LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
December 1, 2008
Those present were Supervisors Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Treasurer Karen Weeres and Clerk Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there were any additions or changes to the agenda. Anne asked to add Pearson vs. Lynden Township to old business. Jerry added snow removal contract to new business. Dave made a motion to approve the agenda with the additions, seconded by Jerry all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Dave made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. Karen informed the board that her job will conflict with some meetings in 2009 and she would arrive late. The board encouraged her to run for another term in March of 2009. Jerry made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Inspector:
20404 13th Ave S.: Ron checked the property and there has been no action on removal of the structure. Ron sent a letter with a deadline of June 2009. Review in July.

21655 Co. Rd. 44: A former renter of this property sent a complaint about many issues. Ron explained he would have no enforcement authority with our existing ordinance. Del attempted to reach the complainant via the phone number provided but it was disconnected.

17492 County Road 44: Several inspections still need to be performed on this property and the owner has been unresponsive. They also still owe $40 for the 911 sign. Ron will send another letter to attempt to get a response from them. Dave said he would talk to Mike Couri, Lynden Township Attorney, about what our options are. Review in January.

22096 Fairmont Rd.: Dormers were installed without a permit. The property owner applied for a permit for re-roofing but did not include the dormers. The applicant said he did not know he needed to do so. Discussion ensued and it was determined that charging an investigation fee should be at the discretion of the township building inspector, and the township board should not be involved. Ron said he will handle this with Gary, Inspectron’s local representative, and he feels Inspectron should be reimbursed for time spent on this issue. Review in January.

Anne asked about the report on the Berg kennel inspection. Ron had it with him. A copy will be put on file. Del will send a copy to the Bergs.

16750 C.R. 145: Scott Michalski recently purchased 37 acres at auction. Ron stated he has a permit from the County to build a pole barn for machinery. Because this is considered an agricultural building, the township would not be involved in the permitting process. Ron explained this is an example of why the township should enact an ordinance that would require site permits for construction of agricultural buildings. This would allow the township’s building inspector to measure setbacks and confirm agricultural use. This will be discussed at the next planning commission meeting. Review in January.

TJ Small Engine Repair. Jerry still has not been able to contact the party. They do not answer their phone. Jerry will try again. Review in January.

Messer Barn Clean Up: This is at Mike Couri office at this time. Review in January.

3022 Fulton Circle: Del presented the resolution to Laurie Gross at the Auditor’s office, to be put on his property tax statement. Del noted the records show that taxes have not been paid for three years. When the property is sold the taxes will be paid first, and then we would receive our payment for the clean up of the burned out trailer.

18464 Driftwood Road: Troy from Stearns County Environmental Services (SCES) will update Jerry on this. Review in January.

1535 200th St.: Jerry will have Troy check on this property also. Review in January.

Franklin Road Feasibility Study: Jerry will contact Jim Schulz and inform him that we would like him to present the results of the feasibility study at our January 5th monthly meeting. The township board will hold a special meeting to present the information to the property owners and other interested parties in advance of the March annual meeting. Karen will track all costs related to the Franklin Road feasibility study. Expenses will be paid from the tarring fund.

Eaglewood Road: There is a problem with cars parking on the side of the road waiting for the school bus. Jerry will look in to the situation. Review in January.

SEH Final Bill: Jerry has presented Anne with the bills from SEH related to Lynden Valley Industrial Park. Anne will send an invoice to Bob Herges.

Pearson v. Lynden Township: Bob Alsop from Kennedy & Graven is the attorney handling our case. He provided information that a scheduling conference has been set for March 6th in Stearns County with Judge John Scherer. Anne will stay in contact with Bob. Review in January.
Jerry was informed the Pearsons might attempt to apply for a wind tower at the county level by proposing to place the tower in shoreland. Anne will notify Bob Alsop and Jerry will talk to Mike Couri about it. SCES will notify us if they receive an application.

There is an issue with the feasibility study bill from Bonestroo for Frankfurt and Fairfax Roads. Anne will review the information and contact Bonestroo to determine our correct cost. They are charging us for costs related to sending notifications for the public meeting and all board members remember Joe Dubel, Bonestroo Engineer, stating the costs for the public hearing were included in the feasibility study fee. Review in January.

Resolution 2008-10 Snow and Ice Control Policy was reviewed. Dave made a motion to approve Resolution 2008-10, essentially in the form presented. Jerry seconded the motion, all in favor, motion passed. Anne will review the document and make some minor corrections and it will be signed at our meeting on December 10th. A signed copy will be sent to Schendzielos Inc. who handles township snow removal.

The snow plowing contract was reviewed. Jerry updated the contract to run from November 1, 2008 to November 1, 2009. Dave made a motion to approve the snow plowing contract as presented, seconded by Anne, all in favor, motion passed.

Jerry reviewed a list of needs for the township hall including a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a smoke alarm, a tool kit and installation of a flood light on the west side of the building. Dave made a motion to approve the expenditures not to exceed $500, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

The weed inspection report was reviewed. Dave made motion to authorize the board chair to sign the report, seconded by Anne, all in favor, motion passed. The document was signed and Del will send a copy to the Stearns County Highway Department.

Anne made a motion to accept the Tri County Humane Society annual contract, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. Anne and Del signed the contract. Del will return the contract to them.

Clearwater Fire Department: The date for the meeting to discuss our fire contract with the City of Clearwater has been changed from December 11th to the 16th. Jerry and Dave will be looking into options for other fire service.

Meeting dates for December 2008:
Board of Supervisors December 10th at 6:00 pm Township Hall
Planning Commission December 15th at 6:00 pm
Board of Supervisors December 16th at 6:00 pm Clearwater City Hall (Fire Contract Meeting)

Correspondence was reviewed:
An application for an addition to a home on 216th St. East in K&M River Heights was denied by the County. The home is located in shoreland in the scenic river district of the Mississippi River.

A bill from SEH for $434 for a project engineer was received. It is unclear what the charge is. Jerry will check into it on Thursday when he meets with Jim Schulz from SEH.

Jerry has some questions about the Scott Michalski pole building that is under construction. He will follow up with SCES. Review in January.

Bills were reviewed and paid. Anne made a motion to accept the bills and correspondence, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 8:44 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller, Township Clerk
Ane Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
November 3, 2008

Those present were Supervisors Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Treasurer Karen Weeres and Clerk Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there were any additions or changes to the agenda. Dave asked to add a violation at 1535 200th St. Brent Anderson asked if the newly tarred private road 19th Ave. will have snow plowed by the township. After a short discussion it was determined that plowing will not be handled by the township until the road is accepted as a township road. Anne made a motion to approve the agenda with the addition, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Dave made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. Jerry made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Official, will be late.

Messer Barn Clean Up: Discussion occurred about whether we should continue to pursue clean up of the barn’s foundation. Jerry made a motion to authorize the township attorney to secure a court order to complete the clean up of the barn including the foundation, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed. Jerry will follow up with Mike Couri, Lynden Township Attorney.

3022 Fulton Circle: Clean up of the burned out trailer is complete. Anne read Resolution 2008-9 in its entirety. It is a resolution to assess the costs of the clean up against the property. Total cost is $18,490.15 to be assessed against Property Identification Number R19.10790.000. There was no further discussion; Anne made a motion to approve Resolution 2008-9, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed. Del will follow up with Laurie Gross at the Auditor’s office to complete the process.

18464 Driftwood Road: This issue is being handled by the county. Review in December.

SEH Final Bill: Anne has the information see needs and will invoice Bob Herges for the outstanding bills in Lynden Valley Industrial Park.

Pearson v. Lynden Township: The Pearsons are appealing the township’s denial of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a wind tower. The Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT) has referred the case to Kennedy & Graven for defense. Anne reviewed the complaint with Robert Alsop, the attorney handling the case. He will file a response to the allegations. He anticipates the court will hear oral arguments on the case, but is unsure when that may occur. He said the documentation was very complete and our findings of fact appear sound. The board will be informed as updates become available.

Franklin Road: Anne explained to residents present the board’s decision to conduct a feasibility study on the possible tarring of Franklin Road. The board believes it is important to gather information in order to make a fully informed decision about whether to pursue the project. SEH is conducting the study. On the advice of our attorney the township has also hired a professional appraiser to determine potential increases in value for properties affected by this proposal. The appraiser will look at four different types of properties: Smaller lots abutting the tar, larger lots up to Plum Creek that could developed, larger acreage outside the township’s growth area, and lots not abutting the tar that still receive benefit. There will be two areas in the study including from Fulton Circle to Plum Creek and from Plum Creek to 222nd St. reaching Co. Rd. 75. When the appraisal is complete, SEH will incorporate that information and present a report to the board. An informational hearing will be held, and every property owner involved will receive a notification of the meeting via mail and will have an opportunity to be heard.

Dover Road: Jerry will follow up with Stearns County about the possibility of receiving funds from the Water Management Committee to help pay for the project on Dover Road. He will also talk to Merle Anderson from the Clearwater River Watershed District. Merle is the chairman of the committee. Review in December.

Tree trimming and removal is moving forward and is going well. Jerry will continue working with the tree trimmer and contacting residents in advance where necessary.

1535 200th St.: Dave followed up on a complaint by a neighbor. It is being handled by the County. Review in December.

