December 8, 2020 Township Board Meeting via teleconference

Meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. by Chair Kuettel.

Attendance: Town officers: Supervisor Charles Kuettel, Supervisor Donald Swanstrom, Supervisor Douglas Dressen, Clerk Lita Wallace, Treasurer Raymond G. Barnes.

Clerk’s Report: Since the meeting was conducted via teleconference, the supervisors read the November 10, 2020 minutes from the town webpage. Dressen motioned to approve the minutes, seconded by Swanstrom, motion carried, 3-0-0.

Treasurer’s Report

NOVEMBER 2020
Total Funds on hand as of 11/01/2020 (Includes Investments) – $171,717.42
Plus: Deposits – $135.50
Interest on Accounts – $135.50
Less: Disbursements (November) – $1,648.33
First Half Snowplowing Township Road – $1,121.25
Other Disbursements – $527.08
Total Funds on hand as of 11/30/2020 – $170,204.59
November Check # 1599 – 1605

DECEMBER 2020
Claims (December) – $885.88
December Check # 1606 – 1613
No transfers to the Checking Account will be needed

Dressen motioned to approve the November 2020 Treasurer’s Report and Claims for December 2020, seconded by Swanstrom, motion carried, 3-0-0.

Old Business

  • West Branch Road update: a supervisor will check the plowing turnaround area with damages on newly planted trees
  • Future voting and meetings update:
    1. Location of the Annual Townhall and March Town Board meetings will be discussed at the January Town Board Meeting.
    2. There were 134 residents that voted during the November 3 General Election which was conducted by St. Louis County via mail-in voting.
    3. January meeting will be conducted via teleconference.
    4. Swanstrom motioned and Dressen seconded to schedule the Board of Audit Meeting and Budget Meeting on Tuesday, January 26, at 7:00p.m. Motion carried, 3-0-0. These are open meetings.
    5. Wallace reported that due to COVID-19, the municipal governing body may authorize mail balloting by resolution for the March 2021 town election. And also due to COVID-19, two of the election judges are not available to serve and back-up judges may also not be available. Due to the worsening situation with the virus and not knowing what it will be like in March, Dressen motioned to submit a resolution to conduct mail balloting during the March 2021 town election, Swanstrom seconded, motion carried, 3-0-0.
  • Update on the deputy clerk and deputy treasurer open positions:
    1. Discussion will include possible letter to township residents and the possible dismantling of the township if we can’t fill the open positions.
    2. Wallace reported that as of this date, there were no applicants for the deputy clerk/clerk position. Kuettel instructed Wallace to put together an advertisement for clerk position in the Duluth News Tribune, must reside in Duluth or surrounding area.
    3. Barnes reported that Lynne Scalzo applied for the treasurer position. Swanstrom motioned, Dressen seconded to accept the hire of Scalzo as treasurer-in-training, motion carried, 3-0-0.
    4. Kuettel presented a rough draft of a letter for residents requesting assistance in finding an individual to apply for the clerk position and explaining the possible scenario in case one is not found.
  • LBAE supervisor training: Kuettel had completed the training

New Business

  • Polling place and resolution for 2021 elections: Pequaywan Firehall has been designated as the polling place for March 2021 elections per Town Resolution # 2020-008, Resolution Designating Annual Polling Place
  • Report open town officer position/s to St. Louis County for March town election: one supervisor position is open

Correspondence

Received:

  • Newsletters via email from Minnesota Association of Townships re-polling place designation for 2021; and operational guidelines operating the township amid
    COVID-19
  • Email from EDDMapS (Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System) coordinator confirming that a local EDDMapS verifier has verified that plant determinations submitted by Deb Pomroy, town’s Noxious Weed Inspector, on August 5, 2020, was correct and will be publicly available on maps and download
  • Schedule of SLCAT meeting for December 2020 to March 2021 meetings
  • Email from St. Louis County’s COVID-19 weekly partner communications with information on the new COVIDawareMN app that will notify the population if someone who’s been near them later test positive for coronavirus, COVIDaware MN | State of Minnesota COVID-19 exposure notification applicatio

Sent: None

Public Comment: None

Next Meeting, January 12, 2021, 7:30 p.m., via teleconference

Adjourn meeting: Swanstrom motioned to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 p.m., seconded by Dressen, motion carried 3-0-0.

Respectfully submitted by,
Lita Wallace, Town Clerk