Annual Meeting March 10, 2015
Crow Wing County held its annual town meeting on
Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 8:30pm at the Crow Wing Town Hall. Present were Clerk
Susan Amick and those on the attached roster numbering 35 (plus late comers).
Susan called the meeting to order and the pledge
to the flag was recited.
George Burton was nominated as moderator, but declined
the nomination. Susan Amick nominated Kathleen Lordbock as moderator. There were no other nominations. Kathleen was voted in as
moderator.
The first item was to agree to an end time to the
meeting, reconvening if necessary to complete business. Doug Kern made a motion
to end at 10:30pm. Brad Arnold seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
The minutes of the 2014 Annual meeting were read
by Susan Amick. Doug Kern made a motion to amend the annual meeting minutes to
reflect there was discussion at the 2014 Annual meeting regarding the Washington DC trip that Ginny Rogers took for training
several years ago He wished it to be stated that any misunderstanding about the trip was cleared up at that time, and also
wanted it noted that it was her daughter Lana who accompanied her on the trip (not her son) at the expense of her parents. Sue Kern seconded the motion. Mike Amick
called a point of order that there was a need to accept the minutes with the amendment.
Sue Kern made a motion to accept the minutes as written with the
addition of the amended material. Tom Mertens seconded the motion. Motion passed.
Doug Kern addressed the group regarding the election
related post card he mailed out to correct erroneous information in the campaign letters sent out by the Alliance of Concerned
Citizens of Crow Wing Township. Doug asked if there were any members from the
Concerned Citizens Alliance present to be used as a contact person. No
one came forward to represent the group. He also asked if there was a representative present at last year’s Annual meeting. He reviewed the information stated in the letters sent out by the group and discussed
how this same information had been addressed and covered at last year’s annual meeting as is recorded in the minutes
. He revisited each point being readdressed from past years as well as new areas
of concern, including the use of the internet cloud for information storage and township property ownership for planning commission
board positions.
Susan Amick read the audit budget, copies were made
& handed out to those who requested one.
Greg gave the road report in Dave Shultz, our road
supervisor’s, absence. Crow Wing Township has 39 miles of roads of which
35 miles are paved and 4 are gravel. Greg shared that Dave would be meeting with
the county engineer for road review, to discuss ongoing road maintenance for 2015 and possibly chip seal Gorron, 80th,
70th, & 75th roads. He shared that about 10 miles of
road will need some work in the near future. A resident inquired about the chip
sealing process. He was wondering if there are repairs done to the road before
the chip repair is begun. Greg affirmed that needed repair is completed before
the chip sealing process.
Greg also discussed the election related letters
that were sent out by the Alliance of Concerned Citizens of Crow Wing Township regarding Mark Platta as township supervisor. He looked into the legality of the letters with the MN Association of Townships lawyer
Troy Gilchrist. It was reported that there was basis for which Mark could pursue
the matter legally, but if he chooses to do so it would need to be done by Mark without the aid of township funds. The township cannot spend tax payers dollars to defend Mark Platta in this particular case. He would need to contact the Office of Administrative Hearing (OAH) to begin the process. The OAH began hearing and deciding complaints alleging violations of Fair Campaign Practices in July 2004.
Anyone who wishes to review the process on their own was invited to do so.
The Fair Campaign Practices are outlined in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 211A & 211B. The process is not considered a law suit. The information is presented to a three judge panel who
makes the final decision.
Brad Arnold presented the planning and zoning report.
He gave a brief history of the township’s P&Z administration and welcomed
anyone to speak with him who wished to get involved and also encouraged attendance at monthly meetings to remain informed
and part of the process. In 2007
it was decided by the town to act as its own planning & zoning administrator. The
planning committee researches information and reports it to the town board to make the decisions. It also reviews & investigates
land use, permits, application, & responds to questions or complaints about violations.
Brad gave a review of how the township has worked with Community Growth Institute (CGI) for the past few years until
the business closed at the end of 2014. Since then the planning commission and
town board have begun to work with National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) on a trial basis based on what the township residents
give for feedback. Justin Burslie was our planning and zoning administrator with
CGI and is now with NJPA, which allows us to continue to work with someone very familiar with our needs. Currently he is at the town hall on Wed. 1-3, at the Planning Commission meetings each month, and available
by phone and appointment. Zach Jackson asked about what would happen with Zach
Rogers being on the planning commission since he is not currently a land owner in the township. Brad shared that it was thought that since he had been a resident all of his life in the township and was
well suited for the position he would be a good addition to the commission. At
the next meeting the MN statute that calls into question whether he can be a board member if he has does not hold property
in the township will be discussed & acted upon. Doug Kern added that
he feels anyone who is a board member (township or Planning Commission) should be a property owner and asked if Brad would
look into the matter. Steve Hagen asked about the current situation in regards
to whether it has been considered to turn planning & zoning back over to the county. Brad shared that we are trying out
the current arrangement with NJPA, but that option has not been ruled out. Zach
Jackson requested it be noted in the minutes that he has previously asked 3 times for the NJPA contract with the township
to be placed on the township website. Greg Smith stated that this had been covered
at the regular town board meetings and that anyone who wants to see the contract may do so as Zack Jackson already has. He also wished it be noted that Zach Jackson was given his own hard copy of the contract,
as well as photos of it.