Eaglewood Road and County Road 44: Bill and Barb Keigan are concerned about cars parked in the travel lane on Eaglewood Road. The cars are there as a result of parents waiting for the school bus which drops students at the intersection. After a short discussion Jerry agreed to talk to the parents to try to resolve the situation. Review in December.

Clearwater Fire: Our proposed cost went up 84%. The Clearwater City Council agreed to meet with the board December 11th. There was a short discussion and the township supervisors set a meeting date for December 10th to discuss options.

A proposed snow plowing resolution was discussed. The final document will be reviewed in December.

Ron Wasmund arrived.
20404 13th Ave S.: Ron made a visit to the property and talked with the owner’s son. Ron believes it is the intent of the property owners to remove the building. Ron will check back to see if progress has been made. Review in December.

255 Alder Road. This is a small lot with a small trailer on it and the property owner was questioning what she could do on the lot. Ron has not heard back from the resident. Ron will keep us informed when he is contacted about this property.

18983 Eaglewood Road. Mel Kramer has two trailers on a lot. He can only have one structure. This will be a handled with the Planning Commission.

Agricultural Buildings: Bob Klaverkamp was in attendance to hear discussion about the possibility of permits for agricultural buildings. He was told it will be discussed at the November 17th Planning Commission meeting.

Road Tour Follow Up: The board reviewed the list of items from the fall road tour. Two items need to be handled by Inspectron: Dormers at the Robert Gertken residence and whether a building permit was issued for roofing at 22069 Fairmont Rd. Ron will also check to see if the $40 payment for a 911 sign has been received from Keske. All other issues are resolved.
Anne & Ron completed the kennel inspection at Ben Berg’s today. Ron will submit the form with his written comments. Del will put a reminder in her calendar in October 2009 for an annual inspection. She will also note a review in spring of 2010 for Lynden Valley Industrial Park’s roads.
Del will check into why “1250 Alder Rd. change signs” is on the road tour list.
Jerry tried calling the number for TJ Small Engine; He will continue to contact them.

Correspondence and Bills were reviewed.
The final 2008 levy was reviewed; it was correct. Del will file.
Del will correct the township hall address and send it to MAT.

A letter was received from Terry Larson who provided detailed information about issues she has with Mark Storms. She rented from him at 21655 Co. Rd 44. The township’s only involvement would be related to her complaints that the structure is not up to code. We will discuss this with our building inspector next month. Del was instructed to call Terry and give her that information.

Jerry made a motion to approve $5125 to be added to the $15,000 cost of crushing gravel approved at the October Meeting, seconded by Anne, all in favor, motion passed.

Meeting dates:
Planning Commission November 17th at 5:30 pm
Planning Commission November 24th 6:00 pm
Fire Meeting December 10th at 6:00 pm at the Township Hall
Fire Meeting with Clearwater December 11th at 6:00 pm at Clearwater City Hall

Correspondence and bills were reviewed. Anne made a motion to accept the bills and correspondence, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 9:41 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk
Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
October 6, 2008
Those present were Supervisors Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Treasurer Karen Weeres and Clerk Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there were any additions or changes to the agenda. Merle Anderson of the Clearwater Watershed District asked to speak. He was added to new business. Other additions included requests from Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commission Administrator, funds for gravel crushing, and the Green Acres program. Anne made a motion to approve the agenda with the additions, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Jerry made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Inspector, was not present.

Messer Barn Clean Up: Jerry will check with the county if the investigation is completed. Continue to review until the issue is resolved.

3022 Fulton Circle: The bills have been compiled and Mike Couri, Township Attorney, has prepared an assessment resolution. Notice of the assessment hearing has been mailed to the property owner. The hearing will take place at the November monthly meeting.

255 Alder Road (Varty): A resident wanted to know her building options for her lot on Grass Lake.
Request update from Ron.

18464 Driftwood Rd.: The county is handling the clean up on these properties. The deadline was September 19th. Jerry will follow up. Review in November.

Lynden Valley Industrial Park: When SEH sends the final bill, Del will forward it to Anne, and she will send an invoice to Bob Herges. Review in November.

Franklin Road Feasibility Study/Appraisals: Review in November.

Anne will follow up with Ron to set a date for the Berg kennel inspection. The inspection form has been finalized.

Barking Dogs: A court date was held for Dick Holthaus for a barking dog violation. Dick pleaded guilty and paid a fine.

Dover Road Repair: This will be a smaller project than first planned. Jerry will contact residents who have expressed concern. The repair will take place in the spring.

Eaglewood Road Complaint: Melvin Kramer has an outhouse on his property at 18983 Eaglewood Road. He has a permit for the outhouse. He has an existing small trailer on the property and has brought in another trailer. There are many questions regarding what is allowed in this situation. Karolyn will research and this will be discussed at the October 27th Planning Commission meeting.

Roger Brown: The proposed preliminary plat was reviewed. The township has no jurisdiction because the changes were made to reflect each lot to be 20 acres. Dave made a motion to authorize the chair and clerk to sign a certificate of compliance, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed. Roger will provide the legal descriptions and Anne will follow up on the paperwork.

Merle Anderson from the Clearwater River Watershed District presented information about impaired waters in our area. The Clearwater River in Lynden Township was on the list, but Merle noted that the river has improved and most likely will be removed from the list. Merle wants the township to be aware of water issues and he noted that there may be meetings in the future to educate residents. There are funds available to help property owners plant buffers along the shoreline. Karolyn will make a note to add an article in the spring newsletter and will place a link to their web site on the township’s web site. Merle’s office number is 320-251-7800.

Mike Couri informed Jerry about a conflict of interest because the law firm of Rinke-Noonan represented Lynden Township at a recent court hearing for a violation of the dog ordinance. They are also the firm representing Russ Pearson who is appealing the denial of his conditional use permit request for a wind tower. Mike informed us that because of the potential conflict of interest, if we want Rinke-Noonan to represent us we have to approve a motion. Jerry made a motion to have Rinke-Noonan represent us for small criminal cases; Anne seconded the motion for discussion purposes. After a short discussion Jerry withdrew the motion. We seldom need court representation and we will have Mike make a determination of what firm to use if it becomes necessary. Del and Jerry both complimented Karolyn for her work compiling all the information from the Pearson files for our attorneys. Karolyn said she needs two more copies of the meeting tapes. Karolyn will have the tapes made and Jerry will pick them up in St. Cloud. We will be notified by the attorneys when further action will be taken.

Annandale School District Referendum: There is a special election in Annandale on December 16th for school funding. The St Cloud school district referendum will take place along with the general election on November 4th. After a short discussion it was decided there will be a brief notice placed in the fall newsletter informing voters of the date and location of both the St. Cloud and the Annandale proposals.

Township Roads: There was concern from several residents about the recent mowing of weeds on the township roads. Specific complaints came from multiple property owners along Eaglewood Road. Ken Bachofer was present and felt the mowing was taken too far. He said it destroyed bird habitat and removed much of the buffer between the road and the lake. Anne agreed with Ken about the results of the mowing. She said residents are also unhappy with the cut branches and brush left along the roadside. Jerry said this was because it hadn’t been done in a long time and if we go over the area with the mower again that will help clean up some of the brush. Jerry said his priority is to keep the roads safe and we are allowed to mow 8 feet on either side of the road. Anne said we will review this area on our fall road tour to determine if it can be handled differently in the future.
Jerry said Wednesday we will start with tree trimming using Norgren Tree Service.
Jerry will have a proposed snow plowing policy ready to be reviewed in November.
Jerry made a motion to pay $15,000 for gravel crushing; Anne seconded the motion, all in favor motion passed. This gravel will be used on township roads next year.

Karolyn asked for a transcriber. It was agreed for Anne to buy one. Dave felt that we should study a digital system in the future.

Green Acres: Stearns County sent out information on changes to the Green Acres program with a list of informational meetings. There are many concerns about the proposed changes. Dave noted that most of the meeting options were during working hours instead of in the evenings. Lynden Township was not listed in the recent correspondence. Jerry will see our County Commissioner tomorrow and will discuss the omission with him.

Correspondence was received to approve the mileage on township roads. Dave made a motion to certify the mileage of township roads to be reported to the Stearns County Highway Department, seconded by Anne, all in favor motion passed. Del will mail a copy to the county.

Meeting dates for October:
Road Tour October 11th Starting at 10 am at the Township Hall
Clean Up Day October 18th 8:00 – 11:00 am
Planning Commission Meeting October 20th at 5:30 pm
Planning Commission Meeting October 27th 6:00 pm

Correspondence and bills were reviewed. Anne made a motion to accept the bills and correspondence, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Dave made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Anne, all in favor motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk
Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
September 8, 2008
Those present were Supervisors Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Treasurer Karen Weeres and Clerk Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there were any additions or changes to the agenda. Jerry asked to add a complaint to the agenda. Anne made a motion to approve the agenda with the addition, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Jerry made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Official, was present.
20404 13th Avenue South: Ron checked the buildings at this address; they are in an unsafe condition. Jerry suggested that Ron should pursue this. Ron has not contacted the owner but will do so. Review in October.

Agricultural Building Inspections: Ron provided an explanation of the agricultural building exemption in the state building code. If a structure meets the criteria for an agricultural building, Minnesota Statute says a building permit is not required. They must adhere to proper setbacks but no inspections are performed. Discussion ensued and Ron said some jurisdictions have passed ordinances to require permits for any building. Ron will provide examples of ordinances and this will be discussed at a planning commission meeting. Review in October.

