Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of July 20, 2026
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Alexandria Township was held on the 20th day of July at The Hub on Broadway Conference Room, 203 Broadway Street, and via teleconference.
ROLL CALL: Supervisors present were Rod Eldevik, Dennis Butz, Joel Dahlheimer, Jeff Oberg, and Jerry Wright. Also present were Mark Meuwissen, Clerk and Eli Biggers, Treasurer. As said members formed a quorum, the meeting was called to order by Chairman Eldevik at 6:00 p.m.
Oberg, seconded by Butz, made a motion to adopt the agenda as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
Oberg, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 7/6/2026 regular board meeting as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Butz, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to authorize payment of claims 26378 – 26388 in the amount of $ 47,501.68 with a transfer from savings of $ 46,500. Motion carried unanimously.
CITIZEN’S CONCERNS: none
PLANNING AND ZONING: Zoning Administrator Oleson reported he and Supervisor Wright visited the Dropik property and met with owner Billie Dropik. Their conclusion was that enough vehicles had been cleared, thus eliminating the need for the town to enter the property and remove vehicles at this time. It was not clear if every aspect of the property meets the nuisance ordinance since there are still piles of scrap metal and bikes visible. The number of vehicles onsite no longer presented the significant issue it has been in the past. Dropik has requested that the Township issue a written document stating his property is in compliance with the nuisance ordinance. Oberg and Dahlheimer both stressed that the Township has no obligation to issue such a statement and it is not clear he is fully in compliance. They both stated their concern that Dropik might move cars back onto the property. They also expressed that if there are future violations, the Town should immediately intend to enter the property and remove any new accumulation of vehicles. Motion by Wright, seconded by Eldevik, to have Oleson send a written notice to Dropik that the Township intends to enter the property and remove any new accumulation of vehicles that might occur in the future. Clerk Meuwissen offered to contact the Township Attorney to determine if documentation of the current status would be necessary to preserve the powers granted to the Township in the court order. Motion amended by Wright, seconded by Eldevik, to also have Meuwissen contact the Township Attorney to determine what steps might be necessary to ensure continuation of the powers granted by the court order. Roll: Wright, Eldevik, Butz – yes; Dahlheimer, Oberg – no. Motion carried.
Oleson updated the Board on the progress to clear nuisance violations on three other locations. There was consensus that Oleson should continue to aggressively pursue resolution through written communications by himself and our Township Attorney.
ENGINEER’S REPORT: No report by Engineer.
Oberg reported he had received a phone call complaining about the ruts and poor condition of one section of gravel road. Oberg recognized that our road maintenance contractor does an excellent job on most gravel roads, and it seems strange that this section is so challenging. It was agreed that Dahlheimer would contact Alden Just to determine what additional steps might correct the condition of this problematic area.
OLD BUSINESS: none
NEW BUSINESS: Clerk Meuwissen informed the Board there is a requirement to migrate the Township’s website and emails from the current “.org” to a “.gov” domain. It was clarified that this completion date is currently flexible, but it is inevitable. Some new web address names were discussed. It was agreed that the word township should not be abbreviated, MN must be included in the address, and a user-friendly name is preferred (should be easily searched in a browser).
Meuwissen gave an update on the desire to place security cameras at the three entrances to the building. While still in quote status, it appears the cost of three cameras, with up to 3 months of rolling history, would cost the Township about $600 with no monthly fee other than repairs, if necessary. Motion by Oberg, seconded by Dahlheimer, to approve sharing the cost of installation of three working cameras as proposed. Motion carried.
Meuwissen presented the Board with a document dating back to 2025 showing the estimated cost to remodel and build out the current leased location, now called The Hub on Broadway. This document shows an estimated cost of $157,141.00, with the Township’s share at 10% being $15,714. Meuwissen stated there was miscommunication, and the actual lease document is unclear regarding the Township’s obligation in sharing these costs. Chair Eldevik and Clerk Meuwissen met with AAEDC Executive Director Nicole Fernholz to resolve the situation. Meuwissen stated to the Board that it was always his understanding that the Township would share a portion of this cost. The signed agreement to participate, and eventually the sublease, were signed with the knowledge there was still an obligation to share in some of the construction costs. Meuwissen suggested the Township Board approve payment of the $15,714, which is a 10% share of the estimated cost presented to Eldevik and Meuwissen by Fernholz during their meeting. Motion by Oberg, seconded by Dahlheimer, to approve payment of $15,714 to the Chamber of Commerce, representing the Township’s share of remodel and construction costs of the leased facility. Motion carried. The payment will be included in claims for the August 3rd board meeting.
Oleson updated the Board on his progress for drafting a new Township Parking Ordinance. The board was in consensus that we need this new parking ordinance in place in the very near future and asked Oleson to proceed. It was agreed that any new ordinance should clarify that vehicles or trailers cannot block roads necessary for emergency response, there should be some time limit for temporary parking, adequate safety markers such as cones or reflectors should be clearly visible to oncoming traffic, and that parking in ditches or right of ways be restricted. Oleson agreed to research ordinances at other municipalities and incorporate the language into a draft parking ordinance for the board to review.
Being no further business, Eldevik adjourned the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 6:55 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Mark Meuwissen, Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ________, 2026
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Rod Eldevik, Chairman