The dilemma over the sale of one cemetery plot to two different parties has been resolved, Supervisor Bruce Martinson said to his fellow Schroeder supervisors at the board’s August 10 meeting.
Apparently, Lot 5, Block 24 was sold twice, with the second party burying an urn in it before the first purchaser of the gravesite discovered the mistake.
Martinson said when the family found out that the plot had been mistakenly sold to them they asked the township to recover the urn and then award them another plot which they can use for a second burial, which supervisors agreed was a good resolution to this matter.
In checking back through town meeting minutes, Schroeder Clerk Doug Schwecke said some minutes contained notes of cemetery plots sold, but not the locations nor the names of who purchased those plots. In order to avoid further confusion, all future sales and pertinent information will be put in the Schroeder supervisors’ meeting minutes and onto a computerized listing that is now—hopefully—correct, said Schwecke.
Status quo for plowing and mowing
After some discussion the board decided that if the people who currently provide snow plowing and lawn mowing for the township want to keep their positions for the coming year, the board won’t seek bids. There was one caveat to that, however. Tina McKeever said if the contractors submit proposals greater than five percent over last year’s bids, the township would seek other contractors.
Martinson said next year the township should solicit snowplowing and lawn mowing bids because the current contractors would have performed those duties for three years, and the board agreed with him.
Sprucing up the ball field and steps
Gale Ring and Tina McKeever said they laughed a lot when they painted the ball field bleachers, benches and one wall in the clubhouse, which they said they would finish at a later date. Tina said her son Mason also helped and he did a good job, but she didn’t necessarily think he had as good a time as she and Ring did.
The money used to purchase the materials used to spruce up the ball field came from the Great Place grant awarded Schroeder this summer, said Ring.
Ring said the next project at the community center will be to paint the steps and deck.
Park lot project beginning
Rick Anderson, who serves on the Schroeder Road and Bridge Committee and is the township’s liaison for the town hall parking lot repair, said Greg Vetter would begin work soon and with the help of several other people should finish the job by the end of August, weather permitting, of course.
New gear for Schroeder firefighters
Fire Chief Phil Bonin reported no incidents for the month of July. Bonin said the new gear for the six new members of the volunteer fire squad was in and fit the firefighters well. The suits cost $1,300 each.
Charlie Muggley, who is a volunteer firefighter and record keeper for the squad, said the township was required by the Minnesota State Auditor’s Office to have two board members—or appoint two citizens of Schroeder—to represent it on the Firefighters Relief Association board. The board meets four times a year, Muggley said. Bill McKeever and Doug Schwecke both volunteered to represent Schroeder on the Firefighter’s Relief Association Board. The terms are three years, Muggley said.
Muggley also said that the status of new and old members on the Schroeder Fire Department had to be updated and sent to the state for ratification, which the board passed a motion to do.
In other business
. Board Chair Tina McKeever said work continues on the Schroeder Township Land Use Plan with a meeting scheduled for August 15 at the town hall.
. Cook County Commissioner Ginny Storlie gave an update about the latest county board activities, especially board actions that affect the west end of the county, which she represents. Storlie presented information about the ongoing Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) workforce housing projects slated for Lutsen and Grand Marais, as well as the proposal to implement a one half cent sales tax on taxable items sold in the county with the proceeds used to repair county roads and bridges.
“With all of the road work that needs to be done in the county, and with the county not having nearly enough money to accomplish it, this could be a big help,” Storlie said, adding that county highway engineer David Betts’s job was made very difficult because he didn’t have enough money in his budget to properly repair even some of the county’s worst roads at this time.
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