Messer Barn Clean Up: Jerry will check with the county if the investigation is completed Continue to review until the issue is resolved.

3022 Fulton Circle: The bills have been compiled and Jerry will contact Mike Couri to prepare an assessment resolution. Review in October.

Muggli Compliance: Ron reported that Valorie Muggli asked for a building permit for the remodel of the inside of her building. A copy of her State ID number has still not been provided to the township clerk as required by the conditional use permit (CUP). Ron will not issue a building permit until the information is received. Review in October.

255 Alder Road (Varty): A resident wanted to know her building options for her lot on Grass Lake. She has not contacted the building inspector. Ron has her e-mail address and will contact her.

Middendorf Assessment: Del spoke to Laurie Gross at the Auditor’s Office. She confirmed that all necessary documentation has been received and when the process has been completed Lynden Township will receive confirmation.

18454 and 18456 Driftwood Rd.: The county is handling the clean up on these properties. The deadline is September 19th. Jerry will follow up. Review in October.

Lynden Valley Industrial Park: Jerry will get the final bill from SEH (Township Engineering Firm) and give it to Anne. She will send Bob Herges an invoice. Review in October.

Franklin Road Feasibility Study: Mike Couri suggested the township should utilize Bill Waytas of Nagell Appraisal, to provide a valuation range for the different types of properties that would benefit from the possible tarring of Franklin Road. He said this information should be used by SEH to prepare a preliminary assessment roll for inclusion in the feasibility study. The cost would be $1,200. After discussion, Jerry made a motion to approve $1,200 for an appraisal of the properties on Franklin Road, seconded by Dave. The motion was amended to note that the cost of the appraisal will come from the tarring fund. All in favor, motion passed. Jerry will follow up.

Ron provided a letter regarding the unfenced pool in Hidden River. The deadline for compliance is 90 days.

Ron will follow up with Ben Berg to schedule a kennel inspection for October 6th at 6.00 p.m. Anne will finalize the inspection form and email it to Ron after it is reviewed by the planning commission. Anne will attend the initial inspection with Ron.

Barking Dogs: A court date has been set for Dick Holthaus for a barking dog violation. Mike Couri suggested that we use local counsel for the court appearance to save travel expense. Dave made a motion to use local counsel in the Holthaus action, seconded by Jerry all in favor, motion passed.
Jerry said a warning has been given to the Muggli kennel for a barking dog violation. Jerry will continue monitoring these properties and will follow up with the Sheriff’s Department. Review in October.

Dover Road Repair: Jerry will meet with Gilbert Schmidt and Todd Schendzielos to discuss repair options. Jerry is planning to meet with the residents of Dover Road in October. The repair work will be completed in the spring of 2009. Review in October.

Jerry has contacted Dan Moeller, Township Maintenance Man, to take care of the tree on 13th Ave that was a concern of Fairhaven Township. Jerry will handle the rest of the tree removal.

Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) Ordinance Changes: Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commission Administrator, said possible ordinance changes will be addressed at the September 29th Planning Commission (PC) meeting. The PC discussed revisions to the Comprehensive Plan at the August meeting.

Fall Newsletter: Anne said a big part of the fall newsletter should be in response to the concerns voiced at the annual meeting about building permits. The information provided by the MN Department of Labor & Industry should be included. Anne also suggested we note that Ron Wasmund has agreed to be at the annual meeting in 2009 to answer any questions from residents. Anne will write an article about barking dogs. Karolyn suggested we have an article on why the township occasionally places moratoriums on issues of concern. Dave offered to work with Chelle on this article. Information should be to Karolyn by September 29th. The mailing date will be October 10th.

Eaglewood Road Complaint: A resident believes an old outhouse is being used on a property on Long Lake. Jerry will follow up with Stearns County Environmental Services (SCES) on this issue. Review in October.

The properties sold in Lynden Township were reviewed. In all cases the properties were sold for less than their assessed value.

The Department of Transportation has given the township notice that the speed on Eaglewood Road is set at 25 miles per hour. This speed limit can now be enforced by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Department. Jerry will get a trailer with a speed monitor to put on the road to make people aware of the speed limit.

Meeting dates for September:
Planning Commission Meeting September 29th 6:00 p.m.

Correspondence and bills were reviewed. Anne made a motion to accept the bills and correspondence, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

August 4, 2008
Those present were Supervisors Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, and Clerk Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there were any additions or changes to the agenda. Liz White asked to have Dover Road added. Del asked to have the approval of Election Judges added. Jerry suggested moving Bonestroo and SEH forward on the agenda. They will be heard after the treasurer’s report. Anne made a motion to approve the agenda with additions and changes, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Dave made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. Karen was not present due to a work conflict. Dave suggested we make a notation that the Clearwater Fire Department will be purchasing discount priced 800 megahertz radios that have been used at the Republican convention. A copy of the article will be put in the Clearwater Fire Department file. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed.

Tom Herkenhoff from Bonestroo presented their proposal for a feasibility study on the potential tarring of Franklin Road. They proposed to approach the study in two parts: from Fulton Circle to Plum Creek and from Fulton Circle all the way to Co. Rd. 75. Their bid includes reviewing options for assessment, the mailing for the public hearing and attendance at the hearing. Tom stated there would be no additional costs until we choose to move forward with the project.
Jim Schultz from SEH also presented a proposal for a feasibility study on Franklin Road. Their proposal was similar to Bonestroo’s approach and would provide the same information and services through the public hearing. Anne asked Tom and Jim how quickly a feasibility study could be completed. Both agreed they would have it ready for the September 8th monthly meeting.

Jerry asked Jim for the engineering update of Lynden Valley Industrial Park. After a short discussion it was decided that Jim would get his final costs to Jerry. Anne will send an invoice to Bob Herges for the outstanding bills.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Official, was present.
20404 13th Avenue South: Ron will check to see if the building is a hazard. He received detailed directions to the property and will report next month.

18727 Eaglewood Road: The residents had begun construction on a deck, but they had a permit from our former inspector and did not realize it had expired. They have applied for a new permit and Inspectron will handle all inspections. After discussion it was decided an investigation fee will not be assessed.

18539 Dover Road: This was a deck that had been reported being built without a permit. Gary Utsch, Building Inspector, checked on it. They were building a deck in the same footprint as their original deck. They need a building permit and a site permit from the County since they are in shoreland, but they do not need a variance. An investigation fee will be assessed for beginning work without a permit.

Hanisch Agricultural Building: Ron explained that if a building meets the criteria for an agricultural building, Minnesota Statute says a building permit is not required. They must adhere to proper setbacks but no inspections are performed. Discussion ensued and Ron said he works with some jurisdictions that have passed more restrictive ordinances requiring building permits and inspections. Ron will provide more information on this subject at the September monthly meeting.

20874 Franklin Road (Survey requirements): This property was discussed because of a question about survey requirements for a building permit. Anne stated that it should be up to the discretion of our building inspector to determine if a survey is required. She referred to our guidelines regarding surveying and said that our intent would be to only require surveys if property lines or setbacks are in question and property pins cannot be located.

Berg Kennel Inspection: The final occupancy permit has been issued for the structure. An initial kennel inspection will be completed to ensure compliance with the ordinance requirements. Ron and Anne will complete the first inspection and Ron will handle all future inspections. Ron will contact Ben Berg and Anne to set a date. Anne will develop a form to be used for kennel inspections and would like the planning commission to review the form in advance of the inspection.

Muggli Compliance: Ron reported that Valorie Muggli asked about some remodeling work on her buildings but did not want to pay for a permit because she believes she has agricultural buildings. Ron stated her kennel operation is not considered agricultural in nature and a building permit will be required. Anne asked Ron to keep the board informed on her progress toward her conditional use permit (CUP) compliance plan. The document with her tax number has not been received. Del has made numerous attempts to get a copy of the document. Dave said that if she refuses to comply with that condition of her CUP, we should consider beginning the process of revocation of her CUP. This discussion will be on the agenda for the August 25th planning commission meeting.

Barking Dogs: A neighbor complained about barking dogs at Dick Holthaus’ property. Jerry went to the property Saturday and heard the barking. A Stearns County deputy arrived and heard dogs barking for an extended time. The deputy will follow up on the violation. Jerry stated there have also been complaints about barking from the Muggli Kennel. Jerry went to the location on Friday night and heard extensive barking. Jerry called the Stearns County Sheriff’s Department but the nearest deputy was too far away to respond quickly. Jerry will follow up to monitor ordinance violations. Review in September.

Fence Ordinance for Pools: Anne asked Ron about ordinance requirements for fencing around pools. After checking Stearns County Ordinance #209 it was confirmed that pools are required to be fenced. Ron was informed that the planning commission became aware of a violation on a recent site visit in Hidden River. After a short discussion it was decided that there would be a notice in the Fall Newsletter of the fencing requirements.

Messer Barn: This case is still under investigation, and there can be no further action until the investigation is complete. Review in September.

3022 Fulton Circle: All costs for this clean up will be sent to Mike Couri. He will add his expenses and prepare an assessment resolution. Review in September.

Middendorf Assessment: Del has taken the assessment resolution to the Auditor’s Office. She will call to confirm that all necessary documentation has been received in order to assess the costs to the property. Review in September.

Lynden Valley Industrial Park: The letter of credit that Bob Herges gave the township was approved by Mike Couri. We need to ensure that the letter of credit is renewed before it expires next year.

