« Home

Town Board Meeting

Thursday July 14, 2005

 

Meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call –Present: Corlis West, Dan Tanner, Stephen Dahl, Jeff Cook, Wendy Anderson

                 Absent: 

 

  1. Approve Minutes
    1. Corlis West made a motion to approve the minutes as submitted, Dan Tanner seconded.  Motion passed

 

  1. Concerns from the Audience
    1. Larry Nesgoda – Junk Car/Darrell Rajavouri

                                                               i.      The Township submitted a letter on “Junk Cars and Voluntary Cleanup” to the Newsletter Editor with the request it be printed in the next Newsletter.

    1. Jeanette Jackson – Dust control on Greenwood Road

 

  1. Approve Agenda
    1. Stephen Dahl – Community Center Lease
    2. Stephen Dahl – Community Center Insurance
    3. Stephen Dahl – Community Center Headstart program
    4. Corlis West – Community Education Coordinator
    5. Dan Tanner made a motion to approve the agenda with the above additions, Jeff Cook seconded.  Motion passed

 

Guest Speaker - Mark Weber and Scott Occhino Tax Forfeit Land 

 

  1. Correspondence
    1. Duluth Area Townships August Meeting “Get Together”
    2. Johnson Controls Inc. – Certificate of Insurance
    3. North Shore Community School – Arrowhead Headstart
    4. McGladrey and Pullen – Duluth Township Property Holdings
    5. North Shore Management Board has made a request for $750.00.  Jeff made a motion to pay $750.00 matched grant to the North Shore Management Board – Dan seconded.       Yes :  Jeff Cook, Dan Tanner     No : Stephen Dahl, Corlis West      Abstain : Wendy Anderson.  This motion has been Tabled until the August board meeting. 

 

  1. Treasurers Report
    1. Beginning Balance         $443,627.46
    2. Deposits                       $144,088.78
    3. Expenses                      $  57,070.09
    4. Ending Balance $530,646.15
    5. The CD is earning 3.65% interest at The Lake Bank in Two Harbors.

 

  1. Program of Work – Tabled until August

 

  1. Department Reports
    1. Police Report

                                                               i.      Read and approved

    1. Fire Report

                                                               i.      approved

    1. Community center

                                                               i.      Stephen Dahl – Insurance increase.

                                                             ii.      Lease.  The Town Board of Supervisors will call a Special Meeting to be held Wednesday July 20, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. to discuss:

1.       The lease held between the Town of Duluth and the North Shore Charter School

2.       Insurance on the Community Center Building

                                                            iii.      Headstart – The North Shore Community School would like to sublet space for the “Headstart Progam”.  The Board of Supervisors is agreeable to the sublet. 

1.       The Headstart Program is to name the Township as an additional insured under their program. 

                                                            iv.      Water garden

1.         The township contribution towards this project was to allow the Township Road Maintenance contractor to delivered materials (compost) from WLSSD to the Water Garden site at no cost to the project.   

                                                              v.      Community Education  - An update has been requested for August

    1. Legal

                                                               i.      Junk Car ordinance tour is pending. 

    1. Town Hall

                                                               i.      Bathrooms have been painted. 

    1. Planning and Zoning

                                                               i.      John Kessler has accepted the position of Zoning Administrator Assistant.  Office hours of Tuesday and Wednesday 3:30 – 6:30 p.m. will begin in August.   After November and December, office hours will be one day a week which will be decided at a later meeting. 

1.       Wendy Anderson will purchase Cell Phones for the Zoning Administrator and Assistant.    

                                                             ii.      Toni Fladmark has agreed to be on the Board of Ajustment. 

                                                            iii.      Adult Use Moritorim:-Corlis West made a motion to support the Adult use ordinance study we asked the planning commission to do, and fund from the general fund, as a supplement to the planning and zoning commission.  Wendy Anderson seconded.  Friendly Amendment:  Probable cost to be identified at the August meeting.  Vote on the motion – Motion passed.  Vote on amendment to the motion – amendment passed.  

                                                            iv.      Interviews for planning commission – Applications will be accepted for one (1) open position on the Planning Commission.  Applications are to be in the office by August 11, 2005.  Interviews will be held August 17, 2005 at 7:00 p.m.  The position will be re-posted. 

                                                              v.      Meeting on June 23rd – no quorum, meeting was rescheduled for June 30th.  Two public hearings were approved. 

                                                            vi.      Jeff Cook received a certificate for Erosion and Sedimentation control from the South St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservation District.

    1. Recycling

                                                               i.      As of right now we have not been told the South recycling shed cannot be opened when the McQuade Public Harbors is opened. 

1.       If the power is to be removed the township will not cover the cost ($450.00), this will be the responsibility of the DNR.

    1. Road and Bridge

                                                               i.      Jeff Cook:  Olson Road Driveway; residents should be made responsible for repair, if multiple culvert washouts are the fault of a poorly drained private drive.   

                                                             ii.      Jeff Cook:  Greenwood Road, general road maintenance is needed before scheduled work begins Monday July 18. 

                                                            iii.      Has Dan been getting reimbursed for the extra work he has done on Roads?  Wages need to be discussed at another meeting.

                                                            iv.      Hagglund Construction:  Chloride arrived today; dust control has been very slow.  Chloride should be ordered by May, it then arrives in June.  This year we had a rainy spring, the roads need to be completely dry before the Chloride may be applied. 

                                                              v.      Road hazard on the Korkki Road.  A culvert has collapsed, half the road has dropped about a foot and a half to two feet.  Dan Tanner will call the County.

    1. Cemetery

                                                               i.      Former lawn maintenance contractor has resigned.  Miller Creek Landscaping (formerly Neighborhood Yard Care) has been rehired.

                                                             ii.      Cemetery building:  Fascia is rotten and needs replacement.  Estimated cost to replace and repair metal roof, fascia and board will be $2,000.00.

                                                            iii.      Cemetery Records have been returned to the town hall.

                                                            iv.      Survey:  Salo Engineering did the original survey in 1931.  If the county has not resurveyed the area, the Salo survey markers will be correct.  Once the survey issue has been taken care of, a new section of the cemetery will be opened.  . 

                                                              v.      Dan Tanner would like to request no artificial flowers allowed in the cemetery.  All Supervisors agreed to the request.   

  1. Old Business
    1. No old business at this meeting.
  2. New Business
    1. Jeff Cook – Audit: Over the past two years the township has hired the accounting firm McGladrey and Pullen to hold a generally approved accounting practices audit of the township books.  Audit guidelines published in the fall, 2004 Minnesota State Auditor CTAS Newsletter states:  “Towns over 2,500 in population with annual revenues over $670,500 must have an audit report prepared in accordance with General Approved Accounting Practices (GAAP)”.  At this time Duluth Township does not meet either the 2,500 population or annual revenues over $670,500 criteria, and so the following requirement applies:  “Towns under 2,500 in population with a separate clerk and treasurer should prepare cash basis financial statements”.  Currently the clerk and treasurer comply with cash basis financial statements, and in addition, the Town Board of Supervisors holds an annual internal Audit of the Town’s books.  As the 2003 GAAP audit turned out exceptionally well and as we are currently holding a 2004 GAAP, it was Jeff Cooks recommendation  to the board that the township hold a GAAP audit once every 5 years.  Cost for the GAAP is approximately $5,000.00 and takes approximately 3 months to complete.  The board agreed.
    2. Stephen Dahl – Supporting paperwork:  please provide supporting Agenda item information to the Clerk by the last Thursday of each month to be mailed in the monthly packet to each supervisor. 
  3. Pay Bills
  4. Motion to adjourn 9:45.