September Board Meeting

​Kabetogama Township
Regular Meeting
September 6, 2016
 
Chairman Stegmeir opened the meeting at 7:00 pm. Board members present were Supervisors Tomczak and Kiner, Clerk Manninen, Deputy Clerk Stegmeir and Treasurer Callais. Colin Marcusen from SEH called in on the conference line.  Board members and guests recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
 
Minutes – The minutes for the August regular and special meeting were reviewed. Motion by Supervisor Tomczak to approve the minutes, seconded by Supervisor Kiner. Motion carried, all voting aye.
 
Agenda – The agenda was reviewed. Motion by Supervisor Tomczak to approve the agenda, seconded by Supervisor Kiner, the motion carried, all voting aye.
 
The treasurer’s report was read by Treasurer Callais. Motion by Supervisor Tomczak to approve reports, seconded by Supervisor Kiner. Motion carried, all voting aye. 
 
Financial Report
Checking –
Beg Bal August, 1 2016 –  $150,506.28
Income - $74,069.74
Expenses - $3,062.69
End Bal August 31, 2016 – $221,513.33
 
Road Account – Closed out and rolled into the Township checking account
Beg Bal August, 1, 2016 - $43,669.44
Income - $0.00
Expenses – $139.05
End Bal August 31, 2016 - $43,530.39
 
Community Bldg Fund – Closed out and rolled into the Township checking account
 
Cd’s
Checking - $25,619.21
Road Acct. - $21,125.85
Road Acct. - $21.622.19    
 
Supervisor Kiner moved to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Supervisor Tomczak, all voting aye motion carried.
 
Payroll Net Total for August – $1,489.64
Disbursements for July:
 
Keith Manninen – Mileage Election Supplies - $35.10
PERA - $142.00
Deluxe Checks - $295.35
Frontier – Phone & Internet – 63.48
Shoplet.com – Office Supplies - $40.02
Election Source – Election Booth - $56.12
North Star Elec - $154.00
Amazon.com – Office supplies - $309.93
Gateway Store – Office Supplies - $14.77
 
Road Account
St. Louis County – Road Blading - $139.05
Total Expenses - $3,062.69
 
 
Claims – Clerk Manninen read the claims.
 
Marlene Tomczak – Election Judge - $78.00
Carol Stegmeir – Election Judge - $48.00
Mary Manninen – Election Judge - $156.00
North Star Electric – Hall electric - $154.00
Frontier Phone Co. – Phone & Internet - $63.46
Shoplet.com – Office Supplies - $40.02
Amazon.com – Office Supplies - $288.73
Election Source – Voting Booth - $28.06
SLC Public Works – Blading of Township Roads - $278.10
Greg House – Trail mowing, township road work - $625.00
Deana Callais – Mileage to return election to Orr, MN - $35.10
Amazon.com – Office Supplies - $21.20
Election Source – Voting Booth - $28.06
                              Total - $1,533.67
PPSSD Claims
North Star Electric - $19.00
 
Supervisor Tomczak moved to accept the claims, seconded by Supervisor Kiner, all voting aye motion carried.  .
 
Comment Period:    Tim Watson asked what the status is of the ongoing issue regarding the Cook Hospital District.  Where there letters sent out to the Cook Hospital to find out whether or not the status of us paying taxes into the district or if Greenwood was going to join the district had changed.  At the last meeting that Mr. Watson had attended he asked if we could get a history from our township Attorney, Mr. Ruppe, regarding this matter.  We did get this done but Mr. Watson had not read this letter so he asked Chairman Stegmeir to summarize this letter.  Chairman Stegmeir relayed that the letter stated that we should not spend our time and money going thru the process outlined in the state law because we will never get anywhere with that and no one has accomplished this to date.  Mr. Ruppe recommended that our tact of going to the state and working with our state legislators to get a law changed is the way to go about this.  The board stated that this is the route they are taking.  The township has discussed this matter with Mr. Eklund.  After the election season the board intends to get this matter on his agenda for the next two years, starting this year.  Mr. Watson asked that Representatives Eklund and Bakk be invited to our township to meet with the residents and discuss this matter to get some type of resolve.  Some of the board members of the Cook Hospital District have been digging into some things in terms of votes that were taken in the past by other township, were they valid or not and such.  The Hospital District board would like to see is a more equitable solution to their taxing district.
 
