Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Chair Douglas Nelson
Attendance:
Town officers present: Chair Douglas Nelson, Vice-Chair Jim Wilson, Supervisor Douglas Dressen, Clerk Lita Wallace, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp, Deputy Treasurer Ray Barnes
Town officer absent: Treasurer Carol Nelson
Guests: Dan Ahonen, Katie Dellenbach, Dorothy Galenski, Tom Jackson, Stephanie Jones, Stephen Jones, Charles Kuettel, Ted Wallace
Clerk’s Report
Copies of the minutes were distributed to attendees and they were given time to read it. Wilson motioned to approve the minutes, Dressen seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Dressen yay.
Treasurer’s Report
DECEMBER 2024
Total Funds on Hand 12/1/2024 $273,596.96
Plus: Deposits $25,056.68
–Interest on Accounts 681.48
–Tax apportionment 23,640.20
–Township Aid 735.00
Less: Disbursements $16,086.89
–Payroll 2,062.65
–Other Expenses 1,524.24
–Fire & EMS 12,500.00
Total Funds on Hand 12/31/2024 $282,566.75
Checks Written 2096-2115
JANUARY 2025
Expected Receipts – None
Checks Written 2116-2123 $1,865.66
No transfer to checking needed
Dressen motioned to approve the treasurer’s report, Wilson seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Dressen yay.
Old Business
- Update on West Branch Road from Chair Nelson:
While researching how wide the West Branch Road easement is, Jim Wilson found his deed. The easement is 66 feet wide. I found a survey of my property and it has the same 66-foot road easement. This is exactly what John Wilson has been saying for some time. There have been questions about our right as a township to trim the trees and brush from alongside the roadway. The actual pavement in front of my house measured 25 feet. That means the shoulder easement is over 10 feet on each side within which we have been well within the limits of our authority for clearing. The last few properties on the road do not have the 66-foot easement and is only the width of the pavement. Jim also found the petition to create the road as a township road. It was created on February 2, 1978, with signatures of the property owners along West Branch Road. The petition was granted on March 7, 1978 by Alden Township. Pequaywan Township was not created until 1980.
Minnesota Association of Township (MAT) attorney has not answered my questions about creating a fine for road violations but I will keep trying.
I have completed the letter to the Township landowners along West Branch Road on the creation of the Subordinate Service District. After proofreading, I will be mailing it shortly.
- Update on Invasive Species grant request: result of the decision will be sent to the clerk.
- Discussion on Public Purpose Doctrine email from Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT) handed out by Doug Dressen last November 2024 meeting.
Public purpose doctrine is defined by the courts as “such an activity as will serve as a benefit to the community as a body and which at the same time, is directly related to the functions of government. The board is the road authority for the township. Courts consider road authorities to have both a common law and statutory duty to keep their roads reasonably maintained. The public purpose doctrine is based on constitutional provisions and states that public funds may only be spent for public purposes.”
- March Town Election:
(a) January 14 at 5:00 p.m. – deadline to submit Affidavit of Candidacy for Supervisor position
(b) February 7-March 10 – Absentee Voting dates, contact clerk Wallace for questions at peqclerk@gmail.com
(c) March 11, 2025, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall- town election
(d) Donald Swanstrom submitted an Affidavit of Candidacy for the supervisor position.
- Laptops update: Daisy Wallace activated Microsoft Office 365 on the four laptops. Updated Windows 11, created new user account, clean-up unnecessary files. Wallace reported that the laptop going to the deputy clerk is ready for transfer and her new laptop is working great. Barnes downloaded, installed and updated Bit Defender Total Security on the four laptops using his personal account and will not charge the township; and copied files to new treasurer laptop. Carol was having trouble accessing Microsoft Office 365 as it refers access back to the former treasurer’s personal email account wherein which Daisy had been advised and will work on it.
New Business
- Guest speaker from Pequaywan Fire Department discussed next years’ budget requirements – the fire department is requesting $30,000.00 for 2026. They provided a list of proposed expenses for 2025 budget.
- Weed Inspector contract pay rate increase request for approval from $20.00 to $30.00 – Dressen motioned to approve $30.00 pay rate to the Weed inspector, Wilson seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Dressen yay. The weed inspector specified that homeowners may request inspection on their property without charge.
- New law requiring townships that administer absentee ballots to change their website to .gov – to be discussed at a later date. Deadline to change is June 2026.
- Boundary and Annexation Survey – Nelson will review the old file
- Board of Audit Meeting scheduled after the January Board Meeting
- Due to the March Town Election from 5:00-8:00 p.m., March Annual Town Meeting will start at 8:20 p.m. followed by March Town Board Meeting
Correspondence
Received:
- Email and postage mail from St. Louis County Planning and Zoning re-draft of the Floodplan Ordinance
- Email from St. Louis County Elections re-new Affidavit of Candidacy form stating additional requirement that the candidate provide an ID with their home address in the township
- Email from the Department of Revenue stating that the Board of Appeal and Equalization Training is live and available for all voting local and county board members
- Email from St. Louis County to fill out the Annual Report of Outstanding Indebtedness for 2024 and return the completed form to them by February 1, 2025
- Email from the U.S. Census Bureau re- 2025 Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) – to review and update the legal boundary, name, and status information the Census Bureau has the townships
- Invoice from Daisy Wallace for December 2024 web maintenance in the amount of $212.50
- Postage mails from St. Louis County Elections, State of Minnesota, and Minnesota Association of Townships re-instructions, sample of election forms
Sent: None
Public Comment: None
The 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 request by the first Saturday of the month to peqclerk@gmail.com with your full name and comment information. The board can either address the issue, assign someone to address the issue, or do nothing.
Next Meetings: Pequaywan Firehall
- February 11, 2025, 7:00 p.m., Town Board Meeting
- February 11, 2025, Budget Meeting, after Town Board Meeting
- March 11, 2025, 8:20 p.m. Annual Town Hall Meeting
- March 11, 2025, Town Board Meeting right after the Annual Town Hall Meeting
Meeting was motioned to adjourn at 7:55 p.m. by Dressen, seconded by Wilson, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Dressen yay.
Respectfully submitted by,
Lita Wallace, Clerk
