Normanna Annual Meeting Minutes
March 9, 2004
The Normanna Annual Meeting was called to order on March 9, 2004 by Clerk, Tammy Courrege at 8:10 P.M. at the Gnesen Community Center. The clerk lead in the Pledge of Allegiance. There were 32 people who signed the attendance list.
Supervisor Dan Johnson called for nominations for a moderator. A motion was made by Marcia Stromgren to nominate Kurt Johnson as moderator. He respectfully declined and nominated Inez Wildwood. Diane Spehar seconded. All for. Motion carried.
The moderator asked for a motion to pass the reading of the 2003 Annual Meeting Minutes since there were copies available for everyone to read at the meeting. A motion was made by Will Rhodes to pass the reading of the 2003 annual meeting minutes. Alan Marshall seconded. All for. Motion carried. The moderator asked for a motion to accept the 2003 Annual Meeting Minutes as presented. A motion was made by Dan Johnson to accept the 2003 annual meeting minutes as presented. Lone Cooke seconded. All for. Motion carried.
The clerk read a summary of the annual's treasurer's report. Beginning Balance as of 1/103 were General 7,744.35, Fire 23,559.38, Rd & Bridge 22,997.29, Building -5,263.53, Tax Relief 651.72, King's Court Escrow 2004.75 Totaling $51,693.96. Total receipt for 2003 were 64,973.17. Sale of Investments were $30,000. Total disbursements for 2003 were 51,164.30. Purchase of Investments were 25,000. Ending Balance as of 12/31/2003 were General 5,615.21, Fire 28,263.78, Rd & Bridge 26,298.93, Building 7668.44, Tax Relief 651.72, King's Court Escrow 2004.75. Totaling $70,502.83. Investments were Building CD's for 25, 000 & 20,000, and a Fire CD for 10,000. A copy of the year end summary statement was available for everyone to read. The Clerk's/Treasurer's books were present for reviewing. A motion was made by Marcia Stromgren to accept the treasurer's report as presented. Kurt Johnson seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Alan Marshall spoke for the Normanna Fire Department. An annual fire report was available for everyone to read. They had 33 calls for the year. They currently have 15 members. In addition to replacing some of the obsolete equipment they purchase an automatic external defibrillator, an infrared heat detector, and had a training mannequin donated to them. The annual pancake breakfast will be held at the Gnesen Community Center on May 1, 2004. A motion was made by Lyle Nygren to accept the fire report as presented. Sandy M. Cooke seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Dan Johnson spoke about the road work. An annual road report was available for everyone to read. The work that was done this past year was ditching the Wikstad, Lookout, and Hagen Roads, and also expanding the Hagen road to allow for a small parking area across from the town cemetery. The gravel was unable to get hauled this year because it got to late into the season for the contractors. The work planned for 2004 is to expand the Koski Rd. turnaround, haul gravel on the roads, and brush the ditches. A motion was made by Sandy Cooke to accept the road report as presented. Alan Marshall seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Will Rhodes spoke for the Land Use Committee. Three resolutions were passed this last year concerning the Land Use Committee. They were how the members are to be chosen for the Land Use Committee, the duties of the members, and how to hold a public referendum on Land Use Issues. They will take effect this spring at the May board meeting. Two gravel pits and a mining soil/dirt for a landscaping business permits were approved this past year. A motion was made by Kurt Johnson to accept the Land Use Committee report. Lyle Nygren seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Will Rhodes spoke about the web page. The minutes, resolutions, and Land Use Plan are on the web. The address is Normannatownship.org. There is an e-mail list available if interested in getting township information. He is looking for a new server to possibly use. The current one is getting more costly. The cost now is $70.00 a year. A motion was made by Paul Hanson to accept the web page & e-mail report and the $70.00 fee. Alan Marshall seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Marcia Stromgren spoke about the Building and Grounds. There has been some remodeling of the current town hall. A wall was removed to make a bigger meeting room. One bathroom was changed to a kitchenette room and now there is just one bathroom. She thanked the Ladies Auxiliary for there donations to help remodel, and Dan Johnson, Dennis Gunsolus, and John Stromgren for there help. She thanked the clean-up crew who cleaned the cemetery last spring. A motion was made by Kurt Johnson to accept the Building and Grounds report. Alan Marshall seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Dan Johnson gave an overview the Koski Rd turnaround project. The county is requiring the town to build a 30 x 60 turnaround at the end of the Koski Rd. or they will not plow it. The county allowed a one year extension for the turnaround so they will continue to plow the road this year. To have another contractor to plow the road is very costly. A turnaround has been started that goes out to the edge of the road easement of 33 feet. The landowner was unwilling to give further easement. The road easement needs to be altered in order to build the turnaround the county is requiring. In order to begin the process of alteration, the residents at the annual meeting need to pass a motion allowing for the board of supervisors to alter the width of the Koski Rd. There was discussion on how the landowner was approached and why he wasn't willing. Dan Johnson mentioned that the landowner is just hard to work with. A motion was made by Marcia Stromgren to allow the town board to begin the process of the road alteration on the Koski Rd. Sandy M. Cooke seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Dan Johnson spoke on the publication and posting notices. The board changed the publications from the Duluth News Tribune to the Budgeteer since the last annual meeting. There has been approximately a 50 % savings by switching. The decisions at the annual meeting for the publications and postings are advisory only. A motion was made by Marcia Stromgren to keep the publications in the Budgeteer. Roberta Moog seconded. 30 for. 2 opposed. Motion carried. A motion was made by Sandy M. Cooke to keep the six posting sites plus King's Court. Lone Cooke seconded. All for. Motion carried.
