Fish Lake Township

2170 Brunswick Road

Harris, MN 55032

 

 

March 11, 2003  Annual Meeting

 

Andrea Nekowitsch, Clerk, called the meeting to order at 8:05 PM, all in attendance then stood and recited the pledge of allegiance.  The town officers were then introduced.

 

Babe Sudeth nominated Joe Schwab for moderator, Tom Jansen 2nd, all in favor.

 

Kathy Hoffman made motion to approve the agenda.

 

Mike Robinson, County District 5 Commissioner, he told the residents that state aid is getting cut by $780,000 in 2003 and it will be over $1,000,000 in 2004.  He also spoke about improvements being considered for County Road 63 and County Road 10.  The plan at this time is to crush the black top on 63, obtain a solid base and then eventually re-pave.  County Road 7 has been bonded and work should begin summer of 2003.

 

Curtis DeYoung asked instead of milling County Road 63 why not just add 3” of blacktop to the current road.  Commissioner Robinson explained that the base needs to be solid first.

 

Cathy Hoffman asked why does Isanti County have all their county roads paved?  Commissioner Robinson said that Isanti County started on this project a long time ago and that his goal is to get all of Chisago County roads paved.

 

Larry Rose asked if there was any intention of paving county road 62 from county road 63 to county road 7?  Commissioner Robinson said he is not sure.  Larry Rose asked him to drive it in April.

 

Babe Sudeth asked about the ruts in county road 10 around Fish Lake from Bauerly.  Commissioner Robinson said that at the last meeting county road 10 was put up for speed limit issues and that county engineers know about it.

 

Curtis DeYoung made motion to accept the 2002 Annual Meeting Minutes, Darlene Merkle 2nd, all in favor.

 

Tom Jansen made motion to waive the reading of all checks written and received in 2002, Larry Rose 2nd, all in favor.

 

Cathy Hoffman made motion to accept the treasurer’s report for 2002, Evelyn Jansen 2nd, all in favor.

 

Larry Rose made motion to have all township related notifications published in the Scotsman, Joe Heidershied, 2nd, all in favor.

 

Babe Sudeth made motion to have all township related notifications to be published in the Star, Gary Guse, Sr. 2nd, all in favor

 

Curtis DeYoung made motion to set the 2004 annual meeting to the 2nd Tuesday of March and hold election hours from 2-8 PM with the annual meeting commencing at 8:05 PM, Bob Brisco 2nd, all in favor.

 

Chairman Bob Carter spoke to residents about some of the work that has been done in the previous year.  The township did some ditching on Goose Lake Narrows, Crecent Road and Bending.  There is 20,000 yards of gravel in the Henriette pit and it will be trucked over the next 3 years.  He also spoke about the Belarus tractor that is not working and that the board will be discussing what to do with it.

 

He also expressed his thanks to the audience of all the support he received over the last 6 years.

 

Supervisor Larry Freedlund spoke about liquid chloride.  He looked into the costs of the township doing it themselves.  But after the cost of the chloride, the sprayer and a water truck with a meter it would cost double that to hire it out.

 

In 2002 430th Street, Goose Lake Narrows, and Skogman Lake were chlorided.  That is a total of approximately 4 miles.

 

Larry Rose asked about the rationalle behind the roads the Township choose to chloride.  Larry Freedlund explained since these roads were recently graveled the township chose them in order to keep the binder in tack.  Larry Rose feels that the roads with resorts are getting priority.

 

Tom Jansen asked why the residents on Blue Heron Trail had to pay for their own chloride when that road has been recently graveled.  Larry Freedlund stated that with it being a dead end road people aren’t driving as fast and there is less traffic volume.  Tom Jansen disagreed saying that they had to have the speed limit posted at 30 mph.  Bob Carter stated that we could review the roads we are chloriding and resident input would be helpful.

 

Bob Cupit said that the township underground storage tanks are getting closed to being solved. The PCA has given us clearance to close the wells. The cost for these wells was approximately $25,000 and from that we recovered $17,000 from the Petro-Fund.

 

After attending the February 13, 2003 meeting with Cambridge Fire Department, Curtis DeYoung is concerned that the Cambridge Firemen did not know where County Road 63 was.  The board has attended meetings with Cambridge and North Branch Fire Departments.  The Cambridge Fire Department cost has increased from $6600 in 2002 to $7,900 in 2003 and they would like the township to pay all unpaid fire calls that homeowner’s insurance did not pay.  The township could then turn around and assess the homeowner’s taxes if they did not repay the township.  Noth Branch Fire Department costs have gone from $3,900 in 2002 to $10,700 in 2003.  North Branch is passing along the cost of their 1.8 million dollar fire hall.  The township is still negotiating with Cambridge and North Branch.  Harris Fire Department gave a bid of $19,600 to cover the sections that North Branch is covering now.  The township signed a 5-year contract with Rush City in December 2002, there cost of 2003 was $1,740.

 

Cutis DeYoung made motion to accept the 2004 Tax Levy of  $240,200, Bob Brisco 2nd, Discussion:  After discussion of the levy including $10,000 for the black top fund, Curtis DeYoung recinds motion.

 

Mary Everett made motion to approve the 2004 Tax Levy of $250,200 with the understanding that the additional $10,000 will go into the blacktop fund, and that $10,000 will go into the blacktop fund on a yearly basis from this point forward, Gayle Cupit 2nd, 18-I’s, 7-Opposed, motion carried.

 

Lynn Kirk from Family Pathways gave a presentation to create awareness of what Family Pathways has to offer.

 

Babe Sudeth encouraged everyone to give Bob Carter a hand, since he is leaving the board.  Everyone clapped in appreciation to all his efforts in the past 6 years.

 

Andrea Nekowitsch, Clerk read the election results:  Diane Larkin has been elected for supervisor and for treasurer, Sharon McAndrew .

 

Babe Sudeth made motion to adjourn at 9:55PM, Darlene Merkle 2nd, all in favor.