A very lengthy Schroeder town meeting on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 covered everything from roads and bridges to floor wax and weeds.
Road & Bridge Committee recommendations
Rick Anderson, who is in charge of a citizen committee to examine Schroeder township roads, said he met with County Highway Engineer David Betts and Highway Maintenance Director Russell Klegstad and toured township roads.
“We did an inventory of bridges, culverts, signs, and asphalt,” said Anderson giving a comprehensive report of what was found, such as the Father Baraga Cross and the Tote roads starting to “alligator,” damaged culverts and the need for clearing brush and sign replacements.
Anderson noted that two culverts need immediate replacing because they were damaged, and said until they are fixed, “they are an extreme liability to the town.”
Supervisor Roger “Bill” McKeever said Schroeder’s roads were “300 percent better than the county’s back roads,” and he warned that unless some smart purchasing of used, but good, culverts was done, the township would be spending more money than it would like. He noted that in the past he would get culverts from the county at a low cost and put them in himself. Anderson said that Betts and Klegstad had offered to sell the township a culvert it needed at a good price, so he recognized there might be other opportunities to do the same in the future.
Anderson said once he found all of the culverts he would make a map of them for the township. He also said Klegstad and Betts were going to send back suggestions for what steps the township should take to improve their roads and signs.
Anderson suggested the township make a 3-5 year road maintenance plan and budget for it. More discussion will follow at the township’s continuation of the March annual meeting in August.
Birch Grove Foundation gives programming report
Birch Grove Foundation president Coralyn Koschinska came before the board with an update on the foundation’s activities. She said the foundation was now being called “W.E. Connect” and it would once again come to the board for financial assistance.
She gave two examples of people who are in great need of the services— one person had no electricity and no heat in their house and warmed up at the center, and another has no relatives or anyone to help who asked someone to come by if she doesn’t show up in five days because she would have probably died.
“These people are vulnerable and don’t have the ability to access county services. We provide a place for them,” said Koschinska.
She cited the increasing numbers of people attending the lunches, the new exercise classes and pickle ball. She said that Caroline Wood, the new director, was doing a great job setting up and running programs and writing grants.
“We need all of the help we can get,” Koschinska said, adding they were also going to ask the county for quite a bit more money this year than in the past.
Koschinska was asked why some people “who have a lot of money” are allowed to eat lunch for $5 at the Birch Grove Community Center and another person asked why the director was being paid $48,000 a year. Koschinska answered that the director was not making $48,000 a year and the community center lunches were open for everyone.
Fire/Rescue
Fire and Rescue Chief Phil Bonin told the board that Schroeder had eight firefighters but needed 10. “The demographics are getting older. We’re not seeing young people join,” he said.
One way to gain more firefighters, said Bonin, might be to update the current retirement policy. As of now Schroeder firefighters receive $800 annually, which, said Bonin, is the lowest rate in Cook County, “and maybe in the state.”
He also suggested looking at lowering the retirement age as an incentive to join. The board asked him to return with more information after the firefighters have a meeting to discuss these initiatives.
Bonin also said with the closing of Minnesota Power’s Taconite Harbor power plant all of the West End fire departments would be faced with a problem of where to fill up their pumper trucks. “It’s been our number 1 water resource. Losing it could affect our home owner’s insurance,” he said.
Maintenance
It was noted that the phone in the town hall doesn’t work. Clerk Doug Schwecke said he would make a call— from somewhere else—to have it fixed.
Assistant Town Clerk Gale Ring reported that 16 volunteers spent three hours Thursday, July 9, weeding the “Welcome Wall” flowers at Cross River on Highway 61.
“Six kids came from the Alpine ski team to help out. I was impressed. The kids did a pretty good job and worked hard. The sheriff sent two deputies who ran their lights and slowed traffic while we worked,” she said.
She suggested sending a thank you to Sheriff Pat Eliasen thanking him and the deputies for their assistance. The board agreed.
Budget discussion begins
Clerk Schwecke said he put together a first draft of the 2016 levy and it was looking like it would be around $37,000, but that would depend upon whether the township received its taconite credit.
Rick Anderson noticed that Schwecke had decreased the Road & Bridge fund $10,000, and he thought that should be added back because of the impending work. Schwecke said that’s what first draft was for, and he encouraged the supervisors to go over it and come back with suggestions for changes.
Leave a Reply