The $25 surcharge fee for building permits was Inspectron’s error and has been refunded. Chris Keske still owes the township $40 for their 911 sign. Ron will follow up to secure payment.

Ron explained that he is working with Telcom about their proposed remodeling at their building on 200th St. There are a few issues to be resolved in order to avoid the need for installing a sprinkler system. Ron said they are cooperating fully and he does not anticipate any problems with compliance.

Brenda Stanger, from the Stearns County Auditor’s Office was present to request Certificate of Compliances from the township for parcels acquired to extend the Beaver Island Bike Trail into Lynden Township. The properties were purchased from Tom Latzka and Mike Leonard. Though this process typically goes through the planning commission before township board approval, Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commission Administrator, stated that she has been working with Brenda to compile all the necessary information. She believes that since the information is coming directly from Stearns County, all documents are in order and the Certificates can be issued at this meeting. A short discussion followed. Anne made a motion to approve the issuance of the Certificates of Compliance for the properties, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. It was noted that acquisition of the former railroad right of way is almost complete. The trail extension will circumvent the property of any land owners who have not sold to the county by going through the right of way on County Road 75.

Liz White and Myron Schill were present to discuss the problems of storm water run off on Dover Road. They and many other property owners are impacted by run off. Liz stated that if the township put a ditch in she would lose access to some of her property. Myron said Gilbert Schmidt used to grade the road slanted so water would run off the opposite side of the road. Jerry stated there has to be consideration that in the future the road may be tarred. He said the Township had the road surveyed so the right of way has been established. Discussion ensued. Jerry wants to meet with Gilbert Schmidt and Todd Schendzielos to discuss alternatives. Jerry suggested having a meeting with all the residents on Dover Road to address the problem. He said not everyone will be satisfied but we will try to find a way to fix the problem the best way possible. Liz and Myron agreed with that approach. Review in September.

Franklin Road Feasibility Study: Bonestroo’s bid was $12,000. The bid from SEH was $5,100. Jerry expressed concern about SEH because of the slow response time and poor level of service we received from them with their work on Lynden Valley Industrial Park. Jerry talked to Terry a principal at SEH about his concerns and Terry did not offer another engineer to work with. Jerry stated that he wanted someone professional at the Public Hearing. He felt that Joe from Bonestroo was not properly prepared for the Public Hearing on the Frankfurt/Fairfax Road Project. There was a discussion. Anne and Dave felt the difference in cost for the same project was too great not to use SEH. Anne made a motion to accept SEH’s bid for $5100, seconded by Dave, motion passed by a two to one vote with Anne and Dave in favor, Jerry opposed. Jerry will contact SEH to move forward with the feasibility study. Dave would like it noted that Jerry should be in charge of the engineer. Jerry will talk to Terry again from SEH to ask for better response time from the engineer. Jerry said we should plan to hold a public hearing on Franklin Road before the annual meeting.

There was discussion on a Resolution and on an Interim Ordinance for Wind Energy Conversion Systems in Lynden Township. Lynden Township passed Resolution 2008-6 establishing Interim Ordinance 2008-1. The Interim Ordinance enacts a moratorium on the establishment of Wind Energy Conversion Systems on residentially platted parcels within Lynden Township for six months. The purpose of the moratorium is to give the township board and planning commission time to study the Comprehensive Plan and Ordinances to determine what changes if any may be required. This action was approved unanimously by the Lynden Township Board.

Correspondence from Don Adams was received in response to Dave Johnson’s request to have the County check two residences in Lynden Township for nuisance ordinance violations. A motion was made by Jerry and seconded by Anne to inform Don Adams, Director of Stearns County Environmental Services (SCES), to proceed with the abatement of public nuisances at 18454 and 18456 Driftwood Road. Del will send a letter to Don Adams and Troy Freihammer, Environmental Specialist at SCES to move forward with the abatement.

A letter was received from Fairhaven Township asking Lynden Township to remove trees from the right of way on 13th Avenue. This road is shared by both townships. Jerry will be reviewing the roads to identify areas that need to be addressed. Review in September.

A letter was received from our township attorney notifying us of an upcoming increase in their hourly rate. The information will be filed.

Dave said he believes some requirements for publishing notices have changed. He will research the details and inform us of changes.

Dave wanted noted in the minutes that as he was doing weed inspections he thought that the township roads were in good condition.

Meeting dates for August 2008:
Planning Commission Meeting August 25th 6:00 p.m

Anne made a motion to accept the correspondence and bills, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Jerry made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:08 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk
Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
JULY 7, 2008
Those present were Supervisors Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, and Clerk Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there was anything to add to the agenda. There was nothing; Anne made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Dave made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. Karen was not present due to a work conflict. It was noted that funds were shifted into the tarring account and the first half of the fire contracts with Annandale and Clearwater were paid. Dave noted the IRS has raised the mileage reimbursement to 58.5 cents per mile effective July 1st. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Official, was not present.

Russ Pearson Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS): An update on the discussion from the most recent planning commission meeting was provided. Dave still has an issue with the question of wind rights. The contractor has said there was no need for wind rights. Dave told Russ he should consult someone other than his contractor for information on the subject. Dave also asked for the decommissioning plan to be more specific. Dave stated he is still waiting on some information. Jerry reviewed the findings of fact from the planning commission recommending denial and stated he would like the township board to establish their own findings of fact. He would like to add some comments to #3 which involves compatibility of land use and scenic views. He will put his thoughts in writing. Anne will compile findings of fact for the board. Anne said the variance needs to be resolved and should be withdrawn since there is no need for it since the county has changed the ordinance. Dave confirmed with Russ that it was his desire to do so and made a motion to withdraw the variance application for a WECS submitted by Russ Pearson, seconded by Anne, all in favor motion passed. Anne commented that though the township is in favor of alternative energy, she said the comprehensive plan clearly states that appropriate locations are in agricultural and industrial areas. She said she believes there could be a more appropriate alternative in Hidden River by placing a WECS in the common area by the community septic system which would be less disruptive to the neighborhood and the river. Russ said that wasn’t a good alternative. Anne said she believes this is not a proper location for a WECS and made a motion to deny the application for a WECS submitted by Russ Pearson. Jerry seconded the motion for discussion purposes.
After discussion Anne withdrew her motion to deny. Discussion will continue at the Planning Commission Meeting on July 28th. Dave will have time to get the information he is waiting on and the issue of noise can be further researched. Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commission Administrator, will inform Chelle Benson, Township Consultant, on the outcome of tonight’s meeting. Dave said it was important for Chelle to be present for the discussion. Russ asked if a decision would be made on July 28th. Anne said a decision would be made at that meeting or at the board meeting on August 4th.

20404 13th Avenue South: There is an old house that Ron was going to check to see if it is a hazard but he was unable to locate it. Jerry will explain the location to Ron.

3022 Fulton Circle: The clean up has been completed. All bills will be compiled and the cost will be assessed against the property. Jerry will talk to Mike Couri, Township Attorney, to prepare a resolution for this purpose. Anne asked Jerry to discuss with Mike the notification requirements before the resolution is reviewed. She noted that we were unable to reach the property owner in the past and had to publish previous notifications. Del will ask Karen to gather all bills that resulted from this clean up including the publication expenses.

Messer Barn: The June 15th date for clean up has passed. Jerry will move forward to get bids to clean it up. Review in August.

Middendorf Assessment: Anne stated that Mr. Middendorf had received the certified letter regarding the proposed assessment. He was not present. Anne reviewed Resolution #2008-04 Certifying Township Costs to Abate Nuisance. The resolution states that the cost of clean up is $15,003.30. It will be added to the property taxes, payable starting in 2009 for five years and shall bear an interest rate of 8% per annum from the date of adoption of the Resolution dated July 7, 2008. Anne made a motion to approve Resolution #2008-04, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. Del will deliver the resolution to the Assessors Office.

Lynden Valley Industrial Park: Bob Herges was present and provided a letter or credit from Falcon National Bank in the amount of $37,650. Bob said all remaining work has been completed. Jerry will confirm with SEH, township engineering firm, that everything is done. Once the final engineering bills have been complied, an invoice will be sent to Bob for reimbursement of all outstanding costs. The letter of credit will be held for two years so it will need to be renewed before the July, 2009 expiration. Del will make note of that for next June. Dave made a motion to accept the letter of credit in the amount of $37,650 from Robert Herges (Regional Land Holdings) contingent on the advice and approval of Mike Couri, Township Attorney, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Frankfurt/Fairfax Road Petition: Jerry stated that at the last meeting the residents wanted to have the tarring cost divided by family or owners, not by parcel or footage; Mike Couri informed Jerry that could not be done legally in that manner. Wayne Ethen and Bill Schmidt were present. They talked to several neighbors and because of the cost they are asking that the project be stopped. Wayne and Bill thanked the board for the time and effort they put into the project. Jerry stated that he will work hard to ensure Frankfurt and Fairfax are in good condition. Jerry made a motion to cease any further action on the Frankfurt/Fairfax Road Project, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. The feasibility study was paid by the township out of the tarring fund. Though they are not moving forward so there will not be an issue, Wayne wanted to note that there was a large discrepancy in the footage that the engineer had and what Wayne measured. Jerry stated that many residents have been asking what the cost would be to tar Franklin Road. Anne suggested because of the termination of the Frankfurt/Fairfax project, we should move forward on a feasibility study on Franklin. Dave made a motion to authorize Jerry to contact Bonestroo and SEH Engineers to bid on a feasibility study of Franklin Rd., seconded by Anne, all in favor motion passed. This study will be done in two ways: Continuing the asphalt up to Plum Creek, and tarring all the way to County Road 75.

