Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of September 6, 2023
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Alexandria Township was held on the 6th day of September, 2023 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 324 Broadway, and via teleconference.
ROLL CALL: Supervisors present were Joel Dahlheimer, Rod Eldevik, Dennis Butz and Jerry Wright. Also present were Gregg Raisanen, Clerk, and Mona Billmark, Treasurer. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Eldevik at 6:00 p.m.
Wright, seconded by Butz, made a motion to adopt the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
Wright, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 08/21/23 regular board meeting as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Butz, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to authorize payment of claims 23146 – 23155 in the amount of $59,993.10, net payroll $4,811.07 totaling $64,804.17 with a transfer from savings of $62,000.00. Motion carried unanimously.
CITIZEN’S CONCERNS: none
PLANNING AND ZONING: none
ENGINEER’S REPORT: Tom Anderson. Douglas County Drainage & Ag Inspector, was present to discuss the crossing under Crestwood Drive on County Ditch No. 6. He reported that in recent years the county has removed trees and debris along the main of CD #6, which included a small area north of Crestwood Drive. The channel itself, however, has not been cleaned and would be included in the next phase of repair for this section of CD #6. Those repairs/removals were to restore stormwater flows, thereby reducing and/or eliminating the flooding of adjacent properties and to gain access along the drainage channel. The area of open ditch is close to two property owners and the county Is proposing to close that portion, approximately 150 – 170 feet. He said he had inspected the township’s culvert and it is close to the end of its life expectancy and is the township’s responsibility for maintenance.
Engineer Kuhn proposed doing a small study to determine the size of pipe we need and if it needs to be changed out. Since the town had just completed an overlay on Crestwood Drive, perhaps lining the culvert would be a better option versus replacement. The township could work on the pipe under Crestwood when the county replaces the pipe for the ditch It was noted the county will delay this project until next year. Engineer Kuhn proposed there could be an apron between the two pipes. He felt the town could winter one year if they chose to delay the project. Consensus to have Engineer Kuhn assemble cost estimates.
Engineer Kuhn proposed cleaning out the ditch along the north side of South Lake Jessie Road. He noted it has standing water periodically and perhaps a centerline culvert that may need some attention. Consensus to have Engineer Kuhn research and report back to the board.
Regarding the Liberty Road project, Clerk Raisanen advised the town hold an informational meeting and send out notices to all affected landowners. He proposed holding the meeting at the college. The clerk would start the meeting with the overall plan with Engineer Kuhn following up with the technical details. Consensus to have Clerk Raisanen send out notices to all affected landowners for the last Monday of October.
Engineer Kuhn stated he is still working with Ferguson Bros. for the additional patching on roads in Alexandria Township. He noted the maximum allocated dollars for 2023 patching is $175,000. Engineer Kuhn to bring back a recommendation for the next meeting on where to appropriate the remaining allocation of dollars.
OLD BUSINESS: Chair Eldevik reported on the ALASR sewer extension project. He stated an estimated cost of $140,000 / parcel for Diamond Road and Wegner Lane and other areas at $90,000 per parcel. Clerk Raisanen stated that at present, there are no grants available. Based on the proposal presented by ALASR representatives, residents would pay a maximum of $30,000/parcel and the remainder would have to be paid by ALASR/ALASD. Chair Eldevik responded the town should look at areas with anticipated new growth for expansion versus installation in areas with limited growth potential.
At its last meeting, the board had discussed alternatives in seeking RFPs for winter road maintenance. Clerk Raisanen reported a compilation of hours over the last five years for winter road maintenance was assembled which equated to 330 hours average of plowing / yr. In the past, the town has offered no monthly guarantee. He proposed to guarantee a yearly minimum of 350 hours pro rata over 5 months. If the number of snowplowing hours exceeds that amount, the contractor would be paid at the quoted hourly rate for all hours exceeding that amount. The contract would stipulate a minimum of two people dedicated to plowing township roads if the snowfall is 3” or more. Consensus to authorize the clerk to advertise for quotes and to revise the contract to a minimum of payment for 350 hours of snowplowing per winter season.
NEW BUSINESS: Clerk Raisanen reported the town currently utilizes Bremer Bank to hold funds in the money market and checking accounts. The money market account interest rate is to be adjusted dependent upon the rate. At present, it sits at 3%. The bank has quoted a 1-year CD at 4.95% with no early withdrawal penalty. Clerk Raisanen recommended the township pursue the CD option for a year to access the higher interest rates. Butz, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to authorize Clerk Raisanen to move $1,000,000 from the money market account to a 1-yr. CD with Bremer Bank. Motion carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted….
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Gregg Raisanen, Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ________, 2023
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Rod Eldevik, Chairman