Category: Minutes

 The meeting was called to order by Chair Nelson at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was held at Pequaywan Firehall.

Attendance

Officers Present: Chair Douglas Nelson, Vice-Chair Allen Treviranus, Supervisor James Wilson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson, Deputy Treasurer Raymond Barnes

Officer Absent: Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp

Guests: Deborah Pomroy, Stephen Jones, Stephanie Jones, Doug Dressen, Bonnie Dressen, Diana Potter, Tom Jackson, Ted Wallace, Dorothy Galinski, Poppy Zeleznikar

Clerk’s Report: The April Town Board Meeting Minutes were presented. Wilson motioned to approve the minutes, Treviranus seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Treviranus yay, Wilson yay.

Treasurer’s Report

APRIL 2026

Total Funds on Hand 4/1/2026 $313,488.17
Plus: Deposits $302.37
Interest 302.37
Less: Disbursements $2,159.07
Payroll 436.32
Other expenses 304.23
941 Taxes 1,391.70
Paid Leave Premium 26.82
Total Funds on Hand 4/30/2026 $311,631.47
Checks Written 2242-2252
Void 2245/2251

MAY 2026
No receipts expected
Checks Written 2253-2260 $2,226.59
No transfer to checking needed

Wilson motioned to approve the Treasurer’s Report, Treviranus seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Treviranus yay, Wilson yay.

Old Business

• Nelson provided the SSD (Subordinate Service District) letter he wrote that is required by the Assessor’s Office of St. Louis County specifying the total levy for the Township portion of the West Branch Road which will be $30,000 every year until the road is repaved. Wallace was instructed to mail the letter to St. Louis County’s Assessors Office along with a signed copy of the Resolution to Establish a Subordinate Service District.
• Clerk Wallace reported that she and Web Admin Daisy Wallace have completed the registration process of acquiring a .gov domain name and was approved with a URL of pequaywantownship.gov. The transfer has to be completed by June 30 as required by the State of Minnesota for all townships that have a website. Daisy said that “there is no charge for the domain name but we would need to get DNS (Domain Name System) hosting. The main common company is called CloudFlare. They have a free version so I would set us up with that one to begin.” In addition, Clerk Wallace mentioned that MAT (Minnesota Association of Townships) suggested to wait until a year or so in deciding to cancel the .org name as other groups might decide to pick up using it after.
• Deb Pomroy discussed her plans for this year’s weed inspection and shared information on Guide to Removal and Disposal of Noxious Weeds. She reported that she is finishing up working on the Rossini Road property. Deb added that she is willing to come to your property if you need assistance in inspecting if there are invasive species in your property without charge to you or the township. She also shared the website to visit to learn more about Invasive Species.
  https://pequaywantownship.org/minnesota-department-of-agriculture-noxious-weed/

New Business

• Katie Dellenbach, Pequaywan Fire Chief, contacted Chair Nelson asking for a support letter from their governing jurisdiction, which is Pequaywan township, that supports and approves of their intent to purchase a turnout gear washer/extractor. Since she called on the same date the grant is due and weeks before the board meeting, he went ahead and provided the letter.
• Pequaywan Township was advised by the Pequaywan Fire Department that the Handicap Parking sign was discovered to be badly damaged and a new one is needed. Nelson volunteered to take care of it.
• At the MAT training last April, Wilson reported that it was mentioned by the trainer that townships must keep a log of all the work done on the township road to protect the township from lawsuits for damage on a vehicle.
• Poppy Zeleznikar was introduced as the incoming Treasurer when Carol retires. They will be in the process of training with Zeleznikar as Deputy Treasurer with Barnes stepping down until Carol’s retirement.
• Two Resolutions were discussed and approved.

(1) Statutory Conflict of Interest
(2) Establishing a Policy for the Compensation and Reimbursement of Town Officers

In addition, a salary increase request was proposed by Wallace for all employees with support from treasurer, deputy clerk and deputy treasurer. Wallace emphasized that there had been no salary increase from April 2015 to April 2026. She provided a spreadsheet comparing remuneration from four other neighboring townships she contacted (North Star, Ault, Fairbanks and Bassett). In comparison, the salary that Pequaywan officers receive is about 50% of what other townships receive. The board reviewed the submission and deemed it is appropriate to approve the proposal. Motioned by Nelson, seconded by Wilson, motion carried. Nelson yay, Treviranus yay, Wilson yay.

