seasonal cabin owners. No dust in our homes, no flat tires. no chipped windshields, no dirty vehicles and much greater safety.

It is also very important for our EMS and firefighters to have a very good road when every minute counts toward saving a life or putting out a fire. This also applies to Law Enforcement.

The County plow river inspects the road each fall and if he decides it’s not in good repair and would damage his equipment, he can cancel our county plowing contract. This contract is very low and a bargain compared to having a private company do the plowing. We’re paying $2,298.95 now. If we had to find a private contractor, the price would be triple or quadruple.

A quick breakdown of your taxes:
St. Louis County 60,381.00
School District 9,722.00
Pequaywan Township 9.011
Total 79.114

I will use my own house as an example. My 2024 estimated market value is $452,700.00. You can use your house values to interpret your costs. My market value went up by $20,100.00 and my taxes went down by $129.00,

My proposed tax is $3,546.00
St. Louis County $2,647.3
School District $703.85
Pequaywan Township General Fund and Fire Department $156.26
Pequaywan Township Road and Bridge Capital Reserve Fund $218.46

In summary, that is about $18.20 per month.

——————————————

From Supervisor Douglas Dressen: Two of the Supervisors approved this levy.  According to recent meeting notes, Doug Nelson says West Branch is now fixed to be usable for 3 years.  The snowplowing bill from ST. Louis County is under $2500, and there is $8759.65 in the maintenance fund now.  Why are we being taxed another $5000?

There are 493 parcels in Pequaywan and 88 on 2.3 miles of West Branch. These numbers are directly from the Auditor’s office, some of these parcels are not tax paying. Since 2015, I count $179,800 tax dollars have been spent on West Branch and in 2016 $193,695 was taken from the General Fund and put in a Capital Reserve account that cannot be used for anything but West Branch Rd. The Minnesota Constitution that the Supervisors pledge to uphold states in section 10 Public Purpose expenditures, that the criteria for public expenditures will benefit the community as a body.

There are $184,400 in the Capitol Reserve Fund now. I found no mention of a vote from taxpayers to take so much money and designate it to be exclusively for West Branch.  These dollars benefit only a fraction of our population.

Our agreement with county when we split from Alden Township was that we will build a Town Hall for voting and Township business., and maintain the graveled West Branch Road.  The residents on West Branch want an improved and more like County 44 road and there is a fix for this-  a statute passed in 1989 called a Subordinate Service District.  We need to address this in the near future with an all taxpayer vote.

As far as the Levy presented today, if you haven’t seen any benefit from the $179,800 spent, and the $184,400  that the Township Supervisors transferred from the General Fund to the Capital Reserve Fund, I’m hoping you’ll vote no.

February 13, 2024, Budget Meeting

The meeting was called to order by Chair Kuettel at 7:50 p.m.

Town officers Present: Chair Charles Kuettel, Vice-Chair Douglas Dressen, Supervisor Douglas Nelson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson

Town officer Absent: Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp

Guest: Nancy Nilsen, Dan Ahonen, Katie Dehenbach, Thomas Getchell, Dorothy Galinski, John Wall, Stephen Jones, Steve Mueller, Chris Jussila, Ed Potter, Ted Wallace

2023 Cash Control Statement
1/1/2023-12/31/2023
Fund Beginning Balance Receipts Disbursements Ending Balance
General Fund $26,772.97 $48,073.55 $33,903.89 $40,942.63
Road and Bridge (On-going Maintenance 11,782.09 4,349.55 9,371.99 6,759.65
Fire and EMS 21,525.28 18,373.31 18,000.00 21,898.59
Building/Property Maintenance Fund 3,500.00 1,994.12 0 5,494.12
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve) 171,929.15 7,471.73 0 179,400.88
Total $235.509.49 $80,262.26 $61,275.88 $254,495.87

