Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of 08-04-2008
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Alexandria Township was held on the 4th Day of August 2008 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 610 Fillmore Street.
ROLL CALL: Supervisors present were Bryon Alstead, Louis Ross, Jim Casper, Joel Dahlheimer, and Roger Thalman. Also present were Clerk Gregg Raisanen and Mona Billmark, Treasurer. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Thalman at 6:00 PM.
Ross, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to adopt the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously
Alstead, seconded by Casper, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 7/21/08 regular board meeting as written. Motion carried with Supervisor Ross abstaining.
Dahlheimer, seconded by Alstead, made a motion to authorize payment of claims 8237-8255 in the amount of $18,995.72 and net payroll in the amount of $4,188.49 for a total of $23,184.21 and a transfer from savings of $19,500.00. Motion carried unanimously.
Clerk Raisanen reported that total receipts to date were $559,000.00 and expenditures were $517,000.00.
CITIZEN’S CONCERNS: None
PLANNING AND ZONING: All town board members received a copy of the Board report sent by Zoning Administrator Oleson. One item listed in the report is a Supreme Court decision regarding the criterion for granting variances. Oleson consulted with the Minnesota Association of Township’s attorneys to see what implications this ruling may have for townships. He was told that the township should not need to handle variances any differently than it has in the past, as the verbage “practical difficulties”, which was defined by the Court and at the center of this case, applies primarily to counties, not cities and townships.
Another item in the report was an update on the Watkin’s property, 304 E. Lake Geneva Road. The landowners are doing as much as they can to arrest the erosion in the area. Clerk Raisanen said that erosion blankets needed to be installed on both sides of the ravine. The homeowner had installed on one side only. Temporary measures are being done until the construction work is complete by the end of August.
OLD BUSINESS: Keith Albertsen, Douglas County Assessor, was present. Mr. Albertssen stated that the county was comfortable committing to a 2-year contract. His main concern with the 2-year contract, over the originally proposed 4-year contract, is that this could impact his hiring personnel for only a 2-year window. Chairman Thalman asked what other townships have already signed up with the county. Mr. Albertsen stated that so far LaGrand and Carlos townships. He said that Ida Township would be voting this evening. Chairman Thalman mentioned that we have had no further communication from Ms. Pavek, the other applicant. Dahlheimer, seconded by Ross, made a motion to contract with Douglas County for assessor services for a two-year period at the amount previously quoted. Motion carried unanimously.
ENGINEER’S REPORT: Engineer Kuhn updated the board on the E. Lake Burgen drainage situation. This is a drainage issue between the Heydt and Weigel properties. A drainage easement exists; however, the drainage does not follow the easement. One option for correction would be a directional bore. This would result in approximately $45 – 50K in project costs. Another option for easing the burden of erosion on the channel would be to extend the pipe from the driveway culvert and direct it to the lake. This cost would be around $26K and which included 2 ft of cover over the pipe. The question was asked if the existing easement is viable. Engineer Kuhn reported that more research needs to be done to determine this. Clerk Raisanen will speak with the township attorney to get a ruling. One concern is protection for the lake. If the pipe is not extended to the lake, how much erosion would still be entailed? The homeowners asked if riprap could be utilized.
Clerk Raisanen will consult with Attorney Julie Haseman to determine the township’s responsibility for corrective action. This situation is somewhat unique in that a drainage easement was recorded on the plat; however, the drainage is currently not following it. Supervisor Ross asked for a summary of what would be asked of legal counsel. The summary was in two parts. First, the legal obligation; and secondly, should all property owners pay for it since it protects the lake? Engineer Kuhn stated that his estimate included approximately $2,000 for fill. Ross, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to have the township engineer survey the easement to determine the correctly location of the easement. Motion carried unanimously.
NEW BUSINESS:
Resolution 08-10: Hazard Mitigation Plan. Clerk Raisanen stated that this is a resolution to participate in the Douglas County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. Douglas County has contracted with a consultant to draft the plan. Casper, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to approve resolution 08-10. Motion carried unanimously.
Supervisor Dahlheimer asked Engineer Kuhn for an update on the W. Lake Jessie situation. Engineer Kuhn stated that Lyle Hammerschmidt is coordinating efforts among the residents. He also stated that the project manager has resigned from WSN and a new project manager has been assigned. Engineer Kuhn will still be involved in the project on the town’s behalf.
Chairman Thalman requested that Engineer Kuhn address the recent resignations of WSN employees. Engineer Kuhn stated that four employees have left the company, three engineers and one surveyor. He assured the board that service to the town would not be affected.
Supervisor Ross stated that in studying the plat for the E. Burgen drainage issue, he noted that the plat does have three lines that reference the easement. Chairman Thalman said that even though there is no imminent danger to the road, there is sediment going to the lake.
Being no further business, Dahlheimer, seconded by Alstead, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 6:44 PM.
Respectfully Submitted….. Approved this _____ day of________, 2008
_______________________________ ______________________________
Gregg Raisanen, Clerk Roger Thalman, Chairman