Upper left: Tina McKeever was reelected to the township board and voted Schroeder Citizen of the Year. Upper right: Doug Schwecke was reelected township clerk. Left: With Charlie Muggley in the background, Chuck VanDoren listens to instructions from the Schroeder election judges (L-R) Carol Tveekrem, Lavonne Anderson, and Jan Dillon, before he cast his ballot in the township annual meeting.
As people stood and cited Minnesota statutes that seemed to be written in favor of—or against— township donations to one nonprofit entity or another, at times it sounded more like a courtroom than a township annual meeting, but in the end residents of Schroeder voted 29-11 to recommend the town board vote to give Birch Grove Community School $20,000 for 2017. They also voted 39-1 to donate $1,500 to the Tofte July 4th fireworks and voted 24-16 in favor of the town board awarding $9,000 to the Schroeder Area Historical Society in 2017.
But, said Schroeder Clerk Doug Schwecke, “Until we hear from the state auditor, these votes are just recommendations to the Schroeder Town Board.”
Township citizens voted 22-16 against giving a requested $11,000 to the Birch Grove Foundation, which is now called W.E. Connect.
Peter Borson was elected to moderate the Schroeder annual meeting held March 8 at Schroeder Town hall, which attracted about 40 people. Borson quickly worked through the lengthy agenda, asking people to be respectful in their comments and to hold those comments to three minutes or less.
Commissioner Ginny Storlie wasn’t on hand to give a commissioners report, but Cook County Administrator Jeff Cadwell was in attendance and said he would take questions if anyone had any, and none were forthcoming.
Schroeder Treasurer Alicia Kangas reported that the township had $220,454.17 on hand as of January 2016. The Schroeder Storefront Loan program has $78,761.43, with $12,836.45 remaining to be paid back from a $65,984 seven-year loan to Tofte Charters in 2010. When the loan is fully repaid it will bring the Storefront total to $91,597.88.
Supervisor Bruce Martinson made a request to change the name of the Storefront Loan program to Schroeder Business Development Revolving Loan Fund, and to expand the program to allow businesses located in Schroeder to use funds for infrastructure or to purchase equipment. He also asked that home-based business be included.
Because the funds originated from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB), the changes to the funding would have to be okayed by them before they could be enacted. The township voted for the name change and new potential uses for the money, and it will be forwarded to the IRRRB for approval.
Birch Grove Community School Director Caroline Wood came before the township and thanked them for voting last year to give the school $20,000 each year for five years. She gave a brief update about the school and had to leave to attend other township meetings.
In election results, current Schroeder Board Chair Tina McKeever received 28 votes while Lloyd Geillinger received 2, Rick Anderson 2, and Charlie Muggley 4 votes in the race for her seat. Doug Schwecke received 39 votes to 1 to easily recapture his clerk position.
Supervisor Bill McKeever gave an update on the township roads. “The roads are in very good shape for this time of year. Until the frost is out, no one knows how they are going to be.”
McKeever said the township’s increased road and bridge budget ($50,000 per year) would allow the town to replace gravel and culverts when needed.
Martinson handed out a draft proposal that included some slight changes to the Schroeder cemetery rules, and two new rules: “Up to four urns of cremated remains may be buried on any single lot,” and “One headstone and up to four footstones may be placed on any single lot.” The draft will now go before the town board for approval.
Recreation report
“We have things to work on, like fixing the stairs and rails of the town hall, and getting a sign telling you it’s the Schroeder Town Hall in front of the building and down on the highway,” said Tina McKeever, who delivered the recreation report. McKeever also said the fence on the ball field needed repairing, among other things.
Fire/Rescue report
Phil Bonin reported that the Schroeder Fire Department had five calls last year. He said there were now 12 members, many which needed training, so money would be needed for that. “The equipment looks like it’s in pretty good shape,” he added.
As far as Emergency Medical Services, Bonin said the Tofte/Schroeder squad had a very busy year, responding to 51 calls. “We typically get about 30 calls per year. This year the calls were split about evenly between Schroeder and Tofte,” he added.
Setting the levy
Typically Schroeder waits until the continuation of its annual meeting in August to set its annual levy, but Horace “Skip” Lamb asked to set it earlier this year, and he made a motion calling for the levy to be set at $50,000, up $12,000 from last year. Lamb’s motion was seconded by Mary VanDoren and was voted on by paper ballot, winning 28 for, 10 against, with 1 vote to extend the levy to $1 million per year.
Schwecke presented the 2016 budget, which totals $143,000, with estimated receipts of $118,000.
Other business
Tina McKeever presented the Schroeder Township Land Use Plan update and asked residents to go online and look at it and suggest changes. The plan needs to be completed by May. “We are trying to get it updated through 2020 at least,” said McKeever, who also has spent the last year and a half working on the Cook County Land Use Plan.
Tina McKeever was nominated and received Schroeder Citizen of the Year.
With the conclusion of the meeting, now all that remains is waiting to see if the funds voted on for the school, the Tofte July 4th fireworks, and the Schroeder Historical Society will be allowed by the state auditor.
Leave a Reply