Discuss and Set-up Proposed Budget for 2025

Name of Fund 2025 Levy Approved by the Board for Presentation at the March Annual Town Meeting (Receipts) 2025 Budget Approved by the Board (Disbursements)
General Fund
$ 5,000.00 $30,000.00
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance)
5,000.00 5,000.00
Fire & EMS
15,000.00 25,000.00
Building/Property Maintenance Fund
0.00 0.00
Road and Bridges (Capital Reserve)
35,000.00 0.00
Total Amount
$60,000.00 $60,000.00

The total Levy was not increased from 2024. The Levy for Roads and Bridges (Capital Fund) was set at $35,000.00 to make up for the lowered Levy in 2023 and 2024. It was discussed that we should build up this fund in order to be in a better position to apply for matching funds grants for road improvements.

Nelson motion to approve, second by Kuettel, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen nay, Nelson yay.

Respectfully submitted by,
Lita Wallace, Clerk

 

 

February 13, 2024, Township Board Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order by Chair Kuettel at 7:00 p.m.

Town officers Present: Chair Charles Kuettel, Vice-Chair Douglas Dressen, Supervisor Douglas Nelson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson

Town officers Absent: Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp

Guests: Chris Jussila, Steve Mueller, Stephen Jones, Deb Pomroy, Ted Wallace, Ray Barnes, Bonnie Dressen, Dorothy Galinski Jim Wilson, John Wall, Kenneth Kost, Aileen Kost, Nancy Nilsen

Clerk’s Report

Copies of the January 9, 2024 minutes were distributed to attendees and they were given time to read it. Dressen motion to approve the minutes, second by Nelson, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Treasurer’s Report

JANUARY 2024
Total Funds on Hand 1/1/2024 $254,495.87
Plus: Deposits $748.11
Interest on Accounts 416.97
St Louis County Auditor 331.14
Less: Disbursements $2,322.86
-Payroll 564.64
-941 PR Taxes 917.52
-MN Revenue 100.00
-Legal 550.00
Other Expenses 190.70

Total Funds on Hand 1/31/2024 $252,921.12
Checks Written 1967 – 1975

FEBRUARY 2024
Expected Receipts
-St Louis Cty – Road Aid $1,832.85
-Taconite Production Tax not known

Checks Written #1976 – #1985 $11,590.62 (Disbursements include $10,000.00 advance payment to Pequaywan Fire and EMS with agreement that they will submit a request to that effect.

No transfer to checking needed

Nelson motion to approve the minutes, second by Dressen, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Old Business

  • St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department discussion – no one from the Sheriff’s Office was present
  • Update on the West Branch Road: Kuettel read the following statement: “The township has applied for a grant to replace the road (our best option). Most of the cost will be covered by the grant. Other options would be for the township and property owners of West Branch Road to pay for a contractor to replace the road. There is an estimate from a road contractor of $600,000.00 to replace the road that could be spread three (3) years. The property owners of West Branch Road would need to form a committee to make an assessment to pay their portion of the cost. The above mentioned work would not start until at least two (2) years from now. The road repair done last year has given the life span of the road at least more years before any major work is done.”
  • Elections reminder: Presidential Nomination Primary Election, March 5 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and March 12 Town Election from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., both at Pequaywan Firehall
  • Treasurer Nelson presented possible financial institutions to replace our current one with comparison of interest rates