Correspondence Received:

• Assessment book for the township’s jurisdiction for the upcoming LBAE meeting received from St. Louis County Assessor’s Department
• Request from Pequaywan Fire Chief Katie Dellenbach asking for a support letter from their governing jurisdiction which is Pequaywan township, that supports and approves of their intent to purchase a turnout gear washer/extractor
• Invoice from Minnesota Association of Townships for Wilson and Treviranus attendance ($150.00) of the MAT Spring Short Course last April 17, 2026, and Town Manual ($60.00) in the total amount of $210.00
• Invoice from Daisy Wallace for Dreamhost Annual Renewal ($191.88) and Website Administration ($25.00) for a total of $216.88

Correspondence Sent: None

Public Comment Request:

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. If no show, the requester must contact the clerk before the next meeting if they would like to be added to the agenda again.

Public Comment Request: None

Next Meeting, June 9, 2026, 7:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall

The meeting was adjourned at 7:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by,

Lita Wallace, Clerk

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Vice-Chair Wilson.

Attendance:

Officers: Vice-Chair James Wilson, Supervisor Allen Treviranus, Chair Douglas Nelson (by phone), Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson (by phone), Deputy Treasurer Raymond Barnes, Shane Stolp (Absent)

Guests: Ted Wallace, Tom Jackson, Charles Kuettel

Clerk’s Report – The March Town Board Meeting Minutes was presented by Wallace. Wilson motion to approve the minutes, second by Treviranus. Wilson yay, Treviranus yay, Nelson yay. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report

MARCH 2026
Total Funds on Hand 3/1/2026 $314,270.37
Plus: Deposits $1,571.07
SLC Forfeit Tax Sale 734.73
Election Filing Fee 4.00
Interest 832.34
Less: Disbursements $2,353.27
Payroll 2,095.75
Other expenses 257.52
Total Funds on Hand 3/31/2026 $313,488.17
Checks Written 2229-2241

April 2026
No receipts expected
Checks Written 2242-2252 $2,159.07
No transfer to checking needed

Wilson motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report, Treviranus second. Wilson yay, Treviranus yay, Nelson yay. Motion carried.

Old Business

• Letter was emailed to St. Louis County by Wilson stating that the board unanimously suggested that St. Louis County provide the service of sanding problem areas and steaming culverts in West Branch Road with a yearly letter authorizing the county to do the service as needed
• Wallace reported that she had been in contact with Brandon Larson of St. Louis County’s Auditor’s Office and had been given instruction on the next step for West Branch Road SSD’s processes which is to construct a letter informing them of the special assessment for West Branch Road and to submit to them by end of September. Nelson volunteered that he will construct the letter and have it available during the May Meeting.
• Approval of 2027 levy in the amount of $75,000.00: Nelson motion to approve the levy of $75,000.00, with distribution as noted below, second by Wilson. Wilson yay, Treviranus yay, Nelson yay. Motion carried.

Name of Fund	2027 Levy/Budget
General Fund	$ 5,000.00
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance	5,000.00
Fire and EMS	32,000.00
Building/Property Maintenance Fund	0.00
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve)	33,000.00
Total	$75,000.00

New Business

• Wilson motion for Nelson to serve as Chair, second by Treviranus. Wilson yay, Treviranus yay, Nelson yay. Motion carried. Wilson motion for Treviranus to serve as Vice-Chair, second by Nelson. Wilson yay, Treviranus yay, Nelson yay. Motion carried.
• Date for Spring tree disposal – May 30, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Location is on the township property in the corner of Rossini Road and Pequaywan Lake Road.
• Reminder: Local Board of Appeal & Equalization (LBAE) Meeting is scheduled on May 12, 2026 at 10:00-11:00 a.m. which is the first formal, objective, and fair appeal venue for property owners to contest their property’s market value or classification.
• Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT) Spring Short Course training for town officers was re-scheduled on April 17 at 9:00 a.m. at Black Bear Casino
• Resolutions for Establishing a Policy for the Compensation and Reimbursement of Town; and Statutory Conflict of Interest which is normally discussed during the Aprill meeting will be re-scheduled during the May Town Board Meeting
• Treviranus completed the LBAE supervisor training on March 15, 2026

Correspondence Received:

• Invoice from St. Louis County Public Works Department for Snow plowing 2025-2026 2^nd half in the amount of $1,236.25
• Materials and instructions from St. Louis County re-LBAE meeting on May 12
• Louis County announced that their Addressing page is now live and was strategically placed under the Planning & Zoning tab which was added by Wallace to the Pequaywan Township’s webpage under Township Government Resources

Correspondence Sent:

• Updated list of officers to St. Louis County
• Updated list of officers to Minnesota Association of Townships
• Letter sent to St. Louis County re-sanding and steaming of culverts on West Branch Road

Public Comment Request Protocol: The Public Comment section is a courtesy extended to persons wishing to address the Board. If you wish to comment during the Town Board Meeting, follow the protocol below. One public comment per citizen which is limited to two minutes. Submit request to peqclerk@gmail.com with your full name and comment information on the Saturday before the meeting. The board can either address the issue, assign someone to address the issue, or do nothing.