Old Business:
              
PPSSD
Project Schedule:

• USA (Ground Effects) will mobilize and begin work on the collection system next week along with the direct drilling contractor 9/12/16.  They will probably start on the west side of the project and put in the dispersal pipelines first
• Pretreatment – Septic Check
  • Finish fine grading on the parking lot and gravel pad and relocation of bollards around the building this week
  • Will delay startup until collection and dispersal systems hooked up
• Dispersal – hauling sand fill for mounds

 
DNR:

• Request for payment of capital costs was sent to the DNR who supposedly has the funds

Funding:

• PFA agreements will be finalized by Friday
  • Requests for reimbursement to be processed shortly after.

Easements:

• Some still outstanding, details still need to be worked out with them.

 
Change Orders:

• Possible future change order to provide year-round service for mainlines (affects VPL mainline construction)

This issue was brought up by Fryberger.  Mia’s recommendation is that all mainlines be installed at 9’ depth to provide year round service for all the properties involved with this project.  The only one that affects is the mainline at VPL which is also serving the one property on the end.  So rather than installing that pipe on the ground and covering it with fill as was designed, it is suggested that we rock direction drill that pipe.  Mia says that the township is taking on risk by keeping that pipe at a depth that would not serve those properties and cabins year round.  The other option is to proactively make their rate lower (VPL).  Collin did contact the contractor right away and he is concerned.  The pipe that he has ordered for the way it was originally designed is 11/2” insulated pipe that he was going to lay on the ground, he has this pipe now.  He will have to try to send that back and there will be a restocking fee at the least the supplier may not even take it back.  It is possible that we would have to pay for the original pipe and the new pipe to be directionally drilled.  He said it would definitely affect the schedule.  So we would likely be into December if not maybe next spring for finishing up the collection system.   There will be some redesign costs for SEH.  Colin asked if the contractor could give us a ball park figure and he said that he did not want to take any guesses on this without seeing plans.  SEH will have a couple of days’ worth of design time in order to show those changes.  This will bite into our contingency quite a bit.  Collin estimated the cost to be $80,000 to $100,00 range but this is just a guess until he gets a number from the contractor.  The area they are concerned with most is the pipe that goes up the cliff.  The latest design was to run the pipe thru a carrier pipe and set is on top of the cliff at VPL property.  If it needs to be year round they would have to somehow directionally drill that pipe up the face of the cliff.  The contractor is saying it can’t be done but Collin is sure that is can be done.  The contractor contacted Colin to say he spoke to his attorney who recommends that they don’t come to the site next week until this issue is figured out.  The contractor does have other work he can be doing besides this.  Colling suggested that the capital costs remain the same and adjust fees on the operation and maintenance side.
The board wants to go through the process of getting an estimate.  The members would need to know if there will be an increase in the fees as a result of this. 
The board would like to pass ordinance 16-2.  Supervisor Kiner moved to approve Ordinance 16-2, Ordinance Establishing Rates and Charges For The Puck’s Point Subordinate Service District, seconded by Supervisor Tomczak, all voting aye, motion carried.
Main line easements.  Supervisor Kiner moved to approve main line lease purchase agreements;
1- Agree to the Main Line Purchase Agreement with Moosehorn Resort for a fee of $10,000. 
2 -  Agree to a Main Line Purchase Agreement with Alan Burchell in the amount of $4,700. 
3 – The board agrees to purchase an easement from Voyageur Park Lodge for a price not to exceed $16,800, seconded by Supervisor Tomczak, all voting aye, motion carried.
 
Roads & Trails – Tom Long will be here the week of the 20th to begin his work on State Point Rd.
 
Community Center – Marlene sold the water softener from the hall for $150.00 at the garage sale.  The outside area was again sprayed for bugs.
 
 
New Business –
 
Tim Snyder from the Lake Association was in attendance regarding the collection of lodging.  The township was asked to contact a township association attorney regarding a lodging tax matter.  In speaking with this attorney he questioned the authority of the lake association/tourism bureau to collect the bed tax and the distribution of the funds from the township back to them.  The lake association/tourism bureau must provide legal documentation stating that they are a public corporation set up by a City to collect the lodging tax.  They must also provide the legal documents showing when the lake association and the tourism bureau merged as one unit Until this has been done the township is not able to write checks to the lake association.  Tim will try and find all the documentation necessary to clear this matter up and bring them back to the township board.
 
Ellen Hart read a letter to the board that she wrote asking for the townships support for a relief association for the EMS personnel of the Kabetogama fire department.  A brief discussion followed and the board’s recommendation was to form a committee consisting of an EMS member, a fire member and a member from the township board.  There are possible ways that the township could help the EMS out and theses will be researched.  The township does support this committee.
 
Supervisor Tomczak moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:39 pm. Seconded by Chairman Stegmeir, all voting aye
motion carried
 
 
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Manninen, Clerk