Alexandria Township

Alexandria, Minnesota 56308

Minutes of the meeting of 7-7-08

A regular meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Alexandria Township was held on the 7th Day of July 2008 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 610 Fillmore Street.

ROLL CALL: Supervisors present were Bryon Alstead, Louis Ross, Joel Dahlheimer, and Roger Thalman. Also present were Clerk Gregg Raisanen and Mona Billmark, Treasurer. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was convened by Chairman Thalman at 6:00 PM.

Alstead, seconded by Dahlheimer, made a motion to adopt the agenda with the addition of the Wilderness Ridge retention pond under Citizen Concerns. Motion carried unanimously.

Alstead, seconded by Ross, made a motion to approve the minutes of the June 16, 2008 regular board meeting as written. Motion carried unanimously.

Alstead, seconded by Ross, made a motion to authorize payment of claims 8200 - 8225 in the amount of $205,178.84 and net payroll in the amount of $4,003.33 for a total amount of $209,182.17 and to authorize the transfer of $207,000.00 from the savings into the checking account. Motion carried unanimously.

CITIZEN CONCERNS:

Supervisor Ross expressed concern regarding the noxious weeds that are present in the Wilderness Ridge retention pond. Ross, seconded by Alstead, made a motion to authorize Supervisor Dahlheimer to have our road maintenance contractor spray the area for weed control. Motion carried unanimously.

PLANNNING AND ZONING:

Zoning Administrator Oleson said that he, Attorney Clark, Engineer Kuhn, representatives from the county’s Land and Resource department and the MPCA met with Mr. Beisner regarding the Fifth Addition to Lake Geneva Estates plat. As a result of that meeting, an agreement was made to not require rainwater gardens or any other type of stormwater management in the road right-of-way. The plan is to install infiltration trenches on the lots, which would require less maintenance than the rainwater gardens. Ms. Clark does not see a need for any easements with regard to the trenches nor deed restrictions. Oleson said that before building permits are issued, Mr. Beisner would need to submit revisions to his original stormwater plan to the MPCA and the township engineer for review. Staff recommendation is to approve the final plat consistent with the specific requirements as outlined in the staff report.

Chairman Thalman asked if the township is going to utilize raingardens with any future developments. Oleson stated that the Planning Commission is attempting to address this issue. Clerk Raisanen said that a raingarden may be better suited in urban design than rural design. Oleson reiterated that we still need to figure out the maintenance issue for raingardens.

Ross, seconded by Alstead, made a motion to approve the final plat for the Fifth Addition to Lake Geneva Estates with the conditions as outlined in the preliminary plat. Roll: Alstead, Ross, Dahlheimer, Thalman - yes. Motion carried unanimously.

The second item concerned the Brede Addition plat. Zoning Administrator Oleson said that everything looks in order and there are no conditions recommended. Motion by Alstead, seconded by Dahlheimer, to approve the final plat of Brede Addition. Roll: Dahlheimer, Ross, Alstead, Thalman - yes. Motion carried unanimously.

Chairman Thalman stated that the purchase of land on Highway 42/Nokomis came before the Joint Planning and Zoning Board. Hilltop Lumber has purchased the former Alex Marine property with the intention of moving the Cowing Robards rental business into it. There was a CUP connected with the land; however, it was specifically for marine use only. Hilltop Lumber will work with Mike Weber to set up a fence for screening purposes.

NEW BUSINESS:

Clerk Raisanen stated that the township’s former assessor, Mr. Jim Howard, had notified the township that he would no longer be able to serve in this capacity. Keith Albertson, Douglas County Assessor, presented a proposal wherein the township would contract with the county for a four-year peirod. He stressed the need for the four-year contract as it will take a substantial amount of time the first year to set up all new files, etc. Mr. Albertson stated a benefit for both the county and taxpayers would be the centralization of information. He also stated that the county could provide consistency and cut down on the frustration taxpayers experience when the county is unable to fully answer all their questions since some of the information must be obtained from the township. The board inquired as to how many townships and/or cities the county is actively soliciting. Mr. Albertson stated that one township has already committed, another will take action this evening. The county currently handles 13 districts, made up of both townships and cities. Thus far, they have not received any complaints. Mr. Albertson concluded with the statement that their emphasis is on service to the taxpayer.

Kelly Pavek, Pavek Appraisals, presented another proposal. She has been an appraiser for the past six years and is currently pursing her assessor credentials. Since Ms. Pavek is new to the business, she stated that Jim Howard is willing to assist her. She is proposing a 1-year contract, which is the same terms the township had with Mr. Howard. Her emphasis is on continued service to the taxpayer. The board asked if she is planning on working with any other townships. Ms. Pavek is presenting proposals to other townships.

The board discussed whether they should seek additional quotes. Ross, seconded by Alstead, made a motion to have the clerk advertise for an RFP for assessments for 2009. Motion carried unanimously.

ENGINEER’S REPORT:

Clerk Raisanen brought up the Whispering Oaks drainage project. He stated that County Engineer Robley said the county is still interested in the project. The county would participate in the cost-share of easements. Engineer Robley stated that it would be beneficial to have gravity-flow drainage due to intermittent occurrences. Chairman Thalman said that when the city annexes this area in 2012, the city might want to look at other alternatives. Another solution would be to install a pumping system. Engineer Robley recommended that this solution be considered at the same time that the water lines would be installed after annexation. Engineer Robley had stated that a temporary pumping situation could be set up in a short period of time if we had another 100-year rain. Ross, seconded by Alstead, made a motion to take no action and to write a letter to concerned parties informing them that it would not be fiscally responsible to move forward with any project at the present time. Motion carried unanimously.

Clerk Raisanen stated that the Parks and Recreation subcommittee met to discuss what would be a proposed plan of action regarding future parks in the township. The committee felt that the township should not consider duplicating services that already exist or in creating small neighborhood parks. If the township were to acquire property, the township should create ideas that are unique and different. One idea is to connect a future park to the central lakes bike trail. There is a 40-acre parcel, which could be connected to the trail. The present owners are not interested in development, but rather something community-oriented. The next step would be for the township to visit with the owners of the 40-acre tract.

Clerk Raisanen also informed the board that the county is asking for township approval to utilize park dedication funds in the Kensington Park project. He’ll find out the dollar amount and report back to the board.

OLD BUSINESS:

Mr. Heyt and Ms. Weigel were present to discuss the Burgen drainage issue. Discussion ensued regarding the easement and the fact that the drainage is not occurring where the easement is located.. Mr. Heyt said that there is considerable erosion and that the retaining walls will be endangered. The board decided that each member should preview the site in the next two weeks. The board recommended that Engineer Kuhn make some recommendations for possible solutions to the problem.

Being no further business, Ross, seconded by Alstead, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 6:55PM.

Respectfully Submitted..... Approved this _____ day of________, 2008

_______________________________ ______________________________

Gregg Raisanen, Clerk Roger Thalman, Chairman