Public Comment

• Deb Pomroy discussed her plans for this year’s Weed Noxious project which will begin in May/June. Landowners are welcome to contact her if they need there are studied.
• Ray Barnes shared that the construction from Jean Duluth to Barrs Lake Road will start sometime in May/August this year. Northland Construction has the contract.
• Doug Dressen – township and county taxes being charged (no show)
• Bonnie Dressen – West Branch Road (no show)

Note: If no show, the requester must contact the clerk before the next meeting if they would like to be added to the Agenda again.

Next Meeting May 12, 7:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall

The meeting adjourn at 7:15. p.m.

Respectfully submitted by,
Lita Wallace, Clerk

Chair Douglas Nelson called the meeting to order at 10:07 P.M.

Clerk issued the Oath of Office to the Board of Canvass Members:

“I, _____________ do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Minnesota, and that I will discharge faithfully the duties of the office of Pequaywan Township in the County of St. Louis County, the State of Minnesota, to the best of my judgment and ability.”

Stolp read the result of Township Election for two open supervisor positions. (1) 3-year term: Douglas Nelson, 14 votes and write-in Douglas Dressen, 2 votes; (2) 2-year term:  Allen Treviranus, 14 votes and write-in Tom Jackson, 1 vote. Douglas Nelson and Allen Treviranus won the election.

The Board reviewed and concurred with no noted errors or write-in issues.

Nelson motioned to declare the results of the vote and sign off on the summary, Wilson seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay.

Clerk is authorized to issue notification of winning the election to the candidates and request their signed campaign financial forms within the time period which is on or after March 18 with a swearing in required within 10 days of that notification.

Nelson motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:11 P.M., second by Wilson, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay.

Respectfully submitted by:
Shane Stolp, Deputy Clerk

Lita Wallace, Clerk

 

The meeting was called to order at 9:43 PM by Chair Douglas Nelson.

Attendance: Officers Present: Chair Douglas Nelson, Supervisor James Wilson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp, Treasurer Carol Nelson, Deputy Treasurer Raymond Barnes

Guests: Ted Wallace, Allen Treviranus

Clerk’s Report :  

• The February Town Board Meeting Minutes were presented. Wilson motioned to approve the minutes, Nelson seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay.
• The Board of Audit Meeting Minutes were presented. Wilson motioned to approve the minutes, Nelson seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay.
• The Budget Meeting Minutes were presented. Wilson motioned to approve the minutes, Nelson seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay.

Treasurer’s Report

February 2026
Total Funds on Hand 2/1/2026 $310,021.02
Plus: Deposits $5,240.11
SLC Town Aid 1,964.64
SLC Taconite Production 3,274.00
Interest 1.47
Less: Disbursements $990.76
Payroll 814.56
SLC Townsbip dues 163.70
Other expenses 12.50
Total Funds on Hand 2/28/2026 $314,270.37
Checks Written 2224-2228
No transfer to checking needed

March 2026
No receipts expected
Checks Written 2229-2240 $2,353.27
Four checks voided – printer error

Motion to approve by Nelson, seconded by Wilson. Motion carried, Nelson yay, Wilson yay.

Old Business

• Stolp read the result of Township Election for two open supervisor positions. (1) 3-year term: Douglas Nelson, 14 votes and write-in Douglas Dressen, 2 votes; (2) 2-year term: Allen Treviranus, 14 votes and write-in Tom Jackson, 1 vote. Douglas Nelson and Allen Treviranus are elected and will be certified pending no contest until the contest period that closes March 17, 2026.
• Approval of the $75,000.00 2027 Levy as passed at the February Town Board Meeting and the Annual Board Meeting.
• Motion to approve the levy with a note that it needs to include the $30,000.00 levy for the Subordinate Service District by Nelson, second by Wilson, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay. Clerk to ensure the levy is updated to the county when sent.

Name of Fund	2027 Levy/Budget
General Fund	$ 5,000.00
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance	5,000.00
Fire and EMS	32,000.00
Building/Property Maintenance Fund	0.00
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve)	33,000.00
Total	$75,000.00

• Update on West Brand Road and progress of Subordinate Service District was presented by Douglas Nelson.
• Wallace discussed the draft sample of Local Board of Appeal and Equalization (LBAE Valuation Notice with contact information where to send an appeal and LBAE meeting date which is May 12, 2026 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Pequaywan Firehall
• Clerk will look into if the online training is still available for LBAE for new supervisor and will email the training to Treviranus to complete the training.
• Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT) Spring Short Courses training for town officers is scheduled on April 3, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Black Bear Casino
• Mediacom update
• Wilson composed and sendt a letter to St. Louis County Public Works re-sanding and steaming culverts.
• Fill out the online 2026 Annual Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS) that the U.S. Census Bureau is now conducting for any boundary changes. Wallace will provide a copy of the previous years survey form for reference.
• Wallace and webmaster Daisy Wallace will start working on the documents need to convert the town website from .com to .gov.