New Business

  • Spring training on April 5, 2024 at the DECC – Wallace advised the officers to let her know if they are planning on attending and she can submit one registration for everybody.
  • Open position for deputy treasurer – Ed Potter submitted a resignation letter for his deputy treasurer position effective February 13, 2024 due to personal reasons. The vacant position should be posted in posting places.
  • Schedule of LBAE meeting: Tuesday, May 7, 2024, 2:00-3:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall.
  • Approve Resolution to Appoint Election Judges – motion to approve by Nelson, second by Dressen, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.
  • Approve Resolution to Appoint Absentee Ballot Board – motion to approve by Nelson, second by Dressen, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.
  • Establish salary for Annual Town Meeting Moderator – Nelson motion a $50.00 salary for moderator during Annual Town Meeting. Moderator must be a resident voter.
  • Discussion about the found March 13, 1990 Annual Town Meeting Minutes that talked about West Branch Road – table till March Annual Town Meeting
  • Unemployment Insurance – appointed officers are covered by Unemployment Insurance and eligible for unemployment compensation on eligible reasons for leaving the employment.
  • Budget Meeting for 2025 right after the Board Meeting tonight
  • Clerk request to purchase Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) software for installation on clerk laptop with one-time purchase in the amount of $149.99 plus tax for one PC – Nelson motion to allow the maximum amount of $450.00 to purchase annual subscription for Microsoft 365 and an anti-virus software for the four (4) laptops owned by the township. John Wall volunteered to research and assist with installation.
  • Help needed to set-up additional chairs and fold tables after the Town Election to get ready for the Annual Town Meeting – several folks have volunteered.

Correspondence

Received:

  • Various emails from St. Louis County Elections regarding the upcoming Presidential Nomination Primary Election as well as the March Town Election including several training modules for the clerk and election judges to complete before the elections. Also email re-guide to operate the new OmniBallot voting machine.
  • Email from MATIT (Minnesota Association of Townships Insurance & Bond Trust re-requirement to submit 2023 Workers’ Compensation Payroll Audit which includes payroll information and W-3 form by February 15.
  • Email from St, Louis County Auditor’s Office to submit the Annual Report of Outstanding Indebtedness for 2023 by February 1.
  • Email from St. Louis County Assessor’s Office for information on the 2024 Local Board of Appeal Equalization date for the township which is May 7, 2024 at 2:00-3:00 p.m.
  • Invoice from Daisy Wallace for February 2024 web maintenance in the amount of $56.25.
  • Email from U.S. Census Bureau to complete the online form for 2024 Boundary and Annexation Survey.

Sent:

  • Mailed Absentee Ballots for Town Election to three residents (clerk)
  • Filled the online form 2024 Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) from U.S. Census Bureau with due date of March 1, 2024 (C. Kuettel)
  • Mailed the Annual Report of Outstanding Indebtedness with due date of February 1, 2024 (treasurer)
  • Submitted CTAS financial statement online with due date of April 2024 (treasurer)
  • Mailed MATIT Workers’ Compensation (WC) Survey with due date of February 15, 2024 (treasurer)

Public CommentThe Public Comment section is a courtesy extended to persons wishing to address the Board. If you wish to comment during the Township Meeting, follow the protocol below:

  1. No more than one public comment per citizen.
  2. Submit your comment information to peqclerk@gmail.com with your full name.
  3. Deadline to submit your request is the first Saturday of the month.
  4. Your presentation will be limited to two minutes.
  5. What you said will be on file, and the board can either address the issue, assign someone to address the issue, or do nothing.

Public comment request by: Bonnie Dressen re-Township Solidarity: She commented that since people pay taxes, they should be able to vote on West Branch Road issue.

Next Meeting, March 12, 2024 at 9:45 p.m. or after the Annual Town Meeting.

Nelson motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:40 p.m., second by Dressen, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Respectfully submitted by,
Lita Wallace, Clerk

January 16, 2024, Board of Audit Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order at 6:32 p.m. by Charles Kuettel

Attendance:

Town Officers Present: Chair Charles Kuettel, Vice-Chair Douglas Dressen, Supervisor Douglas Nelson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp
Town Officer Absent: Ed Potter
Guest: Ted Wallace

Clerk and treasurer both provided receipts register to the board.
Each board member selected a receipt to review and check. Checked that identification is the same as in clerk/treasurer records. Checked that the deposit can be noted on the appropriate bank statement.