The current depository is at Wells Fargo and two CD's are at Paine Webber. A motion was made by Alan Marshall to leave it up to the board of supervisors to make the decisions on where to bank. Kurt Johnson seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Dan Johnson spoke about the newsletter summaries. The board changed the newsletter summaries from word for word minutes to summaries of the minutes. Word for word minutes are still available if people want them, and is mentioned in the newsletter summaries on how to get them. There was no feedback. A motion was made by Alan Marshall to leave it up to the board of supervisors to make the decision to summarize or do word for word on the minutes for the newsletter. Lyle Nygren seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Dan Johnson spoke about the cemetery. Lots cost $75.00. Regulations for the cemetery are being worked on.
Sandy S. Cooke spoke for the Ladies Auxiliary. The pancake breakfast will be May 1st. The raffle this year is for the Normanna Volunteer Fire Department. She asked for feedback about the newsletter. There was no feedback.
A motion was made by Will Rhodes to recess at 8:45 PM. Sandy M. Cooke seconded. All for. Motion carried.
The moderator reconvened at 9:23 PM.
The moderator read the election results
Supervisor for a 3 year term: Dan Johnson - 113, Write-Ins - 28, Blank - 18
Clerk/Treasurer for a 2 year term: Tammy Courrege - 132, Write-Ins - 2, Blank - 25
Ballot Question #1 - Fire hall For - 103, Against - 47
Ballot Question #2 - Community Center/Fire hall For - 39, Against - 114,
Dan Johnson presented the levy. There were 3 different proposals depending on the outcome of the building vote. With the outcome of the building vote the levy proposal for 2005 would be as follows: General Fund - $10,500, Fire Fund - $20,000, Road & Bridge Fund- $15,806, and the Building will be automatically set by the auditor once we start financing the building. The Road & Bridge Fund is also set by the county auditor. We have to levy a certain amount to get a gas tax refund.
A motion was made by Will Rhodes to levy $20,000 for the Fire Fund. Kurt Johnson seconded. All for. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Dennis Gunsolus to levy $10,500 for the General Fund. Marcia Stromgren seconded. All for. Motion carried. There was discussion one what the general fund pays for and why we are levying less than what we spent last year. Dan Johnson said the General Fund is to pay payroll, insurances, etc. with the biggest expense being the assessing. With having to levy so much for the Road & Bridge Fund we can transfer from there to the general if necessary.
A motion was made by Sandy M. Cooke to levy $15,806 for the Road & Bridge Fund. Alan Marshall seconded. All for. Motion carried.
The Building levy amount will automatically be set by the county auditor by what is financed. A motion was made by Alan Marshall to levy $5000.00 for the Building Fund in addition to what the county auditor sets. Kurt Johnson seconded. 1 opposed. 34 for. Motion passes.
There was discussion on making the current town hall handicapped accessible. There are plans to make the current town hall handicapped accessible and fire safe but not sure how soon it will be. Lone Cooke mentioned that the money currently in the building fund was to fix up the town hall. She feels some of that money in there should be used to make the hall handicapped accessible. A motion was made by Lone Cooke to set aside $10,000 of the $50,000 currently in the Building Fund to make the current building handicapped accessible and fire safe. Diane Spehar seconded. Motion fails. Dan Johnson stated that the board has the final say on how the money is spent and the money can't be earmarked. There was more discussion that there were laws being violated and something needs to be done soon. It was stated that it can't be motioned on how the money is to be spent and that it is up to the board of supervisors and that is why we elected the people. Lone Cooke amended the motion to advise the board of supervisors to make the current town hall handicapped accessible and fire safe within a year. Diane Spehar seconded. 10 for 13 opposed. 2 abstained. Motion fails. Some people felt that it may not be worth putting money into the old building if it may be torn down eventually. The board will look at the issue and if the work can be done at a reasonable price they will start working on making the current building handicapped accessible and fire safe. No time line is available.
There was discussion on when the new fire hall will start being build and finished. There is no time line that they are working with.
Marcia Stromgren finished her Building and Grounds report. With just a fire hall being built they are planning to pour a slab in the old fire hall and purchase a water purifier and possibly look at making it handicapped accessible.
Melanie Ford mentioned that a resident of Normanna would like to see signs welcoming people into the township. A motion was made by Melanie Ford to look into getting signs welcoming people into the township. Lyle Nygren seconded. All for. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Sandy S. Cooke to use middle initials in the minutes for people having duplicate names. Marcia Stromgren seconded. All for. Motion carried.
There was discussion on setting the annual meeting for 2005. The town hall may be handicapped accessible and fire safe by then or the new fire hall may be built and the meeting could be held in Normanna. A motion was made by Alan Marshall to let the board of supervisors make the decision on the place and time for 2005. Lyle Nygren seconded. All for. Motion carried.
A motion was made by Alan Marshall to adjourn the meeting at 10:06 P.M. Bob Witzman seconded. All for. Motion carried.
Respectfully submitted,
Tammy Courrege, Clerk
Election judges
_______________________________ Eileen Asperheim
________________________________ Melanie Ford
________________________________ Molly Tillitson
Last updated: 11-30-2004