Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of January 29, 2024
A special meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Alexandria Township was held on the 29th day of January, 2024 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 324 Broadway and via teleconference.
ROLL CALL: Supervisors present were Joel Dahlheimer, Rod Eldevik, Dennis Butz, Jeff Oberg and Jerry Wright. Also present was Mark Meuwissen, Deputy Clerk. Said members formed a quorum and the special meeting was called to order by Chairman Eldevik at 6:00 p.m.
Chairman Eldevik opened the meeting for discussion of the previously tabled proposed resolution to support the ALASR proposed sewer expansion along CR 81 and CR 82.
Chairman Eldevik shared some clarifications he received from Scott Gilbertson on options for the Township, to include the following: to be separately bid, to back out at a later date, the availability of funds to offset the cost of the total project, and whether ALASD would change their estimate of up to $30,000 cost per parcel along the expansion.
Supervisor Oberg expressed discomfort with the cost being an estimate instead of a firm number. Supervisor Wright believes the Board needs to consider whether this expansion benefits the Township as a whole, whether there are imminent developments that would rely on this expansion, and whether there were any watershed reasons to consider. Supervisor Dahlheimer, with his experience as a board member of ALASR, sought to clarify the process and suggested the cost was reasonable considering the impact it would have.
After considerable deliberation by the Supervisors, it was agreed that the expansion was beneficial to the Township and the resident landowners affected and should be supported. Supervisor Oberg said most of the landowners he had talked with did not express opposition to the expansion project, but were uncomfortable with the $30,000 estimated assessment. Oberg suggested a limit of $25,000 was more reasonable. Supervisor Wright agreed most residents affected by the expansion would consider $25,000 a more reasonable assessment.
Supervisor Oberg asked for clarification of how an assessment would impact a landowner that chose to split off parcels and sell them as part of a development. Township Engineer Jeff Kuhn explained that the one-time assessment would be recovered by the developer through the sale of each of the new parcels. It was clarified by Kuhn that it would not result in a new assessment in the same amount as the original assessment to each newly created parcel split off from the original parcel.
Supervisor Oberg asked if the resolution could be modified to limit the assessment to each affected parcel along the expansion to $25,000. Chairman Eldevik provided some alternative wording that placed a limit on the maximum assessment. Supervisor Oberg also asked if the resolution could be modified to add a condition where affected parcels with an existing septic system not be required to hook up in less than 5 years. It was agreed that the private septic system would need to be in compliance with all regulations. It was also agreed that such wording could be added to the resolution.
Oberg, seconded by Wright, made a motion to pass Resolution No. 24-01 approving the sanitary sewer improvement as presented at the December 5, 2023 ALASR Public Improvement Hearing with the aforementioned listed conditions. Roll: Oberg, Wright, Butz, Dahlheimer, Eldevik – yes. Opposed: none. Motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Eldevik adjourned the meeting at 7:15 PM
Respectfully submitted….
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Mark Meuwissen, Deputy Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ________, 2024
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Rod Eldevik, Chairman