New Business

Douglas Nelson mentioned Greg Somrock passed away in the summer of 2025 and would like to plant an apple tree in his honor on the township land. He is accepting donations to assist in this. Interested people can contact Douglas Nelson or Jim Wilson.

Correspondence Received:

• Invoice from Daisy Wallace for February web maintenance in the amount of $25.00.
• Invoice from Dreamhost for website renewal in the amount of $191.88/year from $155.88/year with increase of $36.00
• Election training for election judges, Roster, Precinct Finder, Master List received from St. Louis County Elections
• Hazard Mitigation Plan Zoom meeting on April 7 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. Register here
• Email from St. Louis County Elections to have Clerk’s office open on March 7 and March 9 for Absentee Ballot voting
• Minnesota Association of Townships membership card for each town board member

Correspondence Sent:

Public Comment Request Protocol: The Public Comment section is a courtesy extended to persons wishing to address the Board. If you wish to comment during the Town Board Meeting, follow the protocol below. One public comment per citizen which is limited to two minutes. Submit request to peqclerk@gmail.com with your full name and comment information on the Saturday before the meeting. The board can either address the issue, assign someone to address the issue, or do nothing.

Public Comment Request: None

Next Meeting April 14, 2026, 7:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall

Wilson motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:03 P.M., second by Nelson, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay.

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

 

The meeting was called to order by clerk Lita Wallace at 8:29 p.m. The meeting was held at the Pequaywan Fire Hall.

Attendance: Douglas Nelson, Jim Wilson, Lita Wallace,  Carol Nelson, Ray Barnes, Shane Stolp, Dale Brooks, Katie Dellenbach, Corbin Ringsred, Sandra Wilson, John Wilson, Douglas Nelson, Carol Nelson, Jim Wilson, Allen Treviranus, Douglas Dressen, Bonnie Dressen, Stephanie Jones, Stephen Jones, Diana Potter, Ted Wallace.

Stolp read the result of Township Election for two open supervisor positions. (1) 3-year term: Douglas Nelson, 14 votes and write-in Douglas Dressen, 2 votes; (2) 2-year term:  Allen Treviranus, 14 votes and write-in Tom Jackson, 1 vote. Douglas Nelson and Allen Treviranus won the election.

Douglas Nelson was the sole nomination for the meeting moderator by Jim Wilson, seconded by John Wilson. Motion carried. Douglas Nelson accepted with 12 votes.

Moderator announced Agenda for rest of meeting, subject to modification by vote of electorate, in which there was no change.

The clerk provided copies of the 2025 Annual meeting minutes. Motion was made to waive reading of the minutes and approve as is. Motion was seconded, motion carried unanimously.

Supervisor Nelson provided an update West Branch Road Report & Subordinate Service District (SSD) including the history of the road and how the residents along the road have agreed to an SSD. The St Louis County Resident Engineer noted when meeting with Supervisors Wilson and Nelson that the road rebuild will cost one million and advised against hiring an engineering firm and instead recommended having a consultant for $10,000 to help the project. The supervisors also checked out the culverts with the engineer and they all appeared to be in good condition. Supervisor Nelson recommends we continue to build our Road & Bridge fund until the goals are reached with a hope of a benefactor or state aid program.

Fire Chief Katie Dellenbach with the Pequaywan Fire & EMS presented an annual report highlighting 14 members, 12 that respond to EMS calls. Had 35 calls: 15 fire, 20 EMS. Large number of calls were related to Brimson Fire. Department was out for three days with the shifts that were required while trying to be supportive and help the neighborhood. There was a system in place to ensure that Pequaywan neighborhood was still covered while the members were in Brimson. We have had an unusual amount of structure fires requiring the use of mutual aid of neighboring departments. There has been ongoing training with these mutual aid departments to ensure response time is quicker for increased effectiveness.

Fire Department is proposing a $32,000 budget, an increase of $2,000 from prior year. With last year funds the department was able to purchase a LOCUS which is a life saving device for chest compressions. Katie expressed thanks to the community for support. She mentioned an old fire engine (35 years old) that is in need of standards updates to meet NFPA requirements with the hotter, faster fires that happen in today’s structure fires. About 1/3 of the budget goes to maintaining the fire hall including insurance, utilities, maintenance, snow plowing, and repairs. The department continues to look for grants such as the 10 new Motorola radios that were able to be obtained through a grant in 2025 with the help from Pequaywan Township. The grant was for $50,000. Any grants that are available and known are sought after including a bi-annual $10,000 grant from the DNR that requires a 50% match. Katie also expressed thanks to the department members who attend the business meetings, trainings, and respond to calls. Additionally, they do maintenance on the building, rigs and significant other items. One truck has a potential DEF system issue that will require an outside vendor to assist.

