Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of 5-16-2005
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Alexandria Township was held on the 16th day of May 2005.
ROLL CALL: Supervisors present were Louis Ross, Jim Casper, Joel Dahlheimer, and Roger Thalman. Also present was Gregg Raisanen, Clerk. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Thalman at 7:30 PM.
Ross, seconded by Casper, made a motion to adopt the agenda with the addition of discussion regarding Planning and Zoning and Road inspections. Motion carried unanimously.
Ross, seconded by Casper, made a motion to approve the minutes of the May 2, 2005 regular board meeting with two corrections. Motion carried unanimously.
Ross, seconded by Casper, made a motion to authorize payment of the bills in the amount of $5,283.82 and to authorize the transfer of $5,000.00 from the savings into the checking account. Motion carried unanimously.
OLD BUSINESS: Clerk Raisanen presented a draft of Resolution 05-02, a resolution appointing members to the Alexandria Township Planning Commission. Casper, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to adopt resolution 05-02. Motion carried unanimously.
The board discussed the pros and cons of having an ex-officio member from the board on the planning commission. This individual would provide guidance and advice to the commission. After further discussion, the board was in consensus to not appoint an ex-officio member to the planning commission. The board also discussed the need for a zoning administrator to assist the planning commission.
The board discussed the duties of the planning commission. The first order of business is to help draft and approve the comprehensive land use plan. Other duties include reviewing preliminary plat applications and making recommendations to the board of supervisors. They would also be conducting public hearings and make recommendations of conditions for approval of preliminary plats.
Supervisor Casper and Chairman Thalman discussed their meeting with Daren Hungness, Douglas County Land & Resources Director. The board discussed the application process for preliminary plats, the timing of township review and who would determine when an application was complete. They also discussed the need to develop a township checklist for preliminary plat applications.
The Board discussed the proposal submitted by Community Growth Institute for planning services. Supervisor Casper commented that he thought the proposal was thorough and would provide good exhibits. He expressed concern about the portion of the total cost allocated to community meetings and workshops and also that some of the information provided under Enhanced Actions Plans for an additional fee in the proposal should be part of the base comprehensive plan as provided in the RFP. After further discussion, Ross, seconded by Casper, made a motion to send out additional RFPs to three consultants to receive additional proposals. Motion for: Ross, Casper, and Dahlheimer. Motion against: Thalman. Motion carried.
The Board discussed planning and zoning issues. The board discussed the re-platting of the Airway Acres plat proposed by Victor Roob. The board expressed no concerns and recommended approval. The Board discussed the proposed Little Norway-3rd addition plat. The developer has realigned the road as recommended; however, there were no proposed contours for the plat. The board recommends tabling due to lack of information provided. The board discussed the conditional use permit for Debs of Alexandria for a wholesale auto dealer’s license. Supervisor Dahlheimer reported that the vehicles would be stored behind the fence and fewer vehicles would be along the road than currently has been the case. The board expressed no concern with this CUP.
ENGINEER’S REPORT: Clerk Raisanen provided a draft of resolution 05-03, a resolution declaring adequacy of petition and ordering preparation of a feasibility report for the improvement of a portion of Queen’s Rd., Castle Lane, Golden Gate Ave, Kings Rd. and Bridge St. Casper, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to adopt resolution 05-03 as written. Motion carried unanimously.
The board discussed the rebuilding of a portion of Brackin Rd. The board directed Engineer Kuhn to view and make a recommendation to the board.
Engineer Kuhn requested direction from the Board for road inventories. The original road inventory was completed by former engineer Olson and needs updating. He will provide a proposal for redoing the inventory in an electronic format for the board’s consideration. He will also work on a capital improvement plan for existing roads and the need to overlay certain roads.
NEW BUSINESS: The board discussed road inspections. One item noted was the installation of two brick columns within the road right-of-way along Brigitta Drive. Dahlhiemer, seconded by Ross, made a motion to have Clerk Raisanen write the landowner requiring them to remove the columns due to safety concerns. Motion carried unanimously.
Ross, seconded by Casper, made a motion to adopt Ordinance 106, an ordinance regulating parking on township roads. Motion carried unanimously.
Clerk Raisanen reported that he had received the population estimate for the township from the state demographer’s office. The 2004 population estimate for Alexandria Township is 4,361 with an estimated household number of 1,661.
Being no further business Ross, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 9:30 PM.
Respectfully Submitted…..
Gregg Raisanen, Clerk
Approved this _____ day of _________, 2005
Roger Thalman, Chairman