Bonestroo Contract: Anne printed the contract that had been revised by Mike Couri. Anne stated she is not ready to sign a contract at this time. Since the Frankfurt/Fairfax road project is not moving forward, she thought we should wait. She believes our engineer should lead us through each step of the process for a road project and that did not happen at the recent public hearing. Jerry said he still has issue with part of the proposed fee schedule which would need to be resolved before a contract is signed. Anne suggested Jerry ask both SEH and Bonestroo for a bid on the feasibility study on Franklin Road.

Yield sign on 27th Ave. has been resolved. It will remain a stop sign.

Resolution for Township Signs: Jerry stated that the township should adopt a Resolution to request federal and state funds for updated road signs. Dave made a motion to approve Resolution #2008-05 in Support of Federal and State Funding for Town Road Sign Replacement and Compliance and authorize signature by the Chair and Clerk, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed. Anne will complete the Resolution and it will be signed. Del will send the Resolution to Anne Reischl, Secretary of our District.

Ditch Mowing: It should be completed as soon as possible.
Dave stated that a stop sign on 189th St and Co. Rd. 145 is bent. Del will inform the maintenance man.
Del will contact Mona Bowden on the e-mail she sent asking about signs on 216th St.

Ron Wasmund still hadn’t arrived so Anne will email Ron with a list of issues for him. They will be reviewed at the August meeting. Kennel inspections were discussed. Anne will develop a form to be used for annual inspections. Dave asked if Valorie Muggli’s business registration number for her kennel operation had been received by the clerk. It has not so Del will send a certified letter requesting it.

Jerry will call Bonestroo to ask about the extra $842 charges for a feasibility study. Dave noted that study was not on the calendar until October.

Meeting dates for July 2008:
Planning Commission Meeting July 28th 6:00 p.m.
Anne made a motion to accept the correspondence and bills, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:08 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk
Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
June 2, 2008
Those present were Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Karen Weeres, and Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there was anything to add to the agenda. Del asked to have Election Issues added to new business. Anne made a motion to approve the agenda with the addition, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Dave made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. Anne asked about collection of the $40 fee for a 911 sign for the Keske residence. Karen said it was not received. Ron Wasmund, Township Building Inspector, will follow up on any outstanding payments for 911 signs. There were no questions on the treasurer’s report. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Discussion with Ron Wasmund occurred about the building code document he sent. It provides more information about the need for enforcement of the building code. It will be posted to the township web site along with the other information Ron previously prepared including the permit fee schedule. This will help answer some of the concerns raised at the annual meeting regarding building permits and the building code. Ron will add the $50 fee for a driveway permit with no building permit to the fee schedule before it is posted.
There is an old farm home at the location next to the property at 20404 13th Ave. Ron will inspect the home to see if it is a hazard. Review in July.

3022 Fulton Circle: Two bids for clean up of the burned out trailer were received; one for $9,850 from Steve’s Excavating Inc. and one for $9,340 from Lange Trenching. Jerry made a motion to accept the bid from Lange Trenching for $9,340 for the clean up at 3022 Fulton Circle, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. This will be completed by June 20th. When this is completed we will move forward with assessing the costs against the property. Anne asked Jerry to have Mike Couri, Township Attorney, draft a resolution for this issue. Jerry will follow up. Review in July.

Messer Barn: On Thursday May 22nd there was a fire at the Messer barn site. Del spoke to the Clearwater Fire Chief who stated that no permits were issued to burn the barn. The results of the fire are not known at this time. Ron said that there is now charred material on site and the cement foundation was unaffected. Deadline for clean up, which includes removal of the foundation, remains at June 15th. Dave suggested Jerry should seek bids on clean up of the Messer barn if it has not been completed by June 15th. Review in July.

Middendorf Assessment: Jerry reviewed the letter Mike Couri sent concerning the repayment of township expenses for the clean up of the Middendorf property. After discussion, it was decided to ask Mike to revise the assessment resolution to allow Mr. Middendorf five years to repay the total costs. Jerry will follow up with Mike. The resolution will be considered at the July meeting.

Anne asked Ron about a new $25 charge from Inspectron for preparing the building permit surcharge report for the state. Ron will check into it and report next month.

The building permits were reviewed by the board. Anne reminded Ron that Valorie Muggli has until September 30th to complete the second phase of her kennel compliance plan. Anne asked Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commission Administrator, to send Valorie an e-mail reminder next month if she has not applied for a building permit. Once the second phase is finished, Ron and Anne will complete the initial kennel inspection.

Lynden Valley Industrial Park: Jerry received information from Jim Schultz of SEH listing the items that needs to be completed in Lynden Valley Industrial Park. Total cost for completion is estimated at $7500. At the May meeting Bob Herges was informed that he must provide a letter of credit in the amount of $45,150 which includes the amount to finish the remaining work and 10% of the costs of the improvements. The township has not received the letter of credit. After discussion it was decided that a letter will be sent to Bob Herges with another request for reinstatement of the letter of credit. After the final work is completed, the letter of credit can be reduced to $37,650. The letter of credit must be received by July 7th to avoid further action by the township.

Certificate of Compliance: Steve Hansen, who is representing Craig Bad Heart Bull, attended the Planning Commission meeting on May 19th. At that meeting, issuance of a Certificate of Compliance for an administrative split for his land was approved. Karolyn presented the document, Anne and Del signed it and it was officially stamped. Karolyn will get it to Steve.

Fairfax/Frankfurt Road Petition: The public hearing is set for June 16th. Bonestroo handled publication and mailing of the letters to the residents. Anne asked about our specifications for tarring of township roads. It was determined that the road specifications will remain as written. Deviation from specifications will only occur if the township engineer feels it is appropriate. There was discussion on snow plowing roads that are not approved by the township. The board agreed that the township should not be responsible for snow removal until a road is accepted by the township. Jerry will make sure our plowing contractor is clear regarding the policy.

Bonestroo Contract: Jerry has the proposed contract for Bonestroo; it will be delivered to Mike Couri tomorrow for his review. Review in July.

There was a short discussion concerning response time from Mike Couri. Jerry felt it has improved recently. Anne will e-mail Mike to specifically address the issue. The board respects Mike and his expertise and would like to retain his services.

There was a request to have a yield sign instead of a stop sign placed on 27th Ave. Jerry does not have an answer yet. Review in July.

The Fire Contract from Clearwater was received with the date corrected; Dave made a motion to authorize the Chair and the Clerk to sign the contract, seconded by Jerry all in favor, motion passed. Anne and Del signed it and if was officially stamp. One copy will be filed, the second will be returned to Clearwater City Hall.

Steve Kampa: Steve would like the township to issue a Certificate of Compliance for an administrative split of the Storms property. A land auction is scheduled for June 10th. Steve missed the May planning commission meeting. Anne received information from Linda Kampa and prepared a proposed certificate of compliance for discussion purposes. She informed Linda that though they could attend this meeting and the board may choose to proceed, the planning commission typically reviews requests for Certificates of Compliance before they are issued by the board of supervisors. Steve presented information on the property and the proposed splits. Karolyn expressed concern because it would not be following established procedure if the board chose to issue the Certificate of Compliance before it was reviewed by the planning commission. After discussion, Dave made a motion to accept the documents concerning the proposed administrative split and pass them on to the planning commission for their review at the June 30th meeting, seconded by Anne, all in favor, motion passed. If there are no issues, it could be approved at that time. It was noted that the auction should not be impacted as a result of this. All the parcels are over 20 acres so though the county requires a Certificate of Compliance from the township, the township has no jurisdiction because of the large lot sizes. Steve was provided with an unsigned copy of the proposed Certificate of Compliance which was clearly noted as unapproved. Karolyn will follow up with Steve, Chelle Benson, Planning Consultant, and Stearns County Environmental Services to ensure that everything is properly prepared for the June 30th meeting. Karolyn will put Steve on the agenda at 6:15 p.m.

The minutes of the public hearing on the Pearson wind tower proposal were reviewed. Jerry made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. The public hearing will be continued on June 23rd. If a decision is not made at that public hearing, a letter will be sent immediately after the hearing informing the applicant of our need for a 60 day extension to make a decision. Dave expressed the need for a document that proves the proposed tower is below 40kWh. Karolyn will request the information from the company.

Del requested extra voting booths for the election; they may be purchased from Election Systems and Software. Del said they cost around $500 each. After a short discussion, Dave made a motion to authorize the purchase of six voting booths, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.
Del said a second head election judge is needed because there must be a head judge present at all times. Dave made motion to train a second head judge, and recruit and train the amount of election judges deemed necessary to handle the election, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.
It was discussed that if a school asks for permission to allow children to vote for a class project in the November election we will not be able to accommodate them for the general election. The building is not big enough.

Dave made a motion to accept the increased cost $5 per hour from Schendzielos, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Meeting dates for June 2008:
Public Hearing- Fairfax/Frankfurt Rd June 16th 7:00 p.m.
Continued Public Hearing-Pearson Wind Tower June 23rd at 7:00 p.m.
Planning Commission Meeting June 30th 6:00 p.m.

