November 11, 2014 | Township Board Meeting

Meeting called to order at 7:30 PM.

Present: Mark Freeman, Scott Mead, Rick Fry

Absent: April Smitke

Next meeting set for December 9, 2014.

Minutes from the last meeting were not read.

Old Business:

Internet Tower:

Subdividing the township property has issues concerning the size of the parcel to be sold. The property is RES4, which requires 4.5 acres minimum parcel size. A private landowner has come forward offering land for the tower. The township property will be put on hold for now.

Logging has not been done yet.

Demonstration of the ARM-LOC water rescue device was presented. Motion was made and seconded to purchase the ARM-LOC for the fire department.

Meeting adjourned at 8:00 PM.

October 14, 2014 | Township Board Meeting

Meeting called to order at 7:30 PM

Present: Mark Freeman, Rick Fry, April Smitke, Keith Stoneburner

Absent: Scott Mead

Residents in attendance: 12

Next meeting set for November 11, 2014

Minutes from the previous meeting were read and approved.

Treasurer report:  No updates

Old Business:

Internet: Per township’s attorney, the township cannot lease or sell unless at Fair Market Value. Need to determine what FMV is.  No feedback from CLP regarding this.  Resident has proposed purchasing the land from the township with contingencies. Motion made and seconded for the review by township attorney to sell the property to a private citizen.  Motion made and seconded to sell said property for CLP’s tower to private township citizen, providing it meets all legal requirements.  Purchase order may be developed and signed prior to next meeting.

Logging: No action yet.

New Business:

November 4th is general election day.

Meeting adjourned 8:25 pm.

September 9, 2014 | Township Board Meeting

Called to order at 7:30 PM

Present: Mark Freeman, Rick Fry, Scott Mead, April Smitke, Keith Stoneburner

Residents in attendance: 27

Next meeting set for October 14, 2014

Minutes read and approved

Treasurer report:  Checks submitted to Mark for his signature.  Checks received recently; $5,700 from taconite relief, $3,000 from DNR and $300 from Carlson Timber.  Balance is $241,000.  Treasurer report motioned and seconded to approve.

Old Business:

Internet: Statement made by Mark regarding the progress in the past month since the last meeting.  Lease or buyout of the land was discussed between Mark and CLP representatives.  It was decided in the end to discuss with the township attorney which statute is the center point of the compensation of land discussion.  Also, what is considered appropriate compensation?  If two monthly free internet accounts is compensation, can the township “sell” those to residents to receive monetary compensation?  Can the fire department receive internet as part of the annual payment from the township?  Set up meeting with Peggy Kuettel (representative on the CLP board for Pequaywan area).

Logging: The logging agreement has been signed and returned to Carlson Timber.  They have sent a $300 down payment on the contract.

Smokey the Bear sign:  Contact is being made by the fire department on the whereabouts of the sign.

New Business:

Meeting adjourned at 9:40 PM

August 12, 2014 | Township Board Meeting

Meeting called to order at 8:20 PM (after Primary election ended)

Present: Mark Freeman, Rick Fry, April Smitke

Absent: Scott Mead, Keith Stoneburner

Residents in attendance: 14

Next meeting set for September 9, 2014.

Minutes read and approved.

Old Business:

Internet: Statement made by Mark regarding the tower on Pequaywan township land that covered timeline of the past months’ facts regarding the attorney’s review of the proposal and communication with the CLP attorney to date.  Ongoing communication will be made with the attorneys to conclude the issue.

Logging: Carlson logging sent a proposal to log the township land off the Rossini Road.  They are to leave the large red and white pines, clean up the dead trees and leave some brush.  Quote was for $6,700 that the township will receive for the timber. Motion made (Mark) and 2nd (Rick) to accept the proposal.

New Business:

Smokey the Bear sign:  Missing.  DNR states they do not have it and offered to replace it with a new sign.

Meeting adjourned at 9:10 PM.

