Birch Grove Community Center Executive Director Caroline Wood came before the Tofte Town Board on Thursday, September 11, 2014 with a request to pay vendors—or to have the township pay vendors’ bills before they become late. After some discussion the board authorized Wood to pay bills not exceeding $250 and to turn over the other larger bills to the township to be paid.
Supervisor King suggested that Wood meet with Tofte Town Board Member Jeanne Larson and Tofte Clerk Barb Gervais to come up with a permanent solution to paying the Birch Grove Foundation bills and report back to the board, which they all agreed to.
Wood said she needs some exercise equipment (yoga mats, weight lifting equipment, volleyball and volleyball net etc.) made available so she could begin programs at Birch Grove. She said for $5,000 she could get enough equipment to begin programs for West End residents and she will seek money through grants. She will also ask the Cook County Community YMCA for any extra equipment they may be able to donate to the center, she said.
“I think it’s kind of ridiculous that we expect the Foundation to put on programs without helping them get what they need to get started,” King said.
For now Wood will seek funding and equipment without using the town’s resources, but just when programs can begin is anybody’s guess.
Town and Foundation working on memorandum of agreement
Acting Tofte Treasurer and Birch Grove Foundation President Bill Huggins submitted a memorandum of understanding between the township and the Birch Grove Foundation laying out the duties and responsibilities of each in the operation of the Birch Grove Community Center. Because the board had some questions Huggins will re-work and resubmit the memorandum at the next meeting. Supervisor Jeanne Larson suggested that a grid be made showing who is responsible for each phase of operation and Huggins said he would consider that option.
“We need to simplify this as much as we can for the public,” Larson said.
Ice rink invoice payment denied
The board denied a request from Meyer Architect group to pay $4,000 for a design change that was made to the ice-skating warming house. Tim Meyer made changes to two columns used in the warming house, but Supervisor Paul James said, “We accepted the original proposal for the warming house but we never authorized a change order. There was no change order delivered to us or signed by us.”
The board has had a long-running dispute with Meyer over the architectural drawings purchased from him that were used to make the new tennis court, which, when built following those specifications, runs slightly uphill to the middle of the court. The township supervisors decided not to pursue litigation in that matter because it will cost the township too much money.
Rich Nelson said the ice rink needed to be caulked so the water wouldn’t run out of it when it was being flooded to make ice. The board authorized Nelson to purchase caulking so he could get the rink ready for skating.
In other business
. A request to donate money to the Gitchi Gami Trail Association was denied because, as James explained, “Our attorney said we are not supposed to give money to these organizations. We’ve been doing it for years, but we weren’t supposed to. We can give through a different way, through services rendered, just not the way we have been doing it.”
. The board also authorized to seek bids for staining the Tofte Fire Hall/Town Building and for snowplowing.
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