Anne made a motion to accept the correspondence and bills, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:08 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Lynden Township Clerk
Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
MAY 5, 2008
Those present were Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Karen Weeres, and Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there was anything to add to the agenda. Anne made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Anne made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. After a short discussion Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Inspector, was present. As requested by the township board Ron presented a draft of the Lynden Township Building Code and Permit Requirements and Lynden Township Permit Fee Schedule. Jerry stated this should help answer some of the questions raised at the annual meeting. The board will review the document. Once it is approved, it will be published in the fall newsletter and posted on the township web site. Review in May.

Access Permits: The board discussed imposing a fee for a driveway access permit that is not issued in conjunction with a building permit. After a short discussion Anne made a motion to charge a $50 fee for a driveway access permit when it is the only permit issued, seconded by Dave, all in favor motion passed. This will be added to the fee schedule.

Cotter Excavation: Ron said the excavation on the property was to add a storm water pond.

John Krause: Ron stated that John removed the inoperable vehicles from the property. John was again informed that he would need to apply for an additional Conditional Use Permit (CUP) if he wants to work with inoperable vehicles.

Timm Property, 3022 Fulton Circle: Jerry is working with Troy Freihammer of Stearns County Environmental Services (SCES) and will get the names of contractors for removal of the burned out trailer. On May 16th Jerry will meet with the contractors at the property. Contractors will submit bids to the clerk by May 31st; we will choose a contractor at the June meeting. The project should be completed by June 20th. Review next month.

Response time from Mike Couri, Township Attorney, was addressed again. Jerry will speak to Mike within the next few days. Review in June.

Messer Barn: Ron stated that he did not see any movement in the clean up of the barn on the property of Marv Messer on County Rd 145. It was suggested that the resolution that was approved at the April monthly meeting should be sent to Mr. Messer. Anne asked Del to send the resolution that was approved on April 7th. Review in June.

Middendorf Assessment: Mike Couri sent a certified letter to Mr. Middendorf on April 17th with the assessment notice for the cost of the clean up of his property, but delivery of the notice has not been confirmed. Jerry suggested the letter should be delivered by a sheriff deputy. Jerry will contact Mike to follow up. Review in June.

Berg Kennel: Ron said a temporary certificate of occupancy has been issued for the Berg kennel. Anne told Ron that after the final occupancy permit has been issued, we need to schedule the first inspection of the kennel for compliance with the township’s kennel performance standards. Ron will be the township’s kennel inspector; kennel inspections will be completed annually. Anne will accompany Ron on the initial inspection.

Lynden Valley Industrial Park: Discussion ensued with Bob Herges regarding the developer’s agreement and the letter of credit which expired. Bob presented a maintenance bond, but the township attorney advised the board to only accept a letter of credit. After a short discussion it was agreed that Bob would get the township a letter of credit for $45,150 to cover $7500 in incomplete work and 10% of the cost of the improvements. Jim Schultz, township engineer, still needs to approve the completed project. Jerry will follow up with the engineer. Review in June. Anne informed Bob that his escrow deposit has not covered all the outstanding bills. He currently owes the township $963.36. Anne will prepare an invoice after the current legal and engineering bills are received.

Fleahman Dog Citation Court Results: A representative from our attorney’s office attended the court hearing and was informed that Mr. Fleahman had paid the fine before the hearing, so the matter was resolved without further court action.

Fairfax/Frankfurt Road Petition: Joe Dubel from Bonestroo was in attendance and presented the preliminary engineering report for the proposed project. Joe explained the results of the report and also reviewed three different assessment options for this project. Dave pointed out that Frankfurt Street should be changed to Frankfurt Road. There was a short discussion about 222nd Street which is at the end of Frankfurt Road. This road would be included in the tarring project. Jerry made a motion to accept the feasibility study for the Fairfax/Frankfurt Road project and to set a public hearing for June 16th at 7:00 p.m., seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. Joe will get the necessary information to Del for both the publication notice and the letters to residents. There are 23 residents to be notified.

The township is considering using Bonestroo’s services for engineering projects for the township. Joe presented a contract proposal and fee schedule for Bonestroo’s services. The board will make a decision after the proposal has been reviewed by the township attorney. Review in June.

CapX2020: Anne stated that Karolyn placed links to the CapX2020 information on the township’s web site. She also thanked Jeff Kempin for the research he presented at the April monthly meeting. Dave prepared a resolution for the township to sign. Anne read the resolution aloud and then made a motion to approve resolution #2008-03 essentially in the form as presented, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. Dave will correct a few minor typing errors and the township board will sign the resolution at the public hearing on Monday May 12th. Del will submit a copy to CapX2020. The resolution will be posted on the web site. Jeff said there should be a meeting in early June and we should watch for the date because there is often not much advance notice.

Jerry talked to the county highway engineer about the bridge on 161st Street not appearing on our bridge report. It will be taken care of for the report next year.

There has been a request to have a yield sign instead of a stop sign on 27th Ave. After a short discussion Jerry said he would research if that could be done. Review in June.

The minutes of past meetings were reviewed. Jerry made a motion to approve the minutes from the Annual Meeting, Organization Meeting, and Canvass Meeting, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. Karolyn will post the annual meeting minutes on the Web.

Meeting dates for May 2008:
Public Hearing May 12th 7:00 p.m.
Planning Commission Meeting May 19th 6:00 p.m.
Road Meeting May 28th at 6:00 p.m.
Planning Commission Interviews May 29th at 6:00 p.m.

The Fire Contract from Clearwater was received. The date is incorrect; Del will return it to have it corrected. Review in June.

Karen is having a problem with her computer’s CD drive. Del will give her a number to call for service. Karen will continue to file PERA documentation on paper rather than electronically.

Anne made a motion to accept the correspondence and bills, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:03 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Lynden Township Clerk
Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
April 7, 2008
Those present were Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Karen Weeres, and Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. There were none; Anne made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. There was a short discussion on tree removal by Schendzielos. The recycling bill is higher; there are more people using the service. There are 319 households using the service at this time. Dave asked how often we receive the gas tax, Karen said once a year and the amount received was for 2007. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Inspector, was present. Collection of fees for 911 signs was discussed. Inspectron sent letters to all affected properties. There was an excellent response and most payments have been received. Inspectron will continue to resolve the issue and will collect the 911 sign fee on all future permits for new construction.
The previously issued stop work order on Belview Rd. has been resolved; the property owner has applied for and been issued a permit. The penalty was paid.
Access permits: There is currently no fee. There was a discussion on the cost of an access permit when a building permit is not issued. Ron suggested a $50 fee if no building permit is issued but no cost if a building permit is issued. Discuss next month.
Issues with the building code were of great concern at the annual meeting. There were many residents who felt it was too restrictive, such as requiring permits for replacing windows and water heaters, and questioned how to handle emergency situations. After a short discussion it was decided that Ron would write an article for the next newsletter on the need to enforce the building code. He will include issues with improvements, emergencies, and when it is necessary for a demolition permit. It will also include a fee schedule. The board asked Ron to attend the annual meeting in 2009.
John Krause: Ron had a letter he was prepared to send to John, but it will have to be revised because he discovered there are now additional junk cars on the lot. Jerry explained to those in attendance that John has a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to sell used cars. Some cars on the lot are inoperable, therefore he has to remove the cars or apply for an additional CUP for junk and salvage operations and have the property fenced. Review in May.

Timm Property, 3022 Fulton Circle: Jerry will get a list of contractors from Troy Freihammer of Stearns County Environmental Services (SCES). Jerry will get the quotes for the clean up and choose the contractor. The cost will be assessed to the property. Review in May.
There was a short discussion about response time from Mike Couri, Township Attorney. The board agrees he is an excellent attorney, but we need quicker responses. Alternative attorneys are available but we need to discuss the situation with Mike first. Dave will follow up. It was stated it reflects on our township board when we do not get prompt responses for actions we need to deal with. Review in May.

Marv Messer Barn: Anne had the resolution for the Messer barn that had been prepared by Mike Couri and revised by Dave. Dave wanted the record to reflect he sent the resolution to Mike Couri on March 3rd to have him review the revisions; he contacted him again on March 24th and has not had a response. Dave suggested we could still move forward with the resolution because his revisions were minor. The clean up was previously ordered by the court. This resolution is a follow up; the deadline date for completion of removal of the structure and foundation is June 15, 2008. Anne made a motion to pass Resolution 08-02, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Wind Generator: A property owner in Hidden River wants to construct a wind generator. This is a planning commission item but the board wanted Ron to be aware of it. Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commission Administrator, has informed the contractor this would require a CUP. A site visit and public hearing will be scheduled if an application is received.

A question arose about the Shane Cotter property in Lynden Valley Industrial Park. On the road tour it was noticed a large hole was being dug. Ron will check into it and report back.
Jerry asked Ron to send copies of site plans to the township board for review when permits are being issued. Ron will follow up on having that done.

Tom Middendorf: Anne explained that the next action in the Middendorf clean-up is to review the assessment. Information on total clean up costs was not received from Mike Couri until today; we could not move forward because Tom did not receive the information and have proper time to review it. Dave suggested that we have someone personally serve the notice to attend the meeting or send him a certified letter with an affidavit that it has been delivered. Jerry will follow up with Mike. It is our obligation to give Tom a chance to address the board; Review in May.