July 8, 2014 | Township Board Meeting

Called to order at 7:30 PM

Present: Mark Freeman, Scott Mead, Rick Fry, Keith Stoneburner, April Smitke

Residents in attendance: 29

Next meeting set for Aug 12, 2014

Minutes read and approved

Old Business:

Internet: Kevin Olsen with CLP presented proposal to place an internet tower on Pequaywan township property on the Rossini Road.  Mark and Rick request that a lawyer review the written proposal.  Scott made a resolution to accept the proposal with the caviat that if the attorney finds something unacceptable in the proposal that it may be rejected. 2nd by Rick.

New Business:

Meeting adjourned at 8:37 PM

June 10, 2014 | Township Board Meeting

Called to order at 7:30 PM

Present: Mark Freeman, Scott Mead, Rick Fry

Absent: April Smitke, Keith Stoneburner

Next meeting set for July 8, 2014

Minutes read and approved

Old Business:

Internet: Tower on Township land to be discussed at the July Meeting. Kevin Olson from CLP will be present to submit a proposal. Scott attended the St. Cloud Internet meeting and presented for the Cloquet Valley Initiative.

Logging of the township land is still on the table but currently stagnant.

New Business:

A resident requested clarification on who controlled the building at the firehall.

The township does not own the building. The agreement between the Fire Department and the Township is that the Township may use the building for any official Township business. That includes elections, special meetings, and regular meetings. The Township does not control who else uses the building. Such use is strictly up the to Fire Department.

Meeting adjourned at 7:55 PM

May 13, 2014 | Township Board Meeting

Called to order at 7:30 PM

Present: Mark Freeman, Scott Mead, Rick Fry, April Smitke,

Absent: Keith Stoneburner

3 Residents present

Next meeting set for June 10, 2014

Old Business:

Internet:  The tower is up in Normanna and they are working test customers.  They are looking at Briar Lk and Gnesen this summer for towers.

Road: The rough spot on Pequaywan Rd between the fire hall and Rossini Rd will not be re-done this year.

New Business:

Meeting adjourned.

April 8, 2014 | Township Board Meeting

Called to order at 7:30 PM

Present: Mark Freeman, Scott Mead, Rick Fry, April Smitke, Keith Stoneburner

2 Residents present

Next meeting set for May 13, 2014

Old Business:

Road: W. Branch Rd has some rough spots.  Water is flowing in culverts.

File lock was replaced.  New keys distributed.

New Business:

Meeting adjourned.

March 11, 2014 | Annual Town Meeting

Meeting was called to order at 8:10 pm.

Attendance: 13 Residents present; 11 voting residents present.

Clerk Smitke called the meeting to order.  Volunteering to be citizen monitor is Rick Johnson.  2013 annual meeting minutes read.  Treasurer’s report was given by Mark Freeman in Keith Stoneburner’s absence.

Road report: The repair cost to re-surface the W. Branch Rd is about $350,000 and to mulch and re-surface the road is about $700,000.  Information was given by Rick Fry.  Future discussion will be had at a township meeting.  Anticipating road work to be done on Hwy 44 from the Rossini Rd to Barrs/Briar area in 2014.

The levy for taxes was motioned/seconded to be set at $13,500 for the year (assuming that the PVFD would request $13,500 for their annual budget).  Temporarily tabled.  PVFD requests $13,500 for their annual payment for the year 2015.  Motioned/seconded/carried.  Resumed discussion of the levy, carried the motion of $13,500 for the annual levy.

The annual elections were reported on that Rick Fry was re-elected for a 3 year term as supervisor and April Smitke was re-elected for a 2 year term as clerk.

The voting hours motioned/seconded/carried for Primary, General and Special Statewide election hours to be 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.  The Annual township election hours are to be 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

The monthly meeting time and day shall be 7:30 pm on the second Tuesday of each month and the annual meeting shall be the second Tuesday of March after the annual township election.

Local notice postings can be made at the Pequaywan town bulletin board, PVFD bulletin board, pequaywan.com website and pequaywantownship.org website.

Old business:

Committee for Internet service research: Named Cloquet Valley Internet Initiative (CVII).  www.connectcloquetvalley.com  A tower is up at the Normanna location and making progress toward the Pequaywan area in 2014.

New business:

Resident Judy Strom offered a volunteer effort to upgrade the www.pequaywantownship.org website.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:47 p.m.