Treasurer Carol Nelson read the Board of Audit Report based on the information from the Board of Audit meeting last month. Treasurer Carol Nelson presented the cash control statement from 2025.

Name of Fund	1/1/2025 Beginning Balance	2025 Receipts	2025 Disbursements	12/31/2025 Ending Balance
General Fund	$48,783.91	$ 6,561.16	$19,657.41	$35,687.66
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance	13,651.73	6,353.06	9,412.10	10,592.69
Fire and EMS	16,758.22	66,320.07	75,959.23	7,119.06
Building/Property Maintenance Fund	7,698.96	19.28	400.71	7,317.53
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve)	195,673.93	56,127.85	1,745.12	250,056.66
Total	$282,566.75	135,381.42	107,174.57	$310,773.60

Treasurer Carol Nelson presented the 2027 general levy that was approved during the February Budget Meeting in the amount of $75,000.00 which is an increase of $5,000.00 from 2026’s $70,000.00.

Comparison 2026 and 2027 LEVY
Name of Fund	2026 Levy	2027 Levy
General Fund	$ 5,000.00	$ 5,000.00
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance	$ 5,000.00	$ 5,000.00
Fire and EMS	$27,000.00	$32,000.00
Building/Property Maintenance Fund	$0.00	$0.00
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve)	$33,000.00	$33,000.00
Total	$70,000.00	$75,000.00

It was motioned by John Wilson and seconded by Jim Wilson to set a levy of $75,000.00 as presented, motion carried. Discussion followed. 12 in favor and 2 opposed. The board of supervisors will render the final decision during the March Board Meeting.

General Discussion of Items of Concern

Doug Dressen brought up concerns about 18% of township residents using the Township Road (West Branch Road) but charging 100% of the owners for the road. Bonnie Dressen reiterated the concern.

Doug Nelson presented a report of the history on the West Branch Road, the Public Purpose Doctrine, how many roads and cost of them in Minnesota Townships.

Bonnie Dressen brought up the participation of snowbird residents at the Annual Meeting in discussing the levy and proposed that the Town Board should consider changing the date of the Annual Meeting. Wallace reiterated that the Annual Meeting is set-up by the state on the second Tuesday of March and cannot be changed. However, voters may continue the Annual Meeting rather than adjourn, if they want to return later in the year to finish their meeting. To continue the meeting, voters must approve a motion that includes the date, time, and location the meeting will resume.

Doug Dressen asked where the fire department sees their budget being in 10 years.

Motion items:

Annual Town Meeting: 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 Fire Hall.

Motioned and seconded to set monthly Town Board Meeting date/time and location as the Second Tuesday of each month, 7:00 p.m. with the exception of March Town Board Meeting to be scheduled after the Annual Town Meeting. Location is Pequaywan Fire Hal. Motion carried, all were in favor.

Motioned by John Wilson and seconded by Jim Wilson, all agree, for the following:

• Location for the next annual meeting (Pequaywan Firehall)
• Time to convene and call to order next annual meeting: 8:30 p.m.
• Set voting place: Primary voting place is 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)
• Set later starting time for State election (Note: Applies only to State election, not town elections, and only for townships with population under 500 located outside the 11-county metropolitan area.)
  7:00 am – 8:00 pm, Presidential Nomination Primary Election, Primary Election and General Election
  7:00 am – 8:00 pm, State Election
  10:00 am – 8:00 pm, Special Primary Election and Special General Election
  5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Township Election
• Set posting areas of Public Notice:
  – pequaywantownship.org website
  – West Branch Road marquee (event dates)
  – Pequaywan Fire & EMS bulletin board
  – Pequaywan Inn bulletin board
  – Town of Pequaywan Facebook page (facebook.com/Pequaywanclerk/)
  – Pequaywan Lake Community Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/PequaywanLakeCommunity)

Motioned items carried with 12 yes votes and two no.

The meeting was motioned and seconded to adjourn at 9:32 p.m., motion carried.

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

The meeting was called to order at 7:20 p.m.

Attendance:

Town officers present: Chair Douglas Nelson, Vice-Chair Jim Wilson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson, Deputy Treasurer Raymond Barnes

Town officer absent:  Supervisor Don Swanstrom, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp

Guests: Allen Treviranus, Ted Wallace

Discuss and set-up budget amounts for 2026.

Name of Fund	2026 Levy/Budget
General Fund	$ 5,000.00
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance	5,000.00
Fire and EMS	27,000.00
Building/Property Maintenance Fund	0.00
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve)	33,000.00
Total	$70,000.00

Discuss levy recommendation for 2027 for presentation to the residents at the March Annual Town Meeting.