Bob Herges was in attendance at the meeting. Jerry stated the Lynden Valley Industrial Park letter of credit had expired on December 30, 2007 and the developer’s agreement states that it must be renewed. The township has not authorized any reduction of the original $654,392.50. The letter of credit must be reestablished. Bob stated the engineer estimated only $7500 in outstanding costs. Jerry said Bob needs to reinstate the letter of credit for the original amount then he can ask to have it reduced. Jerry said Mike Couri recommends retaining a letter of credit for 10% of construction costs for the first year of warranty, or $37,650. This would be in addition to the $7500 for the work remaining, so the total would be $45,150. Bob agreed to return next month with the letter of credit. Anne told Bob there were some additional engineering and legal bills he will need to pay. Review in May.

Fleahman Dog Citation Court Results: We have no information on this from our attorney. Review in May.

Fire Department Boundary Lines: The corrections have been made. The fire chiefs of both departments signed a document noting the correct boundaries. The information has been sent to Lt. David Nohner of Stearns County.

Census Review: Jerry has taken care of Lynden Township’s part in the Census for the year 2010. Anne thanked Jerry for handling it.

Mike Holman Stearns County Assessor for Lynden Township: Mike explained this year residential dry land values went down for the first time in the ten years he has worked with the township. Lake shore rose substantially due to property sales figures. Agricultural land is also continuing to go up in value. Mike’s valuation goal is to be at least 95%. If anyone wants to discuss their property valuation, they can do so by calling the Assessor’s office and making an appointment for the meeting on April 16th. So far seven appointments have been scheduled.

Bonestroo: There is a road project that is being proposed by residents of Lynden Township. A feasibility study is required for this project. Tom Herkenhoff and Joe Dubel were present to represent Bonestroo, an engineering firm that has an office in St. Cloud. They gave an overview of their company and presented a proposal to handle the feasibility study for $5000. Jerry said SEH, our existing township engineering firm, did not submit a proposal. The board reviewed and discussed the proposal. In addition to the study, soil borings would be completed.

Fairfax/Frankfurt Road Petition: Wayne Ethen presented a petition to the township board asking for Fairfax and Frankfurt Roads to be asphalted. The township board reviewed the petition; thirteen residents had signed it. Wayne stated this was about 75% of the residents. He said the residents are aware that if this project is completed, there will be an assessment on their property. Discussion ensued then Dave made a motion to have a feasibility study done on the Fairfax/Frankfurt Road project contingent on hiring an engineering firm, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed. Jerry made a motion to hire Bonestroo to complete the feasibility study on the Fairfax/Frankfurt Road project, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. Dave made a motion to approve the soil borings needed for the project, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. A question was asked how the costs would be divided. Anne explained the township pays to bring the road up to specifications and the residents pay for the asphalting. She believed on the last project it was close to half paid by the residents and half by the township. Bonestroo will be providing information on various assessment calculations at the May meeting. Every resident will be notified and there will be a pubic hearing before any decision is made.

Snowplowing issues: Many complaints were received after the recent snowfalls. Del will contact the person on Dover Road, Jerry will look at the gravel piles on Foxtail, and Anne will follow up about the damaged mail box.

CapX2020: There was a group of residents present that had received letters from CapX2020 about the proposed power line that will come through the township. Jeff Kempin has discussed the issue with many neighbors. Jeff reviewed the township’s Comprehensive Plan and noted many points that justify the use of the I-94 corridor for the power line route instead of going down County Road 44. Jeff stated now is the critical time to provide input on our concerns. Some residents have sent in comments but have not yet heard any feedback in return. Forms were given to residents to send in their comments. It was the consensus of the group that there is no way to stop the line but input from individuals could be the best way to effect the placement of the route. Dave felt that a resolution could also be sent by the township board stating the reasons why the I-94 corridor would be most appropriate. Dave will have a resolution ready for the May meeting. Karolyn will have a link on the Lynden Township web site for more information. Anne thanked Jeff for his assistance.

Urban Short Course: Anne is interested in attending the Urban Short Course on April 24th. Dave made a motion for Anne to attend, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Meeting dates for April 2008:
Tax Equalization April 16th 7:00p.m.
Spring Clean Up April 26th 8-11a.m.
Planning Commission Meeting April 28th 6:00p.m.

Correspondence: We received a certified letter on the bridge report for Lynden Township. It was noted that the bridge on 161st St. was not listed. Jerry took the letter and will follow up with the Highway Engineer. Review in May.

Anne made a motion to accept the correspondence and bills, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Lynden Township Clerk
Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
March 11, 2008
Del Moeller called the meeting to order at 8:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.
Dave Johnson made a motion to elect Brian Nickolauson to moderate the annual meeting; Robert Foss seconded the motion, all in favor motion passed.

Minutes of the previous year’s annual meeting were available. Jerry Finch made a motion to waive the reading of the minutes from the previous year, seconded by John Koshiol, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne Ackerman made a motion to waive reading of all checks written and received, seconded by Gail Bradford, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s Report: Karen Weeres, township treasurer, was not present. Anne Ackerman presented the report. Anne expressed appreciation for Karen’s work as treasurer and thanked John Koshiol for providing a lap top and LCD projector for the township meeting. The 2008 treasurer’s report was available for review. The report was from Quicken which is used to keep a second set of financial records. Anne reported the annual audit was conducted and both sets of books and the Annandale Bank statements all match exactly. Anne explained the three bank accounts: Checking (general expenses), Savings (tarring funds), and Road Bond (assessments for completed projects). She reviewed highlights of the income and expense reports. Total tarring fund is $301,967.26 of which $250,000 is in certificates of deposit for a higher interest rate. The year end balance in the checking account is $244,573.31. A motion was made by Tim Terwey to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Rob Schmidt, all in favor, motion passed.

Newspaper: We are currently using the St. Cloud Times and Clearwater Tribune, plus the posting at the township hall. Robert Foss made a motion to retain the papers, Dave Johnson seconded the motion, all in favor, motion passed.

Attorney: Couri, MacArthur & Ruppe have represented Lynden Township again this past year. Jerry Finch made a motion to retain Couri, MacArthur & Ruppe, seconded by Bill Schmidt, all in favor, motion passed.

Depository of Funds: The Township uses Annandale Bank. Anne Ackerman, made a motion to retain Annandale Bank, seconded by Ken Bachofer, all in favor motion passed.

Recycling Service: Allied Waste Service has been the township’s recycling service for the year. A motion was made by Dave Johnson to retain Allied Waste as the recycling service, seconded by Rob Schmidt, all in favor motion passed.

Annandale Fire Budget: Brian Haag represented the Annandale Fire Department. He stated that the fire department had 204 calls, and 18 calls were in Lynden Township, 12 of which were rescues. The fire budget for 2009 will be $9,418 the same cost as the year 2008.

Clearwater Fire Budget: Doug Neiters, Clearwater Fire Chief represented the Clearwater Fire Department. Lee Monk, mayor of Clearwater, was also present. Doug presented the 2009 contract for Clearwater Fire Protection. Preliminary cost for the 2009 budget is $41,660, a 10% increase. Doug said that number will have to be approved by the Clearwater City Council. Dave Johnson thanked the fire departments for their service. Robert Foss made a motion to accept the fire contracts for Annandale and Clearwater Fire Departments, seconded by John Koshiol, all in favor, motion passed.

Jerry Finch introduced Darrin Lahr who gave an update on CapX 2020; this is a power line project that will reach from Fargo to Monticello through Lynden Township. Darrin showed charts and maps explaining the process and answered questions from residents. He referred people to their web site www.CapX2020.com/learn.html for more information and said a schedule of all meetings is available there. Darrin said they have four potential routes for the line but the state of Minnesota will make the final decision on the route. Darrin offered to stay to the end of the meeting to answer any additional questions.

Anne Ackerman gave Lynden Updates: Anne started her presentation with pictures taken by Lynden Township resident Ken Bachofer. Anne thanked Ken for providing such amazing pictures that help illustrate the beauty found in the township.
Anne thanked Karolyn Boucher, Webmaster, for maintaining the township’s web site www.lyndentownship.org. Meeting agendas and minutes are available, along with ordinances, resolutions, and information about public hearings and other notices.
The township hall is available for rent for a $30 fee.
The township provides recycling service every other Friday through Allied Waste Service. We have increased the number of users by over 100 households. Anne explained Allied now provides wheeled carts and everything can be placed in the same container without sorting. She encouraged residents to use the service and said to call Allied at 252-9608 if you want to receive a cart and be added to the route. She noted that this Friday is a recycling day.
The township continues to provide the library in Clearwater $2000 per year.
River Country Bike Trail is open from Clearwater to Sportsmen’s Park. The trailhead facility is near completion; it will be available for rent next year.
The Beaver Island Trail extension to Warner Park is being pursued. The county is acquiring land but the trail will be built in the County Road 75 right of way if necessary.
Stearns County recently approved their comprehensive plan which outlines a vision to 2030 to preserve agricultural land and help manage & minimize conflicts between development and existing agriculture. Anne also reviewed some county ordinance changes and explained that Lynden Township must enforce County ordinances but can be more restrictive. Anne explained the township has more restrictive sign standards and also outlined the commercial kennel standards that were adopted this year.
Important dates: Township clean up day on Saturday April 26th from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. and the tax equalization meeting on April 16th at 7:00 p.m. Call the County Assessor for appointments.
Lynden Township has a Planning Commission which is a five member board. Interviews are held every May. If anyone is interested, contact Del Moeller at 558-6610 or Planning Administrator Karolyn Boucher at 558-2247. It is a five year term and is a paid position.