RECEIPTS
#6 – St. Louis County Auditor – $34,365.00 (Douglas Nelson)
#16 – St. Louis County Auditor – $3,903.80 (Charles Kuettel)
#23 – Superior Choice Credit Union Savings Acct 9027 – $12.17 (Douglas Dressen)

Board members each selected a disbursement to review and check. Checked that identification is the same on clerk/treasurer records, did transaction match, and did the check go through the bank for approved amount?

DISBURSEMENTS

#1858 – Pequaywan Lake Area Fire Department – $16,500.00 (Douglas Nelson)
#1924 – MATIT – $970 (Charles Kuettel)
#1951 – Lilita Wallace – $211.74 (Douglas Dressen)

Reviewed treasurer and clerk’s Claims (or Disursements) Ledger (compare Fund/Account/Object Codes) – each board member selected and reviewed one disbursement to review and check

Reviewed Treasurer and Clerk’s Receipts Ledgers (compare Fund/Account) – verify that deposits are noted on the appropriate bank statement, each board member selected and reviewed one receipt

Reviewed Bank Statements to check that Cash Control Statement demonstrated same  balance as the Bank Statement

Reviewed Schedule 1 printed from both clerk and treasurer showing balance with the bank and each other

Verified that Clerk and Treasurer are balancing and reconciling bank statements (have the same balance), and Schedule 1 matches for both Treasurer and Clerk

Board member also verified that clerk/treasurer:
1. have been balancing bank statements;
2. have the same balance for each fund.
3. Cash Control Statement matches showing receipts, disbursements and balances;
4. cash balance statements match the final bank statement;

Board of Audit approved the reports as submitted by the clerk and treasurer.

Meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m. by Charles Kuettel.

Respectfully submitted by
Lita Wallace, Clerk

 

January 9, 2024, Township Board Meeting Minutes

The meeting was called to order by Chair Kuettel at 7:03 p.m.

Attendance:

Town officers Present: Chair Charles Kuettel, Vice-Chair Douglas Dressen, Supervisor Douglas Nelson, Clerk Lita Wallace,

Town officers Absent: Treasurer Carol Nelson, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp, Deputy Treasurer Ed Potter

Guests: Todd Abernethy, Ray Barnes, Bonnie Dressen, Dorothy Galinski, Thomas Getchell, Scott Gronseth, Stephen Jones, Steven Mueller, Mike Nilsen, Nancy Nilsen, Deb Pomroy, Darylle Waldriff, Ted Wallace

Clerk’s Report

Copies of the minutes were distributed to attendees and they were given time to read it. Discussion to remove the statements: “This is because the vote would not change the nature or character of the town road, other than improve existing status quo.  By that I mean, we are not going from a minimum maintenance grassy trail to a 4 lane paved roadway.  Instead, we are merely replacing something that was already there.I understand this response does not present a “one size fits all” answer to your question. Because there is no hard and fast rule in Minnesota, the answer depends on the facts and circumstances of each specific matter being voted on. More information on Conflicts of Interest can be found at the Minnesota Association of Townships website under Chapter 10.” Motion by Nelson to approve the Clerk’s Report as amended, second by Dressen, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Treasurer’s Report

DECEMBER 2023
Total Funds on Hand 12/1/2023 $230,188.28
Plus: Deposits $25,646.09
-Interest on Accounts 496.33
-St Louis County Auditor 24,339.26
-State of MN 810.50
Less: Disbursements $1,338.50
-Payroll 888.10
-MATIT – WC 285.00
-Other Expenses 165.40
Total Funds on Hand 12/31/2023 $254,495.87
Checks Written #1955 – #1966

JANUARY 2024
Expected Receipts None
Checks Written #1967 – #1975 $2,222.86
No transfer to checking needed

Motion by Dressen to approve the Treasurer’s Report, second by Nelson, motion carried, Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Old Business 