Steve Hagen asked about the Big Woods property and
if the appearance of the building would be improved by the owner. Brad shared
that the owner chose his building materials for economic purposes and since he sells those materials, he feels he is showcasing
his product. Brad added that the property owner is due for an inspection onsite
to deal with cleaning up debris on his lot, landscaping issues not yet addressed, etc.
It was requested by Steve Hagen to see if the Planning Commission can do something to require him to address the issue
of the building appearance and possibly amend the township planning & zoning policies to reflect stricter requirements
in this regard in the future.
Monty Jensen inquired as to the current building
permit prices. Brad Arnold and Justin Burslie answered the questions regarding
pricing. Mr. Jensen made a clarifying point regarding his status as a township
resident, that he currently is not a resident, but plans to move back into the area.
The moderator, Kathleen Lordbock stated that he may not vote on motions, but may ask questions during the meeting.
Greg presented the recycling report and reviewed
the current schedule, improvements such as adding someone to haul away e-waste & appliances, as well as the addition of
an extra dumpster to keep up with the growth of the program.
Kathleen Lordbock shared the boards proposed
2016 levy amounts as follows: General
Fund: $65,000, Fire Fund $53,000, Road & Bridge Fund $140,000.
Zach Jackson made a motion that we levy planning
and zoning at $0.00. Stacy Torkelson made a second. Motion failed. Sue Kern made a motion to accept the recommended
amounts set in the levy by the board. The motion was seconded by George Burton.
Motion passed.
Jeff Rogers made a motion that we keep the current
designated notice posting sites as is (the town hall, with courtesy posting at Wild Rice Depot), it was seconded by George
Burton. Motion passed unanimously.
Randy Powers made a motion to leave gopher feet bounties
at 1.50 per pair. It was seconded by Sue Kern.
Motion passed.
Donation/Contract for Services requests were the
next item on the agenda. Ginny Rogers shared about LAPS and the services they
provide. Zach Jackson voiced that he is in disagreement with donations
being made by our township and suggested we choose not to donate. Michael Amick
stated that this is an opportunity as a township to work together as a community to make decisions on such matters. Zach made a motion that we give $0.00 to all the donation/service
contract requests that were about to be presented. Ross Mulholland pointed out
that the Zone One First Responders were there to request donation and without it there may be no first responder coverage
to our township. Mr. Jackson formally withdrew his motion. Steven Hagen made a motion to donate $1000.00 to Lakes Area Pregnancy Center, Doug Kern seconded it. The motion was voted on and passed.
Lindsay Mulholland presented the donation request
for ZoneOne First Responders which cover 9 townships in this area. She shared
they have answered 11 calls in our township this past year. Their biggest need
is for new equipment, they buy used to save on funds (defibrillators & police phone/radios). Zach Jackson suggested the First Responders look into different phone equipment because he is a commercial
helicopter pilot and is aware of cheaper options. Lindsay asked him if he would
be willing to come to the First Responder office to share that information in hopes of possibly being able to obtain equipment
at a cheaper cost since she was not familiar with the type of phones he was suggesting.
There was a motion made my George Burton to donate $2000 to the first responders.
Linda Schuety seconded it. Motion passed.
Doug Kern requested that groups asking for funding
be placed on the website so individuals may choose to donate if desired. Susan
Amick will take this request to the board meeting.
Zach Jackson made a motion to donate $0 to Crisis
Line, Greg seconded the motion. Michael Amick requested the information from
the letter be shared. Kathleen Lorbock read the request letter. A resident asked what the amount donated to them last year was, the minutes stated $250. A motion was made by Ginny Rogers to donate $250, it was seconded by Michael Amick. The motion passed.
Zach Jackson made a motion to donate $0 to the American
Legion Safety School. It was seconded by Stacy Torkelson. Motion passed.
Zach Jackson made a motion to donate $0 to the Crow
Wing Fair Association, Doug Kern seconded it. Motion passed.
Discussion regarding the date & time of the next
township election was had. It was noted that state law requires the polls
be open from 2:00-8:00pm, but if townspeople would like us to open earlier we could start as early as 7:00am. Zach Jackson asked that the election be moved to November. Zach
made a motion that the question be put on the March 8, 2016 ballot as to whether to move the township election from March
to November. There was a second by Steve Hagen. Motion
failed. Sue Kern made a motion to keep the election polling hours from 2:00-8:00pm. The motion was seconded by Greg Smith. Motion
passed.
George Burton made a motion to adjourn the meeting
at 10:32pm. Ross Mulholland seconded it.
Motion passed.
