Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of March 11, 2014
The annual meeting of Alexandria Township was held on the 11th Day of March 2014 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Hwy. 29 North, Alexandria, MN.
Clerk Raisanen opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance at 8:05 PM.
Jul Feuling nominated Rod Eldevik as moderator for the meeting. Nominations ceased. A unanimous ballot was placed for Rod Eldevik as moderator.
The meeting was turned over to Rod Eldevik at 8:07 PM.
Russ Niskanen, seconded by Linda Dokken-McFann, made a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried.
APPROVE MINUTES: Joel Dahlheimer, seconded by Jul Feuling, made a motion to approve the minutes of the March 12, 2013 annual meeting as written. Motion carried.
CLERK’S REPORT: Clerk Raisanen reported that the Township was in sound financial condition at the end of the year. The audited financial statement shows that the township’s total net assets at the end of 2013 were $2,279,755. The ending fund balance for the year was $896,906 compared to a beginning fund balance of $811,301, an increase of $85,605. Total Revenue for the year was $1,077,550 and total expenditures for the year were $991,945.
Major road improvement projects completed in 2013 included the repaving of E. Lake Geneva Rd and S. E. Lake Victoria Rd which cost $228,000. The township will be using Base One on approximately 6 miles of gravel roads in 2014. This product increases the strength of the road requiring less grading, and also contributes to dust control.
Clerk Raisanen reported that development activity continues to increase in the township and that building permit applications and fees have been rising throughout the year.
Clerk Raisanen presented a proposed 2015 budget in the amount of $731,633 compared to the approved budget for 2014 of $724,576, which is a slight increase of 1.0 %. The proposed levy is $490,000 compared to last year’s amount of $523,603, which is a 6.4% decrease.
Lyle Hammerschmidt inquired why the fire protection budget was increasing by approximately $5,000. Clerk Raisanen explained that the fire contract amount is calculated based on a number of factors including the number of calls to the township, which was greater during the past year. Also, the City of Alexandria is having some increased costs of operations which are distributed to the contracting entities.
Larry Steidl, seconded by Jul Feuling, made a motion to approve the Clerk’s report as presented. Motion carried.
Jeff Patience, Alexandria Township’s representative on the AAEDC, provided a brief report highlighting the activities of the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission. He reported the AAEDC was able to secure 11 shovel-ready parcels in the industrial park at no cost to the commission since the City had some funds available to purchase these parcels. During the past 2 years, AAEDC has been involved in 26 million dollars of construction in the area and 260 million during the past 10 years. The commission is proposing a slight $637 increase in the levy from Alexandria Township in 2015.
Bryon Alstead, seconded by Lyle Hammerschmidt, made a motion to approve the total levy in one vote. Motion carried.
Clerk Raisanen presented a proposed levy for the following amounts: General Revenue- $115,000, Road & Bridge- $125,000, Blacktop- $40,000, ALASD- 85,000, Snow & Weed- $40,000, Parks & Recreation- $20,000, Fire Protection- $65,000. Total recommended levy amount for 2014 is $490,000. Jul Feuling, seconded by Linda Dokken-McFann, made a motion to approve the 2014 Levy, payable in 2015, in the total amount of $490,000. Motion carried.
2015 MEETING DATE: Bob Robatcek, seconded by Russ Niskanen, made a motion to set the 2015 annual township meeting on March 10, 2015 at 8:00 PM at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Motion carried.
Moderator Eldevik opened the floor for any items. He reported that snow plowing during the past winter was better than previous years. Others commented that compared to other local municipalities, Alexandria Township roads were in better condition this past winter.
Clerk Raisanen reported that Jul Feuling and Russ Niskanen had received the most votes for the position of Supervisor and have been re-elected to an additional 3-year term.
Being no further business, Larry Steidl, seconded by Lyle Hammerschmidt, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 8:32 PM.
Respectfully Submitted….. ___________________________ Gregg Raisanen, Clerk
Approved this _____ day of _________, 2014
_______________________________
Rod Eldevik- Moderator