Local Municipality Minutes Grey Eagle Township, Burnhamville Township

Grey Eagle Township • April 4, 2022

Call to Order: Ron Frericks called the meeting to order at 8:00 pm. The pledge of allegiance was recited.

Members Present: Ron Frericks, Ray Bense, Mary Ann Primus, Mike Rohe, Erv Herdering and Jeremy Kerzman.

Agenda Approval: A preliminary agenda was presented. Ron asked if there were additions to the agenda. Ray made the motion to accept the agenda. Mike made the second. All in favor. Motion carried.

Approval of Minutes: Mike made the motion to accept the March 7, 2022 minutes. Mike made the second. All in favor. Motion carried.

Building Improvements- Jeremy Kerzman was present to share some options for the back room of the town hall. Could cover the blocks with steel and spray foam the inside.

Could take down the blocks, which are in bad shape and rebuild the walls. This would allow for a better option to remove the concrete and replace and level it. A new door would be an option to the east side, this would avoid ice build up in winter and a better access. Another plan was to switch to natural gas to save on heating costs. Ray made a motion to go ahead with removing the concrete blocks and redoing the walls with a door on the east side provided we get approval from the city and the post office. Also to switch to natural gas. Mike made the second, All in favor. Motion carried.

Town Clerk’s Report: Clerk presented the claims list for March. Claims list included claims 3665-3675 for a total of $22,468.60. This includes the 1st half of the fire contract. Mike made the motion to pay the claims. Ray made the second. All in favor. Motion carried. Mail included a P&Z letter and a letter University from Minnesota Local Transportation. Ron had a survey request from the US Census Bureau.

Road and Bridge Report: Ray stated he had contacted the crack filling company –

Brakken has three holes and 341st has at least two holes to fill. 130th has a culvert that that needs to be cleaned out. Ascot road where Ray checked the culvert is not the Township’s. Ray reported he had asked a property owner to not park on the roadway (130th) as it is a narrow road. Asked Erv to start pulling in the edges of the gravel roads before it gets too dry.

Weed meeting is set for April 13, 2022 at Browerville, Ray will attend.

Road check was set for April 22, at 9:00 am.

Dust control notice and beach maintenance will be sent to papers and posted.

Dust control cost for 2022 is at $82.00 per 100 ft. Mike made a motion to accept that bid.

Ray made the second. Motion carried. Cost to property owners will be cost shared at $41.00 per hundred ft. Gravel bid was at $9.65 a yard. Mike made the motion to accept that bid, Ray made the second. Motion carried. Blading contract was at $102.50 per hour. Mike made the motion to accept that bid, Ray made the second. All in favor. Motion carried.

Additional agenda item: Todd County Township Association meeting is scheduled for April 21 in Clarissa – Ron will attend.

Short Course review – Course were held via zoom, some good information was presented. Ron reviewed the calls he had gotten this month- several culverts were still froze with water going over the road. Insurance for tractor/mower- liability is covered need to provide information on dates we use mower and size of tractor.

Ron will follow up with the City as to building updates.

Public Comment:

Adjournment: Motion by Mike to adjourn the meeting. Ron made the second. Meeting adjourned at 9:25 pm.

Minutes not approved

Mary Ann Primus, Clerk/Treasurer

Burnhamville Township • March 29, 2022 The regular meeting of the Town Board of Burnhamville was held March 29, 2022 at the Burtrum Community Center. The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. by Clerk Shirley Hulinsky. Members present include Supervisors Bruce Johnson, Mike Berscheit and Joe Muellner; Clerk Shirley Hulinsky; and Treasurer Pam Throener. Also present was Erv Herdering.

Newly re-elected officers were sworn in before this meeting.

Sup. Johnson made a motion to select Mike Berscheit as chair for this term. Motion was seconded by Sup. Muellner. Sup. Muellner made a motion to select Bruce Johnson as vice chair. Motions passed.

The minutes from the regular meeting of February 22, 2022 were approved on a motion by Sup. Johnson and second by Sup. Muellner. Motion passed.

For correspondence the township received letters from US Census about another survey, notices of local weed inspection training meeting on April 13, online short course training for township officers, road maintenance information, and resident concerns on 321st Ave cart-way condition. Sup. Johnson suggested we get more road closed and caution signs to use when road conditions are poor.

A motion was made by Sup. Berscheit to pay all bills numbered 6213 through 6234 totaling $27,949.35. Sup. Muellner seconded the motion. Motion passed.

As part of the reorganization after the annual meeting and elections the board discussed wages. Sup. Berscheit made a motion to set wages at $25 per hour for use of chainsaw, skid steer or other such power equipment, other hourly wages will be $15 per hour. Other monthly wages will remain the same at $80 for supervisors and treasurer, $225 for clerk. Extra meetings during a month that the township hosts will be $80. Motion was seconded by Sup. Muellner. Sup. Berscheit set the mileage rate as the current IRS rate. Sup. Muellner seconded the vote. Sup. Berscheit made a motion to have the regular township meetings as the last Tuesday of the month at 7 pm in the Burtrum Community Center. Motion was seconded by Sup. Johnson. Sup. Johnson motioned to have the Long Prairie Leader as our official publishing paper and the Burtrum Fire Bell bulletin board as the official posting site. Motion was seconded by Sup. Berscheit. After discussion, the gopher bounty was set at $3 per tail for gophers trapped in Burnhamville Township on a motion by Sup. Berscheit and a second by Sup. Muellner. Upon vote all motions passed.

The board will do annual spring road inspection with the contractor on April 22 at 2 pm.

The Township will have the annual clean-up day on May 21st from 9 to 11 am on Main Street in Burtrum. There will be charges for some items.