Name of Fund	2027 Levy/Budget
General Fund	$ 5,000.00
Road and Bridges (On-going Maintenance	5,000.00
Fire and EMS	32,000.00
Building/Property Maintenance Fund	0.00
Roads and Bridges (Capital Reserve)	33,000.00
Total	$75,000.00

Meeting was motioned to adjourn at 8:20 p.m. by Nelson, seconded by Wilson, motion carried.

Respectfully submitted by,
Carol Nelson, Treasurer
Lita Wallace, Clerk

Board of Audit Report – Year ending December 31, 2025

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

Attendance:

Town Officers Present: Chair Douglas Nelson, Vice-Chair Jim Wilson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson, Deputy Treasurer Ray Barnes

Town Officer Absent: Supervisor Don Swanstrom, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp

Guests: Allen Treviranus, Ted Wallace

Township supervisors verified clerk and treasurer books match.

Township Supervisors verified claims and receipts at every meeting, so only a sampling of those documents was checked at this time.

Verified that Cash control statement from clerk and treasurer are the same.

Verified that 12/31/25 Northern Bank of Commerce balance matches with Cash Control Statement.

Receipts and Disbursements – verified on clerks and treasurer’s reports and on bank statements.

RECEIPTS:
2/26/2025   – $3,419.00 – St. Louis County (Wilson)
3/3/2025     – $2,144.39 – St. Louis County (Nelson)
12/26/2025 – $   779.20 – Minnesota Town Aid (Wilson)

DISBURSEMENTS
5/13/2025   – $1.236.50 – St. Louis County 2^nd half plowing invoice (Nelson)
7/8/2025     – $1,004.00 – MATIT General Liability Insurance (Nelson)
12/9/2025   – $   347.00 – MATIT Workers Comp Insurance (Wilson)

The supervisors approved the reports presented by the treasurer and clerk.

Meeting was motioned to adjourn at 7:20 p.m. by Nelson seconded by Wilson, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay.

Respectfully submitted by,
Carol Nelson, Town Treasurer
Lita Wallace, Town Clerk

 

 

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by Vice-Chair Donald Swanstrom.

Attendance:
Officers Present: Chair Douglas Nelson (by phone), Vice-Chair Donald Swantsrom, Supervisor James Wilson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp, Treasurer Carol Nelson (by phone), Deputy Treasurer Raymond Barnes

Guests: Ted Wallace, Stephanie Jones, Stephen Jones

Clerk’s Report: Wallace presented the January 2026 minutes. Wilson motion to approve the minutes, Swanstrom seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Swanstrom yay.

Treasurer’s Report
January 2026
Total Funds on Hand 1/1/2026 $310,773.60
Plus: Deposits $841.68
SLC Apportionment $535.53
Interest $306.15
Less: Disbursements $1,594.26
Payroll $215.42
941 Payroll Taxes $1,149.34
Other expenses $229.50
Total Funds on Hand 1/31/2026 $310,021.02
Checks Written 2219-2223
Feb 2026
No receipts expected
Checks Written 2224-2228 $990.76
No transfer to checking needed

Motion to approve by Wilson, seconded by Swanstrom. Motion carried, Swanstrom yay, Wilson yay, Nelson yay.

Old Business

• Board of Audit Meeting and Budget Meeting scheduled on February 19, 7:00 p.m. at Pequaywan Firehall
• Public input wanted as St. Louis County updates its Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Seeking help to set-up the Pequaywan firehall after election at 8:00 p.m. to get ready for the Annual Town Meeting – Wilson and Swanstrom will be able to help
• Schedule on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at Pequaywan Firehall:
  Town Election, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  2. Annual Town Meeting, 8:30 p.m.
  3. Town Board Meeting – after Annual Town Meeting
  4. Board of Canvass Meeting – after Town Board Meeting
• Absentee Ballot Voting: Town clerk’s Office is open for March Town Absentee Ballot voting on March 7, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Contact the clerk at 218-525-4068 for location or for any other questions.
  
  New Business
• Sanding and steaming culverts in addition to plowing and how much it cost. Wilson motions to send letter authorizing county to provide services as requested as none are needed now (he will send it), Nelson second, motion carried. Nelson yay, Swanstrom yay, Wilson yay.

