October 12, 2021 Township Board Meeting Minutes

October 12, 2021 Township Board Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:30p.m. by Chuck Kuettel.

Attendance
Town Officers: Supervisor Chuck Kuettel, supervisor Donald Swanstrom, supervisor Doug Dressen, clerk Amber Cruz, deputy clerk Lita Wallace and treasurer Carol Nelson
Guests: Raymond Barnes, Ted Wallace, and John Wilson

Clerk’s Report
The September 14, 2021 Township Board Meeting minutes for approval. Motion to approve the minutes was provided by Dressen. The motion was seconded by Swanstrom, the motion carried 3-0-0

Treasurer’s Report

September
Total Funds on hand as of 09/01/2021 (includes investments) $189,167.49
Plus: Deposits (September)                                                                 $131.70
Interests on Accounts                                        $131.70
Less: Disbursements (September)                                                   $1237.47
Payroll                                                                     $1237.47
Other expenses
Total Funds on hand as of 09/30/2021       $188,061.72
September Check # 1707-1716

October 2021
Claims (October) – $2,482.02
October Check # 1717-1728
No transfer to the Checking Account will be needed

The Township Certificates (cds) became due in October. It was decided to roll the cds over for one year then reevaluate. A motion for the rollover was provided by Dressen. The motion was seconded by Swanstrom, the motion carried 3-0-0

A motion to accept the treasurer’s report was provided by Dressen. The motion was seconded by Swanstrom, the motion carried 3-0-0

Old Business

  • Update on West Branch Rd: Repairs were performed on the road by Kuettel, Swanstrom and Dressen. The large tree that was near the shoulder of the road was pushed back by Mark Freeman and John Wilson.

New Business

  • Deputy treasurer and deputy clerk openings: Permission to make a public notice about the openings was granted. The public notices will be posted on the Township webpage as well as the Pequaywan Lakes Association Facebook page
  • Township brush pile: A total of 148 loads were brought in this year over the 3 open days. Richard Arndt provided the assistance on the 3 brush drop off days
  • Lake Superior School District elections: The clerk is to contact Debbie Peterson of Lake Superior School District ISD 381 for clarification on who is paying the judges, the time of the election and who all can vote in the election
  • The clerk is to send an updated Officers list to the Minnesota Association of Townships. Carol Nelson is to be added to the list and Lynne Scalzo is to be removed from the list

Correspondence
Received

  • Email from St. Louis County Planning and Community Development on the decision for the application for variance from Donald King
  • Email from Spencer Kellum on landscape Scale Restoration (LSR) – MN & MI Grant DRAFT application
  • Email from Phil Chapman Clerk of County Board /Elections Supervisor for St Louis County on possible election judge data requests
  • Email from Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT) on the approaching deadline for the American Rescue Plan Act
  • Forwarded email from Molly Thompson containing a letter from the Sugarloaf in support of the USDA-FS-2022 Landscape Scale Restoration Grant
  • Email from MAT containing the September 2021 Newsletter
  • Email from Spencer Kellum on the decision to pull the plug on the grant application
  • Email from Debbie Peterson of Lake Superior School District ISD 381 on the upcoming districts elections
  • Invoice from Daisy Wallace for $12.50 for website administration duties
  • Email from Ida Rukavina of Range Association of Municipalities and Schools (RAMS) on the October 4, 2021 deadline for the American Rescue Plan Act
  • Email from St Louis County Elections department in response to an email sent to them by Amber Cruz-Pequaywan Township Clerk
  • Forwarded email from Kathy Rouleau of St. Louis County Association of Townships on the upcoming goto meeting codes
  • Letter from St. Louis County Public Works Department containing the AR Snowplowing 2021-2022 1st Half Billing for $1,121.25
  • Email from Bradley Gustafson on the 2022 CDBG Pre-Applications
  • Email from MAT on the extension of the American Rescue Plan Act deadline
  • Email from Ida Rukavina of RAMS on the extension of the American Rescue Plan Act deadline
  • Email from Lola Haus of the Lake County Auditor office on where to send the Lake Superior School District election materials

 

Sent

  • Email sent to St Louis County Elections Department for clarification on the upcoming Lake Superior School District’s election
  • Email to Debbie Peterson of Lake Superior School District on their upcoming election
  • Email to Lola Haus of the Lake County Auditor Office with the Pequaywan Township clerk mailing address for the Lake Superior School District election materials

Public Comment

  • John Wilson is asking for the Township to sponsor the easement on the Moose Lake Road, with Wilson covering all expenses. The Township is going to contact Minnesota Association of Townships for advice, and if it is ok the Township will hire a lawyer. The Township lawyer is going to work with John Wilson’s lawyer. The Township lawyer will also contact the state and St Louis county for clarification on the sponsorship. A motion for the Township to obtain a Lawyer was provided by Swanstrom. The motion was seconded by Dressen, the motion carried 3-0-0

Next Meeting November 9, 2021 at the Pequaywan firehall with the additional option of attending via teleconference. The location will be reassessed 2 weeks prior to November 9, 2021 Township Board meeting. Any changes in location will be made at that time in accordance with Minnesota Association of Townships and the State of Minnesota

A motion to adjourn the meeting was provided by Dressen. The motion was seconded by Swanstrom, the motion carried 3-0-0

Kuettel adjourned the meeting at 8:23 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by,
Amber Cruz, Clerk