New Business

  • Discussion regarding our area by the county sheriff’s department – St Louis County Sheriff’s Office would like to let the community know that they would like to get more involved with the community. Todd Abernethy of the Sheriff’s Office lives in the neighborhood and mentioned that he will try to start coming to some of the township meetings. He also mentioned that Pequaywan Township is a safe neighborhood; only had seven calls since January 2022; call 911 or him in case of an emergency; and if residents are away on vacation, they can call the Sheriff’s Office and they can do drive-by check.
  • Review of past minutes on the township website – a review by Dressen and Kuettel on the website does not show any missing minutes since 2006.
  • Weed inspector discussion – Deb Pomroy suggested that Luanne Lake need to be revisited. King Lake is a smaller lake and needs attention as well. She confirmed that she is acceptable with the $15.00 per hour with mileage. The board approved.
  • Pequaywan Firehall & EMS request for 2025 levy – Tom Getchell, Fire Chief requested a Fire Department Levy in the amount of $25,000.00 for 2025 which is the same as 2024. He added that they have $10,000.00 in their budget right now but need to use it for training and other expenses. Even though they are getting a $5,000.00 matching grant from NRRI, they are required to spend $10,000.00 by June and thus, they are requesting an advance of $10,000.00. The board decided to put it on hold until February meeting to check fund availability.
  • Important Dates (meetings, elections & Public Accuracy Test are held at Pequaywan Firehall)

1/9   – Pequaywan Town Board Meeting, 7 p.m.
1/16 – Open supervisor position Candidacy Filing ends at 5:00 p.m., contact clerk for the form or questions at 525-4068
1/16- Board of Audit Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
2/9 -2/20  – Absentee Balloting starts: (1) contact St. Louis County to register for Presidential Nomination Primary Election at 726-2385; (2) contact Pequaywan Clerk to register for March Town Election at 525-4068
2/13 – Pequaywan Town Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
2/13- Budget Meeting, after Town Board Meeting
2/27- Public Accuracy Test, Firehall, 11:30 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
3/5  – Presidential Nomination Primary Election Day
Pequaywan Firehall, 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
3/9  – Absentee Balloting for Town Election, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall
3/11- Absentee Balloting for Town Election, 1:00-5:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall
3/12- Township Election Day, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall
3/12- Annual Town Meeting, 8:45 p.m. or after ballots are counted whichever is later
3/12- Pequaywan Town Board Meeting, after Annual Town Hall Meeting.
3/12- Board of Canvas Meeting, after Town Board Meeting

Wallace reported that as of date: (1)  nobody has contacted her for Candidacy Filing for the supervisor position; (2) voters can submit an application for Absentee Balloting until February 20; (3) for Presidential Nomination Primary, St. Louis County will send them three ballots for each major political party but they should only return a ballot for their party affiliation; (4) for the March Town Election, the town clerk will send them a ballot;  in-person Absentee Balloting are offered on March 9 and March 11, contact the clerk (peqclerk@gmail.com) for location and time.

Correspondence

Received:

  • Email from St. Louis County Elections re- disposal of Automark Machine and to be replaced with OmniBallot.
  • Email from MATIT for key dates to submit Workers’ Compensation Surveys.
  • Email from the State of Minnesota GID (Government Information Division) that deadline to submit CTAS (County, Township Accounting System) financial reports to the state is April 1, 2024.
  • Invoice from Hanft Fride Law Firm in the amount of $550.00 for legal consultation.
  • Invoice from Daisy Wallace for January 2024 web maintenance in the amount of $25.00.

Sent:

  • N/A

Public CommentThe Public Comment section is a courtesy extended to persons wishing to address the Board. If you wish to comment during the Township Meeting, follow the protocol below:

  1. No more than one public comment per citizen.
  2. Submit your comment information to peqclerk@gmail.com with your full name.
  3. Deadline to submit your request is the first Saturday of the month.
  4. Your presentation will be limited to two minutes.
  5. What you said will be on file, and the board can either address the issue, assign someone to address the issue, or do nothing.

Next Meeting, February 13, 2024, 7:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall

 Nelson motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:40 p.m., second by Dressen, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Respectfully submitted by,
Lita Wallace, Clerk