Correspondence Received:

• Email from St Louis County re-requirements for township to request services such as sanding, steaming culverts, etc.·
• Invoice from SLCAT (St. Louis County Association of Townships) for membership in the amount of $163.70. Wilson made motion to continue to be members, Swanstrom seconded, motion carried. Wilson yay, Swanstrom yay, Nelson yay
• Invoice from Daisy Wallace for January web maintenance in the amount
  of $12.50.
• Invoice from Microsoft to renew subscription in the amount of $129.99.
• Email from St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office for public to comment on their Hazard Mitigation Plan.
• Voter Master List received from St. Louis County Elections
• Permanent Absentee voter list received from St. Louis County Elections
• Thomas Jackson submitted a Withdrawal of Candidacy

Correspondence Sent:

• Form 2025 Local Weed Inspector Annual Township and City Report was mailed to Ada Tse and Paul Butler, St. Louis County Planning and Zoning, 320 West Second St. Ste 301, Duluth, MN 55802, signed by Weed Inspector Deborah Pomroy and Vice-Chair Donald Swanstrom.
• Treasurer filed the following year-end reports: Report of Outstanding Indebtedness, All State and Federal Payroll Reports, and MATIT Workers Compensation Audit Report

Public Comment Request Protocol: The Public Comment section is a courtesy extended to persons wishing to address the Board. If you wish to comment during the Town Board Meeting, follow the protocol below. One public comment per citizen which is limited to two minutes. Submit request to peqclerk@gmail.com with your full name and comment information on the Saturday before the meeting. The board can either address the issue, assign someone to address the issue, or do nothing.

Public Comment Request:

• Nelson gave a reminder to be careful of emails coming in as a lot of scams have been ongoing.
• Stolp mentioned that there are grants available through the DNR for trails and facilities but work has to be done to obtain and we should keep this in mind should residents desire things. He will share the link with clerk where this information was found.

Next Meeting March 10, 2026, 8:30 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall

Swanstrom motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:44 p.m., second by Wilson, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Swanstrom yay.

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

 

 

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 pm by Vice-Chair Donald Swanstrom.

Attendance:

Officers Present: Chair Douglas Nelson (Phone), Vice-Chair Donald Swanstrom, Supervisor James Wilson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp, Treasurer Carol Nelson (Phone), Deputy Treasurer Raymond Barnes

Officer Absent: None

Guest: Ted Wallace, Thomas Jackson, Allen Treviranus, Stephanie Jones, Stephen Jones, Deb Pomroy.

Clerk’s Report

Wallace presented the December 2025 minutes. A change was made for the copy of the Weed Report to correctly state completion but not submission. Wilson motion to approve the minutes, Swanstrom seconded, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Swanstrom yay.

Treasurer’s Report

DECEMBER 2025
Total Funds on Hand 12/1/2025 $300,090.72
Plus: Deposits $26,166.37
SLC Apportionment 24,209.33
Interest 1,178.04
State of MN Town Aid 779.00

Less: Disbursements $15,483.49
Payroll 1,265.77
Pequaywan Fire & EMS 12,500.00
MATIT – Work Comp 347.00
Deb Pomroy – Nox Weed 599.40
Hanft Friede – Legal 320.00
Other expenses 451.32
Total Funds on Hand 12/31/2025 $310,773.60
Checks Written 2207-2218

January 2026
No receipts expected
Checks Written 2219-2223 $1,594.26
No transfer to checking needed

Motion to approve by Wilson, seconded by Swanstrom. Motion carried, Swanstrom yay, Wilson yay, Nelson yay.

Old Business:

• FYI: Wilson completed the LBAE Training
• Noxious Weed Report by Deborah Pomroy. The weed report was given to Clerk Lita Wallace after signature by Vice-Chair Swanstrom to be mailed to St. Louis County Planning & Zoning.  Pomroy commented that Buckthorn was found in the burn brush pile at Pequaywan brush pile and it would be better that these noxious weeds would be burned at their source rather than transporting to the burn pile. It is actually illegal to transport. Recommendation to Town Board to share this finding at the annual meeting. Mr. Wilson requested Pomroy for some pictures of what these weeds look like to be posted at Pequaywan Inn and to send a writing to Pequaywan Lakes Association to be shared. Mr. Wilson also requests the Pequaywan Township website to be updated with this information.

New Business

• Board of Audit Meeting and Budget Meeting normally scheduled in January or February after the Town Board Meetings will be scheduled after February 18 when the Nelsons return from Arizona
• Appointing Absentee Ballot Board by Resolution. Clerk read the election judges and presented a resolution that those judges would be the Absentee Ballot Board which was subsequently signed by Wilson and Swanstrom.
• Regarding the March 10, 2026 election, two (2) Affidavit of Candidacy form were received. Thomas Jackson and Allen Treviranus were present to introduce themselves. A sample ballot will be posted on the website, posting board at the firehall, and at Pequaywan Inn on or after January 16, 2026. The election on March 10, 2026 is from 5-8 PM followed by the Annual Town Meeting at 8:30 PM followed by the Board Meeting and Board of Canvass thereafter.

