BOARD MEETING MINUTES – December 12, 2022

by | Dec 29, 2022 | Meeting Minutes

NORTHERN TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS – Monday, December 12, 2022. Northern Town Hall, 445 Town Hall Road NW, Bemidji, MN.

PRESENT: Supervisors Jess Frenzel, Curt Blumhagen, Gary Barnard, and Chris Lahn. Absent; Supervisor Mike Kelly and Road Supervisor Tim Vigen. Treasurer Doug Kranich, and Clerk Mary Israelson. See sign-in sheet for guests.

MINUTES: A motion was offered by Blumhagen, and seconded by Barnard, to approve the minutes of the November 28, 2022, meeting as presented. The motion carried unanimously.

VISTORS:

ROAD REPORT:

There was no report in the absence of Vigen.

JOINT PLANNING BOARD (JPB) REPORT:

The regular meeting will be held this week on Wednesday. The cases include a cell phone tower upgrade, and there have been some inspections at Bemidji Iron (Schulke’s). There is also a sub-committee meeting scheduled for Monday, the 19th, to discuss the dissolving of the JPB. Frenzel and Kelly will attend that meeting.

RURAL FIRE ASSOCIATION (RFA) REPORT:

Blumhagen reported that the new fire truck should be arriving before the end of the year.

LIQUOR LICENSE RENEWALS:

Lazy Jack’s – A motion was offered by Blumhagen, and seconded by Barnard, to approve the Township Consent, and the motion carried unanimously.

Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge – A motion was offered by Barnard, and seconded by Lahn, to approve the Township Consent, and the motion carried unanimously.

TREASURER REPORT:

Bills – Kranich presented the bills payable with check numbers 11362 to 11386, totaling $24,727.40. The larger items include; MATIT for Worker’s Comp Insurance – $1,945.00, Attorney Fees for June through November – $3,892.80, and Beltrami County Hwy for salt/sand – $1,477.12. A motion was offered by Blumhagen, and seconded by Lahn, to approve payment of the bills. The motion carried unanimously.

Treasurer Report – Cash by Fund balances are; Revenue – $203,763.82, Road & Bridge – $602,901.79, Rural Fire – $(66,691.06) and Sewer District Waville – $11,863.26, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Federal COVID Relief funds – $241,166.45, for a total of $993,004.26. A motion was offered by Lahn, seconded by Blumhagen, and carried, to approve the report as presented.

Certificates of Deposit – Kranich reported that the 2nd half tax settlement was received right after the 1st of December, and there is a $200,000 CD maturing. He recommends the following CDs; $300,000 for 30 days at 2.74%, $125,000 for 6 months at 2.18%, and $150,000 for 1 year at 3.18%, and it was accepted.

Kranich reported that he will be gone on vacation for the 1st meeting in January, but will have a preliminary budget ready for the first meeting in February. There will be two regular meetings after that, before the Annual Meeting on March 14th.

CORRESPONDENCE:

  1. Notice of Township Day at the Capitol scheduled for February 1 and 2, 2) request for contribution toward bathroom update at Lake Bemidji State Park, 3) notice of no JPC meeting in December due to no cases, 4) notice and agenda for GBAJPB Sub-committee meeting, 5) thank you and request for contribution from Greater Bemidji, 6) Notice of Hearing from the MPCA regarding proposed amendments to chapter 7050, 7) MATIT Worker’s Comp Payroll Audit updates, 8) County Tax Settlement Report, 9) Commercial Liability & Casualty insurance renewal information from MATIT.

Contribution – Friends of Lake Bemidji member Michael Granlund is asking for consideration of a contribution for a remodel/upgrade to the Oak Bathrooms at Lake Bemidji State Park. He was asked to present it at the Annual Meeting.

Insurance – The Clerk has contacted MATIT with the information regarding the new garage structure and an update to remove the old pickup truck from the policy. The new truck had been added.

OTHER:

Flags – Blumhagen reported that he has taken down the flags from the cemetery and town hall property for now. The weather/wind have damaged them again, and there is some stormy weather predicted.

PPL – It was agreed that the work should be done to get on this list, and Lahn will contact Mark Fuller about it.

Township Day at the Capital – Some consideration will be made to make this trip on February 1st & 2nd.

County Board – Frenzel will be attending their meeting on December 20th, to ask that they again sign on to the state bonding request for the Birchmont Beach Road improvement project and utility extension. The Township would be the lead on the request.

Lobbyist – This concept will be investigated some more, hopefully getting some cost figures.

Meeting – Frenzel has asked that a meeting be held on Tuesday, December 27th, due to the regular meeting date of the 26th being a Legal Holiday.

With no further business forthcoming, the meeting was adjourned at 6:42 p.m.