December 12, 2023, Township Board Meeting Minutes

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

Attendance:

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

 Town officers Absent: Deputy Clerk Shane Stolp

Guests: Ray Barnes, Bonnie Dressen, Stephen Jones, Nancy Nilsen, Deb Pomroy, Ted Wallace

 Clerk’s Report

Copies of the minutes were distributed by Wallace to attendees and they were given time to read it. Motion to add the following to the minutes: (1) Under Update on West Branch Road – “Used 6 tons for blacktop for $7,000.00 which comes out at $1,160.00 per ton versus $1,400.00 per ton with Dressen’s proposal.” (2) Third bullet on Old Business – Dressen conversation with MAT attorney about weights and taxation, at the end of the sentence, add. “Motion by Dressen to reinstate to pass the resolution without Nelson voting. second by Kuettel, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson abstain. (3) Under 7-ton road exceptions, add “emergency vehicles”.

Nelson second the corrections, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Treasurer’s Report

NOVEMBER 2023
Total Funds on Hand 11/1/2023 $247,200.17
Plus: Deposits $505.93
—Interest on Accounts 505.93
Less: Disbursements $17,517.82
—Payroll 375.98
—St. Louis County Plowing 1,177.60
—Sinnot Blacktopping 15,700.00
—Other Expenses 264.24
Total Funds on Hand 11/30/2023 $230,188.28
Checks Written #1948 – #1954

DECEMBER 2023

Expected Receipts None
Second Half Tax Apportionment $24,339.26
Checks Written #1955 – #1966 $1,338.50
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

Information from township lawyer re-Conflict of Interest and West Branch Road – As per Kuettel’s inquiry, Scott A. Witty of Hanft Fride, A Professional Association, responded with: “In my opinion, a supervisor voting on spot repairs on a town road that he/she owns property abutting would not be a conflict of interest. Likewise, I do not believe a judge would conclude that a supervisor voting on a road surface replacement for a road he/she owns property abutting constitutes a conflict.

  • Firewise Grant update – Ed Potter talked with folks in-charge of the grant. Might need to check with other residents who helped with the first Firewise grant for some suggestions. Ed is wondering if there are companies that can chip-in like the Cooperative Light and Power. Nancy Nilsen added that the county had cut dead trees in the past and if there are trees that are really bad, let her office know, contact can be found under GIS in the St. Louis County website.
  • Invasive Weed Inspector open position and pay for 2024 – The board decided to re-hire Deb Pomroy as Invasive Weed Inspector starting 2024 with a pay of $15.00 per hour. Motion by Dressen, second by Nelson, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.
  • Training information attended by Wallace on Presidential Nomination Primary (PNP) Election:
  1. The PNP elections will be held on March 5, 2024. Voters should stand a minimum of 6 feet away for privacy. Applies to all voters. Even husbands and wives must maintain a 6 foot distance. Three sample ballots for each major political party will be posted.
  2. The MN Secretary of State’s Office will reimburse municipalities for expenses incurred for the PNP. Deadline to submit is May 11, 2024. Reimbursement includes training hours, election judges and ballot board salaries, name badges, Public Accuracy Test hours worked and voting office hours open and other expenses as approved by the MN Secretary of State,
  3. If a voter refuses to indicate their political party choice, they are ineligible to vote. Political choice is private. Once a voter sigs the roster and indicates their party preference, they cannot come back and change their party preference. Their ballot will be spoiled and they can be given a replacement ballot of the same party.
  4. Major political party chairs will only receive political party lists of voters who selected their party. During 2020 PNP -all political party lists were provided to each major political party chair.
    5.Individuals will be automatically registered to vote when they apply for a new or renewed driver’s license or state ID card. Registration notice will be sent to applicants by MN Secretary of State’s Office and can opt out of registration within 20 days of the date of mailing.
    6.Individual who is under the age of 18, but at least 16 years of age can preregister to vote by submitting a voter registration. Still can not vote undtil they turn the age of 18. Voters under 18 will be entered in SVRS and set to a pended status. PVC letter will be mailed after voter turns 18.
    7. PNP Absentee Ballot Application sent to permanent absentee voters. They will receive a ballot for each political party and vote on only one.
    8.St. Louis County Auditor Nancy Nilsen had mentioned in the past meeting that Pequaywan Township will be provided an OmniBallot. A Public Accuracy Test will be conducted for the OmniBallot a few days before the March 5 election. The public is welcome to observe. Attendance of two judges from two major political parties are required for the Public Accuracy Test.
  • West Branch Road update – Discussion was the same as in previous months. The grant application for Local Road Improvement Project (LRIP) has been completed and submitted successfully by Lynne Scalzo. Also that, residents must form a committee to determine assessments of properties to pay for the road repair.

New Business

  • 2023 Invasive Weed report and pay for Michele Kokosh for her work on tracking invasive species in the township and completing the EDDMapS report – Michele will be paid the amount of $30.00 for her work. Deb Pomroy will also be paid $30.00 who was mentoring Michele and had been physically present at the inspections and assisting with the reports.
  • Treasurer Nelson reported that there is one CD maturing in December 2023. The board approved to have the CD mature and put the funds back in the checking account. The two CDs maturing in November 2024 will be left there until maturity. The board requested C. Nelson to research possible financial institutions that we can transfer the townships’ account before the credit union closes their Duluth office.
  • Wallace requested to have checks cashed before the end of the year as suggested by the State of Minnesota to ease the treasurer and clerk’s CTAS financial reporting in January 2024.

Correspondence

Received:

  • Email from St. Louis County Land Minerals Department, re-2023 Annual City and Township Report on Noxious Weed due on December 30.
  • Email from St. Louis County Assesor’s Office re- Board of Appeal and Equalization Training available online to be completed by February 1.
  • Invoice from Daisy Wallace for December 2023 web maintenance in the amount of $25.00.
  • Michele Kokosh time spent on Noxious Weed inspection and reports.
  • Premium Notice from MATIT (Minnesota Association of Townships Insurance Trust from 1/1/2024 to 12/31/2024 in the amount of $285.00
  • Letter to Steve Krasaway of St. Louis County Public Works in support of their LRIP funding application for the pavement rehabilitation project on CSAH 44 between CSAH37 (Jean Duluth Rd) and CR 272 (Briar Lake Rd).

Sent:

  • Online Noxious Weed Report sent to EddMapS by Michele Kokosh
  • Online LRIP grant application successfully submitted
  • Letter to Steve Krasaway of St. Louis County Public Works in support of their LRIP funding application

Public Comment:

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:

  • No more than one (1) public comment per citizen will be accepted per meeting.
  • Comment information with your name and topic of comments must be submitted to the clerk via email (peqclerk@gmail.com) three (3) daysbefore the scheduled meeting.
  • Your presentation will be limited to two (2) minutes.

Next Meeting: January 9, 2024, 7:00 p.m., Pequaywan Firehall

Dressen motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:15 p.m., second by Nelson, motion carried. Kuettel yay, Dressen yay, Nelson yay.

Respectfully submitted by,
Lita Wallace, Clerk