Correspondence

Received:

• Email from MATIT providing a copy of WC Payroll Audit Report just submitted to MATIT
• Email from the Office of State Auditor advising that CTAS 2026 is now available for download in SAFES
• Invoice from Daisy Wallace for December 2025 web maintenance in the amount of $62.50

Sent:

• Email to St. Louis County Elections submitting open positions for March Town Election

Public Comment Request Protocol:

The Public Comment section is a courtesy extended to persons wishing to address the Board. If you wish to comment during the Town Board Meeting, follow the protocol below. One public comment per citizen which is limited to two minutes. Submit request to peqclerk@gmail.com with your full name and comment information on the Saturday before the meeting. The board can either address the issue, assign someone to address the issue, or do nothing.

Public Comment Request: None

Next Meeting: February 10, 2026, 7:00 p.m., Pequawyan Firehall

Wilson motion to adjourn the meeting at 7:29 p.m., second by Swanstrom, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Swanstrom yay.

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

 

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

Attendance:

Officers Present: Chair Douglas Nelson, Vice-Chair Donald Swanstrom, Supervisor James Wilson, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Carol Nelson, Deputy Treasurer Raymond Barnes

Officer Absent: Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp

Guest: Ted Wallace

Clerk’s Report

Wallace presented the November 2025 minutes. Swnastrom motion to approve the minutes, Nelson second, motion carried. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Swanstrom yay.

Treasurer’s Report

NOVEMBER 2025
Total Funds on Hand 11/1/2025 $305,459.91
Plus: Deposits $1,049.36
Interest 1,049.36
Less: Disbursements $6,418.55
Payroll 117.55
SLC – First half plowing 1,236.50
Pothole Repair – Premier 4,834.00
Other expenses 230.50
Total Funds on Hand 11/30/2025 $300,090.72
Checks Written 2200-2206

DEC 2025
SLC – 2nd half apportionment $24,209.33
Checks Written 2207-2218 $15,483.49 (including 2^nd half $12,500.00 for Pequaywan Fire Dept)
No transfer to checking needed

Motion to approve by Swanstrom, second by Wilson. Motion carried., Swanstrom yay, Wilson yay, Nelson yay.

Old Business

• Nelson reported that a letter was sent to all land owners in the Subordinate Service District
• Noxious Weed Inspector Deborah Pomroy reported that she filled out the annual online report required by St. Louis County Planning & Zoning and will submit to the clerk.

  New Business

• Wallace reported that LBAE training is available online right now and it would be best if another supervisor, in addition to Douglas Nelson, can complete the training by February 1.
• Selection of Election Judges: The names Diana Potter, Lori Rich, Shane Stolp, and Lita Wallace were submitted to the board to serve as election judges for the 2026 elections. Nelson motion to approve all four and use as the clerk see fit. Wilson second, motion approve. Nelson yay, Wilson yay, Swanstrom yay. Wallace confirmed that there is a balance of party affiliation.
• Swanstrom put in his resignation as supervisor with his last day on March 10, 2026.
• Wallace reported that there will be two supervisor positions to vote for this year during the town election. First is the position presently held by Douglas Nelson for a term of three years. Second is the position held by Donald Swanstrom for a remaining two years term. Anyone interested running for office must fill out an Affidavit of Candidacy Form which is available from the town website plus a $2.00 filing fee. The form must be filed with the town clerk between December 30, 2025 to January 13, 2026. Town election and March Annual Town Meeting is on March 10, 2026
• Wallace mentioned that the group officer email had been receiving a few spam emails that the filter was not able to control. Our web admin has been informed about it and she suggested to forward the spam emails to her and she will block them. Some are sophisticated so might still go through.
• Minnesota Paid Leave: C. Nelson explains that an employee can take up to 12 weeks of Medical Leave for their own health care or 12 weeks of Family Leave to welcome a child, care for a family member, support a family member’s military service or respond to some safety concern. The employee must at least earn $3,900 a year.

Correspondence

Received:

• Email from the State of Minnesota Office of the Auditor that an updated version of CTAS 2025 is available for upload.
• Email from St. Louis County Elections that they are conducting town election training for clerks
• Invoice from web admin Daisy Wallace for the month of November in the amount of $37.50
• Invoice from Weed Inspector Deb Pomroy in the amount of $599.40 (Noxious Weed inspection $570.00 plus mileage $29.40)

Sent:

• Letters sent to all land owners in the Subordinate Service District

Public Comment Request:

How will the upcoming meetings be conducted while Nelsons are out of the area? (Bonnie Dressen is unable to attend but has this question.)

Douglas and Carol Nelson will be participating in the meeting while they are gone to Arizona during the months of January and February via phone, Barnes will take over writing checks.

Next Meeting: February 10, 2026, 7:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall

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

Respectfully submitted by:
Lita Wallace, Clerk