Faced with a $1,000 increase in its contract with Tofte for emergency response services, the Schroeder Town Board decided to ask for more information before signing the agreement.
Town Clerk Carol Tveekrem presented the draft agreement to the town board, noting that Tofte was requesting $6,000 for a one-year contract. Supervisor Cathy Johnson asked what the contract had been previously. Assistant Clerk Gail Ring presented a folder with previous contracts. Review showed that the cost of contracts for 2003-2006 was $4,500 and the cost of the contract for 2007-2009 was $5,000.
Johnson asked, “What is their rationale for the increase?”
Tveekrem said, “The cost of everything is going up.”
Johnson noted that the cost of gasoline had gone down since last year. She also reminded her board colleagues that the Silver Bay ambulance service had requested that Schroeder pay something toward its operation costs. “We’re getting hit from both ends,” she said.
Johnson said she would like to know what Tofte’s costs are before signing the agreement. Supervisor Ross Willson concurred and Supervisor Bill McKeever questioned why the agreement was being presented now. “This is something we decide at the township annual meeting in March. This is something for the people to decide,” said McKeever.
The board took no action on the emergency response services agreement and Supervisor Willson said, “We need to find out where the money is actually going.”
Following up on last month’s citizen’s concern from Marion McKeever regarding the removal of the sign for her restaurant, Satellite’s Country Inn, Supervisor Willson said he has drafted a letter to send to Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) officials. McKeever removed her sign at the direction of MnDOT, but continues to work to receive authorization to have a sign in front of the restaurant. Willson said he would send the letter and wait 7-10 days for a response. If no response is received, he will send another letter, certified and with a return receipt notice. “I’ll go up the chain of command with this,” said Willson.
Willson brought up another citizen concern. He said Harry Johnson had expressed concern about a damaged culvert on the Cramer Road, on Dyers Lake hill. Willson said the culvert did seem hazardous. “If someone went off the road and hit that, it could be catastrophic,” he said.
Supervisor McKeever said Harry Johnson had called the county and the culvert had been marked with an orange traffic cone, bringing a chuckle to his colleagues, who asked if it was one of McKeever’s cones, which went missing from the Sugarloaf Road and was a topic at the April 2009 town meeting. After joining the laughter, McKeever seriously stated that the township should order some more traffic cones to replace the ones that have disappeared. The board authorized the purchase of new traffic cones. McKeever said he would clearly mark the new cones.
” In other business:
Treasurer Mary VanDoren pointed out the balance in the township’s checking account was $61,350.81. She suggested moving some of the money to a 90-day certificate of deposit to earn some interest. “Unless you foresee some major expenditures coming up, it would be a good idea,” said VanDoren.
The board agreed and a unanimous decision passed to move $30,000 to an interest-bearing CD.
Fire Chief Phil Bonin said Firefighter I and II classes will be starting in January. He said there are 6-8 people interested in taking the training.
Supervisors noted that they still hope to withdraw from the Tofte-Schroeder Sanitary Sewer District (TSSSD), but there has been no word from the attorney working on the withdrawal process. In the meantime, the board nominated Sewer District resident Charlie Muggley to serve on the TSSSD board. With a unanimous motion, the board agreed that it is in the town’s best interest to have a representative on the sewer board. The next meeting of the TSSSD is December 21. Muggley will begin his term in January 2010.
Clerk Tveekrem asked the town board if it felt the township needs a website. She said it might be helpful for citizens to see the minutes on-line. She said that Danna Asche, the county’s IT director, had mentioned that the township could possibly be linked to the county’s website in some manner. The board asked Tveekrem to find out how this would work and if there are costs involved.
The board reviewed the township election calendar, noting that the deadline for filing to run for the town board is January 12, 2010. Up for election in March 2010 are one supervisor position and the town clerk. Cathy Johnson, who is serving the unfinished term of the late Larry Gregg, holds the supervisor position. Both Clerk Tveekrem and Supervisor Johnson said they would not be running for re-election.
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