In the road report two culverts needed to be steamed open and 210th Street needed a culvert replaced. Most of the spring thaw is going slow and okay. After reviewing bids, Sup. Berscheit made a motion to approve the dust control contract with Herdering, Inc. for $0.82 per foot at 18 feet wide. Sup. Johnson seconded the motion. Burnhamville Township will again pay for half of the coverage and land owners paying half where requested by residents. Sup. Johnson made a motion to accept the gravel contract from Herdering, Inc. and Sup. Muellner seconded the motion. Sup. Berscheit made a motion to accept the road blading contract from Herdering, Inc. The motion was seconded by Sup. Muellner. Upon vote all motions passed.

Treasurer’s report showed a balance of $90,067.60. Sup. Berscheit motioned to approve and Sup. Johnson seconded the motion. Motion passed. The clerk and treasurer will need to transfer funds between Revenue, ARPA and Road and Bridge Funds to cover expenses.

A motion was made by Sup. Berscheit.to adjourn the meeting which was seconded by Sup. Johnson. Motion passed. Meeting was adjourned at 7:51 p.m. Next regular meeting will be on Tuesday, April 26 at 7 pm in the Burtrum Community Center.

Shirley Hulinsky, Burnhamville Township Clerk

ACCEPTING VENISON TRIMMINGS FOR SAUSAGE

Notice Roadside Spraying

By Jodi Teich, P.E. Stearns County Engineer

Beginning in May, Stearns County Highway Department, as part of its vegetation management program, will be scheduling some roadside vegetation work along all Stearns County highways. The unwanted brush and noxious weeds will be cut and/or treated with herbicide. This notice is to inform all property owners which have property abutting county roads of the work we have scheduled and their right to use alternative methods.

Our goals are to eliminate the brush and noxious weeds and to promote grass cover along the roadside. Brush along the road reduces driving visibility, obstructs road signs, and reduces driver reaction time to crossing wildlife. Brush presents maintenance problems by retaining water along the roadbed, obstructing ditches, and damaging equipment.

During spray operation, we will take care to avoid sensitive areas adjacent to the right-of-way such as tree plantations, ornamental plantings, crops, gardens, front yards, lakes, and streams.

If you would like to maintain the right-ofway adjacent to your land in some other fashion, such as mowing, please follow these instructions: 1. Fill out a “Spraying Exemption Form” completely and return it to: Stearns County Highway Department, PO Box 246, St. Cloud, MN 56387-0246. The “Spraying Exemption Form” is available on the Stearns County website at: www.stearnscountymn.gov/661/Noxious-Weed-Control. 2. Before May 15th post “DO NOT SPRAY” signs on the backslope at the beginning and ending areas you do not want treated. 3. Remove brush and/or noxious weeds within that site by June 15, 2022 and continue to maintain it. If the brush and/or noxious weeds are not removed, we will treat the area as part of our vegetation management program.

If you have any questions, please contact the Stearns County Highway Department at 320255-6180.

Planting in Road Right of Way is Illegal

By Jodi Teich, P.E. Stearns County Engineer

Stearns County Highway Department wants to remind farmers that planting crops within road right of way is illegal. State law prohibits plowing, tilling and/or planting in the right of way, driving lanes, shoulders, ditches and sight corners at intersections.

We want to prevent any situation where crops block motorists’ vision, create erosion concerns or other safety issues.

Letter to the Editor

The Crisis At Our Southern Border

By Roger Lahr

Title 42 of the Public Health Code restricts entry into the U.S. during a public health emergency. In March of 2020, the Trump administration implemented this policy in response to Covid-19. It proved to be highly effective in stemming the flow of illegal immigrants. It is set to expire on May 23rd.

What will the results of that be? It will undoubtedly encourage another wave of illegals, further exacerbating the crisis. Biden has promised he will remove Title 42, further incentivizing others to come. The Cartels have a green light, “The border is now open!"

Unlike inflation and the crime wave we are now experiencing, many of us don’t see this crisis every day. Unless your source of information is other than the mainstream media, you are hardly aware the problem exits. Most news outlets give it little or no coverage. Fox News has video documentation showing illegal immigrants being transported on midnight flights into the interior of our country without notification to city mayors or other government officials. Who are these people? Where are they going?

Other related issues include human trafficking and drug smuggling. Fentanyl is killing 300 Americans every day. In addition to the human costs, taxpayers are on the hook for illegal’s health care, education, assisted housing, and other welfare programs. Biden’s Build Back Better legislation had provisions to legalize millions of illegals. Law enforcement is also seeing a rise in crime associated with this crisis.

America, we are losing our sovereignty, meaning we no longer get to determine who comes here and on what terms. Our national security is at risk. Where are our elected leaders? I fear this problem will be with us for generations. I predict Biden’s inability to comprehend this concept, like almost everything else he has touched, will cost Democrats dearly in November.

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Got Stuff To Get Rid Of?

Burnhamville Township Residents Clean Up Day ~ Saturday, May 21, 2022 Main Street-Hwy. 28, Burtrum • 9 AM-11 AM

Residents of Burnhamville Township and Burtrum City may bring their old household items from this township or town in to dispose of them in a convenient manner. Old appliances, electronics and tires will have a small fee. General garbage such as old furniture, toys, doors, windows will be free to dispose of for Burnhamville and Burtrum residents. No hazardous wastes will be accepted. Shirley Hulinsky, Burnhamville Township Clerk

Pope Francis is calling a Synod in which all churches are to have listening sessions.

Please come and/or invite others to this opportunity. All faith denominations are invited as well as anyone who may not attend church regularly. Our Church is broken and in need of healing. Come to one of our group times or if you prefer to be part of a one-to-one conversation, email: synod@stcdio.org. You can also give your thoughts online at stcdio.org/synod-2021-2023.