Fredenberg Board of Supervisors Minutes of Proceedings May 15, 2024

The regular Board meeting of the Town of Fredenberg, Minnesota, St. Louis County was held in the
Fredenberg Town Hall on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 7:00 PM.
1. Board members present: Chair Tim Wagner, Vice Chair Deb Pawlowicz, Supervisor Jeff Blix, Supervisor Walter Rapp, Clerk Ellen Hanson, and Deputy Clerk Kim Wagner and Treasurer Chelsey Mahr. Absent: Supervisor Clay Cich.
2. Others in Attendance: There were 7 others in attendance.
3. Call to order the Regular meeting: The meeting was called to order by Chair Wagner at 7:00 PM.
4. Pledge of allegiance: All present stood and cited the pledge of allegiance.
5. Approval of the Agenda: There was a motion by Supervisor Blix to approve the agenda and seconded by Chair Wagner. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously.
6. Open Forum
• Randy Doucher asked permission to use the TV and audio system in the community center hall during his rental. The Board granted permission to use the equipment.
• Jeff Monsaas reported the LRIP grant application was denied.
7. Approval of the Minutes
• Regular meeting of April 3, 2024: There was a motion by Supervisor Blix to approve the April 3, 2024, Board of Supervisors meeting minutes as amended and seconded by Supervisor Pawlowicz. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously. Amendments: change inquiry to inquire.
8. Financial Reports
• Treasurer Mahr stated she is balanced with the bank and presented the cash control report and the Schedule 1 report which has the investment totals. There was a motion by Supervisor Pawlowicz to approve the treasurer’s report and seconded by Supervisor Blix. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously. The April 30, 2024, the ending balance in the checking account was $216,247.99 and the outstanding checks total $3,895.53.
• Treasurer Mahr noted the CD was transferred to a special for 12 months at 4.65% plus the savings account was transferred in to it.
9. Clerks Report – Ellen Hanson
• Clerk Hanson presented the Cash balance statement for Board review. She is balanced with the bank. The cash balance ending balance is $212,250.53.
• The Board reviewed the claims list. There was a motion by Supervisor Blix to accept claims 10831-10844 for a total of $27,677.10 and claim 10830 total of $1,189.90 and
seconded by Supervisor Rapp. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously.
• Hanson stated she had submitted the Presidential Primary (PNP) report for reimbursement. The town will be reimbursed about $2,500 for expenses spent on the election.
• ARPA reporting: Hanson submitted the annual ARPA reports.
• The Joint Powers agreement and Court Data Services have been executed. We are waiting for the FBI to assign a number for the township.
• There is a draft contract from Overom/Johnson to increase their rates. The current rate is $90/hour, and they want to increase it to $150/hour. There was a motion by Supervisor Rapp to accept the contract with Overom/Johnson at $150/hour and seconded by Supervisor Blix. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously.
10. Correspondence
11. Clerk Hanson read the correspondence. There were 3 mail and 19 emails during the month.
12. Reports
• Fredenberg Law Enforcement statistics:
• Deputy Sheriff Sergeant Nick Voltzke presented the April 2024 statistics. There were 31 incidents in the township.
• Roads/Bridges report for April 2024:
• Supervisor Blix reported the roads are in good shape.
• He had an email from a resident that has Japanese Knotweed on their property. He asked several businesses for a quote to remove the knotweed. There was only one business that responded with a quote of $13,920. Since the quote amount was high, there was a Board decision to look into getting more quotes and reporting back next month.
• Calcium chloride for roads: Supervisor Blix estimated the cost for chloride would be around $22,000.00 for Fredenberg roads. He will place the order early due to the manufacturer not having product available last year.
• Fire Department report for April 2024:
• Chief Bergstrand reported there were 10 calls in April.
• Fire wise training is forthcoming.
• Electrical training with Minnesota Power.
• Wildfire training burning with DNR.
• Annual fit testing.
• There were 276 attendees at the annual pancake breakfast.
• At the strategic planning meeting they discussed applying for a DNR 50/50 grant and if it was approved, they would replace or add about 100 911 signs and be reimbursed for their time. The application deadline is June 30.
• Community evacuation plan: They are working on the development of personal/pets’ evacuations.
• They are working with another entity where there would be a site for woody debris disposal.
• Cemetery report for April 2024
• Supervisor Rapp reported the cemetery has been cleaned up and open for business.
d. Parks and Recreation and Pavilion for April 2024:
• Supervisor Rapp reported the updates/repairs to the baseball field are complete.
• The skating rink boards and posts were removed by Supervisor Rapp and volunteers.
• Community Center report for April 2024
• Chair Wagner placed a sign near the baseball field for people/organizations to notify others of usage dates/time. The field cannot be permanently reserved.
• Supervisor Rapp reported the outside building work will consist of putting in a steel beam with concrete, take out the front step, new concrete and asphalt over the areas where it was taken out.
• Clerk Hanson stated there was 1 rental in March and 4 events.
• Supervisor Rapp presented an estimate from Bingaman Electrical Specialties for $1,983 to repair the light fixtures in the board room, install thermostat in women’s washroom, and clean up wiring for zone valve for the outdoor rink. There was a motion by Chair Wagner to accept the Bingaman estimate and send a check for the 60% ($1,189.80) as soon as possible and seconded by Superior Blix. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously.
• Recycling report for March 2024:
• Supervisor Pawlowicz reported the Recycling Center is operating well. There is a new employee for the recycling center.
• Fran Williams passed away recently. She was a longtime resident and an election judge for Fredenberg.
• Neighborhood Night Out (NNO) items are being placed on reserve in advance. The vendors will then bill the township.
• Supervisor Pawlowicz was approached by the owner of a cookie business who wanted to set up a booth during NNO. The Board felt it was not appropriate to have a booth where people had to pay for products and other vendor items are gratis.
• Hanson attended the DAT meeting.
13. Old Business:
• No old business to discuss.
14. New Business:
a. Resolution 2024-03: Resolution to Restore Local Powers to the town. There was a motion by Supervisor Pawlowicz to accept Resolution 2024-03 and seconded by Supervisor Blix. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously.
b. Resolution 2024-04: Resolution Establishing West Island Lake Road as a Town Road. There was a motion by Supervisor Blix to accept Resolution 2024-04 and seconded by Chair Wagner. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously.
c. Resolution 2024-05: Resolution Accepting Application for Dedication of West Island Lake Road as a Town Road. There was a motion by Supervisor Blix to accept Resolution 2024-04 and seconded by Chair Wagner. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously.
d. Public use of town property:
• Pavilion, tennis/pickleball courts and baseball field: No rental for any outdoor use of these areas. They are used on a first come basis.
• Television, microphone, & speakers: There was a discussion about a possible higher damage deposit fee for use of the equipment. Clerk Hanson will work on revising the current rental agreement and present it for approval at a later meeting.
15. Adjourn
• There was a motion by Chair Wagner to adjourn the meeting at 8:08 PM and seconded by Supervisor Blix. There was a roll call vote and all signified affirmatives. This motion was carried unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Ellen Hanson, Clerk Tim Wagner
Kim Wagner, Deputy Clerk Board Chair