Alexandria Township
Alexandria, Minnesota 56308
Minutes of the meeting of May 1, 2017
A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Alexandria Township was held on the 1st day of May, 2017 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 324 Broadway.
ROLL CALL: Supervisors present were Joel Dahlheimer, Rod Eldevik and Russell Niskanen. 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.
Niskanen, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to adopt the agenda with the addition of per diem clarification under New Business and moving the Engineer’s Report under Citizen Concerns. Motion carried unanimously.
Dahlheimer, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 04/17/2017 regular board meeting as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Niskanen, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to authorize payment of claims 17084 – 17090 in the amount of $21,705.98, net payroll of $5,134.31 totaling $26,840.29. Motion carried unanimously.
ENGINEER’S REPORT: Engineer Kuhn requested authorization to advertise for gravel quotes. Niskanen, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to authorize the township engineer to advertise for gravel quotes for 2017. Motion carried unanimously.
Supervisor Niskanen reported there is a new proposed subdivision being considered in Hudson Township south of Burgen Heights. A condition imposed by the county for final plat approval is the requirement that an outlet be provided for water runoff to Lake Burgen. Supervisor Niskanen recommended that the township consider working with the developer to possibly utilize the new outlet to alleviate flooding issues in Burgen Heights. Engineer Kuhn will contact the county about the town’s concerns and report back to the town board.
Engineer Kuhn reported he had looked over the 3M sign grant application and recommended the town apply. He noted that the purpose of the grant may be to offset the poor quality of high-prismatic paint denoted on some of our signs. The deadline for application is the end of May 2017.
PLANNING AND ZONING: Zoning Administrator Oleson reported that the East Side Storage buildings have been declared a permitted use and that Engineer Kuhn has approved the stormwater plans. The owners have indicated they are willing to maintain the stormwater ponds and have the equipment to do so. Oleson asked if the township intends to take over maintenance of the ponds at some future point and, if so, would we want to require an easement. Chairman Eldevik stated he thought the township should require a 20 foot easement from the public right-of-way to the pond, but did not feel the township should maintain it. Consensus to have the owners draft the easement agreement and, upon receipt, for the township attorney to review.
Oleson provided an update on the ditch violation at 3602 E. Burgen Road SE. The county ADA has been in contact with the landowner and said it appears the landowner is willing to resolve the ditch issue. Engineer Kuhn has previously met with the landowner on action steps and, if needed, can meet with him again. Oleson stated that there is also a violation of the impervious coverage. Oleson has notified the landowner numerous times and has met onsite to do the calculations, which the landowner has contested every time. Consensus to issue another violation letter and, if no adequate response, to turn the matter over to legal counsel.
NEW BUSINESS: Clerk Raisanen provided a clarification on situations utilizing the township attorney(s) versus the Minnesota Association of Township (MAT) attorneys. He stated that MAT attorneys are available to offer guidance and limited legal advice. They do not represent townships, which is why the town contracts with a local firm to represent the township in any legal matters. The town retains two attorneys, one to provide prosecution of our ordinances and the other to provide representation of the town’s interests.
Supervisor Dahlheimer reported he had received inquiries on the town’s gopher bounty, which is currently at 50 cents/pair of front feet. He stated that other townships offer between $2 – $5 per pair. Dahlheimer, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion to increase the gopher bounty to $4/pair of front feet. Motion carried unanimously.
Clerk Raisanen reported that the township’s building inspector recommended increases to the building code fee schedule; namely in the “Other Inspections and Fees” portion as well as in the Plumbing and Mechanical Permits Fee Schedule. Dahlheimer, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion to increase the building code fee schedule as indicated by the township’s building inspector. Motion carried unanimously.
Clerk Raisanen provided information on township record retention. At present, the township has no official retention schedule. He stated the first step is for the township to adopt the Historical Society retention schedule. Once we receive approval from the Historical Society, the township can proceed searching through our archived records. He also mentioned that the township may choose to pursue storing records electronically. Raisanen will research this option. Consensus to have the board review the information for the next meeting and consider adopting a resolution to that effect.
Clerk Raisanen reported there appears to be some confusion regarding the per diem policy. To clarify, he said that attendance at a meeting does not automatically qualify for reimbursement. The determinant is if you are attending in an official (decision-making) capacity. If so, then the meeting qualifies for a per diem. If your attendance is informational only, then no per diem is warranted.
Being no further business, Dahlheimer, seconded by Niskanen, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted….
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Gregg Raisanen, Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ________, 2017
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Rod Eldevik, Chairman