Lee Lenzmeier was introduced. Lee is the Stearns County Commissioner representing Lynden Township.

Building Permits: Dave Johnson introduced himself. He explained that Lynden Township adopted the Building Code in 2004 and the building inspector, Inspectron Inc., enforces the building code. Inspectron was hired in June of 2006; Ron Wasmund is the owner. Their hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and their toll free phone number is 1-800-322-6153; all inspections must have a 24 hour notice. Their newly launched web site is www.inspectroneinc.com. Dave explained the building permit process. Dave showed a spreadsheet detailing the permits for 2007. There were 57 permits with a residential valuation of $1,893,968.87 and a commercial valuation of $1,247,096 for a total of $3,247,064.87.
Myriam Mansell expressed concern with the article in the township newsletter about building permits. She believes there are too many restrictions on people and didn’t feel permits should be required for replacing windows or water heaters. Dave explained it was a safety issue and enforcement was required by the adoption of the uniform building code. A number of residents had comments and concerns about Inspectron Inc. Other residents countered with comments about the need to enforce the building code. David Weeres suggested that the township board discuss the matter with the building inspector to see if some of the issues could be resolved. After more discussion Bill Keigan made a motion to close the discussion and move forward with the meeting, seconded by Rob Schmidt, all in favor motion passed. Dave and Anne assured the residents that their concerns would be discussed with Ron Wasmund of Inspectron Inc.

Budget: Anne explained spending in 2007 is up $66,262 (19.28%) for the following reasons: Snow removal was up over last year, there were two township clean up days in 2007 instead of one, and recycling was higher because we used Allied for the entire year. In addition, there are thousands of dollars in expenses that show up in the budget that will be reimbursed, such as costs for nuisance clean ups, and engineering and attorney fees related to new plats. Road maintenance was up due to needing a new mower which cost $5300. Also, money was spent on road repair on 200th St. to avoid a complete reconstruction. Spending was up on roads which was requested by the residents at last year’s annual meeting. Calcium and gravel expenditures were higher than 2006.

Review of 2007 road projects: The road borings asked for were completed, and repairs were completed as necessary. The township wants to continue to improve roads. Some washboard areas are being addressed by mixing in gravel with a higher binder. More money will continue to be spent on grading, weather permitting. The 200th St complete reconstruction has been delayed indefinitely, due to a new spot repair option that has been working well. Randy Vait asked if 200th St. would be a nine ton road from Co. Rd. 145 to Co. Rd. 44 if it was rebuilt. Jerry said that would probably be done, but we are going to continue spot repairs on 200th St. There may be some grant money made available, and if so, we will apply for it for assistance.
Our tarring fund is now at $300,000 and it will be at $380,000 at the end of 2008. Current traffic counts do not warrant tarring, so any projects have to be property owner driven. The board has heard of two possible projects but no petitions have been received.

Brent Anderson had a concern that when the weather was dry there would be a water truck used for grading. He asked about this last year. Jerry said he did not pursue using a water truck last year but said he would look into the cost and see if there would be one available if needed in 2008. Bill Schmidt said it was very costly. Brent suggested we should use the tarring funds and asphalt some of the through roads and start moving forward with tarring something each year. The township board will consider this and discuss the development of a plan for tarring.

Anne presented the proposed budget which showed the only increase for Clearwater Fire. A proposed reduction in the tarring fund put the overall levy for 2009 down 9.7%. Discussion followed on the tarring fund. It was the consensus of those present not to lower the tarring fund. After a short discussion Dennis Nierngarten made a motion to set the tarring fund at $100,000, Tim Terwey seconded the motion, discussion followed. After a lengthy discussion, a vote was called. Brian asked for a hand vote; the motion did not pass. Bob Klaverkamp made a motion to set the tarring fund at $80,000, seconded by Dennis Nierngarten, all in favor, motion passed.

Election results:
Number of voters: 171 signatures on the polling place roster
4 accepted absentee ballots
Candidate: Dave Johnson, Supervisor 96 Votes Received
Candidate: Valorie La Beau Muggli, Supervisor 79 Votes Received
Candidate: Del Moeller, Clerk 160 Votes Received

Dave Johnson won the election for Supervisor and Del Moeller won the Clerk election.
Valorie Muggli congratulated Dave on his win and thanked all of the residents who worked hard and helped her with her campaign.

Gail made a motion to set the date for the Annual Meeting for 2009 on March 10, 2009, seconded by Rob Schmidt, all in favor, motion passed.
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Robert Foss made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by John Koshiol, all in favor, motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller
Lynden Township Clerk

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
MARCH 3, 2008
Those present were Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Karen Weeres, and Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. There were no corrections, Anne made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. There was a short discussion on tree removal by Schendzielos. Recycling bill is higher; it was discussed there are more people using the service. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Official, was present. Anne asked about fees for 911 signs. The $40 fee is to be collected when building permits for new construction are issued. Ron said it had not been done; he will send invoices to people who received new 911 signs without payment. Inspectron will collect the $40 fee on all future new construction permits. Review in April.

Timm Property, 3022 Fulton Circle: The clean up work will move forward; Jerry will get a list of contractors from Troy Freihammer of Stearns County Environmental Services (SCES). Jerry will get bids and handle the clean up process. Review in April.

Tom Middendorf: Anne stated that the next action in the Middendorf clean-up is to set a time for reviewing the assessment. Anne made a motion to review the assessment for the Middendorf clean-up at the monthly meeting on April 7, 2008, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. All clean-up costs will be totaled and Mike Couri, Township Attorney, will prepare a resolution. This information will be sent to Tom Middendorf as soon as it is completed.

Z-Marine: There was a short discussion on an application for the business to receive a license to sell trailers. There was some confusion because Z-Marine has two lots and the wrong lot address was referenced. Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commissioner Administrator, worked to resolve the matter. Karolyn also sent information to Z-Marine reminding them of their landscape plan. They will be on the Planning Commission agenda March 31st.

Messer Barn: Dave presented the resolution Mike Couri had written. It was received at 5:20 p.m. by e-mail today. There were some errors that Dave discovered. Discussion about the foundation removal ensued. The time frame on the removal was discussed. Inspectron’s initial letter listed June 15th as the deadline for removal. Dave will handle updating the Resolution to reflect the same compliance date. We will act on this at the April monthly meeting.

John Krause Compliance: Pictures were presented at the meeting showing inoperable vehicles on the lot. The owner is aware this is a violation of the conditional use permit (CUP). He was to have them removed by February. The truck has been removed, but other inoperable cars are now there. After a short discussion, it was decided that Ron would send a letter explaining the violation and ask him to come into compliance. Review in April.

The notices from Inspectron to residents who have not completed their building permits were discussed. Ron said most times the notices bring results. If they do not contact Inspectron to finish their inspections, then the permit is closed. If the property is ever for sale this would be addressed at that time.

Lynden Valley Industrial Park Letter of Credit: As of December 30, 2007 the letter of credit for Lynden Valley Industrial Park has expired. To date the township has not authorized any reduction of the original $654,392.50. Anne read an email that was received from Mike Couri, giving the township several options to reinstate the letter of credit. One of the options is the Town Board declare a default in the developer’s agreement due to the fact that the letter of credit has expired without the Township authorizing a release or reduction in the letter of credit. After the motion of the township to declare a default Mike will prepare a letter informing the developers to provide a letter of credit. If they do not comply, further action will be taken, possibly including court action and the withholding of building permits in Lynden Valley Industrial Park. After a short discussion, Anne made a motion to declare a default in the developer’s agreement, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed. Jerry made a motion to have the full amount of the $654,392.50 letter of credit be reinstated to Lynden Township, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed. Once the letter is reinstated, the developer can ask the town board for a reduction. Jerry will contact Mike for follow up. Review in April.

Ron will meet with Bill Keigan on Eaglewood Road in reference to building a handicap ramp.

Inspectron issued a stop work order at a home Ron believed to be on Beachwood Road. The home has been gutted, and they have not applied for a permit. It is a summer home. No one is living there at this time. Review in April.

Inspectron is launching a web site, inspecroninc.com. The site has permit applications and the checklists and information needed to obtain a permit. Feedback is welcomed.

Anne asked Karolyn to put a big notice on the township web site about the Annual Meeting March 11th.

A notice came from Mike Couri stating the Stearns County Sheriff Department has issued a citation and ordered a date for Kirk Fleahman 2098 193rd. St. E to appear in court on a dog running at large charge. The date is March 25th at 8:30 a.m. Mike will contact him to see if he will pay a fine.

Eaglewood Speed Limit: Anne read the proposed resolution drafted by Dave regarding the conduction of a speed study on Eaglewood Road. Anne made a motion to adopt Resolution 08-01, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, resolution adopted.

Clearwater and Annandale Fire Boundaries: Lieutenant Nohner from Stearns County Sheriff’s Office dispatch, asked for a document outlining the boundary revisions that is signed by representatives of both fire departments. Anne will prepare a memo to be sent to both fire departments before the annual meeting. Representatives from both fire departments will be at the annual meeting and they will sign it there. Del will handle it and copies will be sent to the county, the fire departments, and the township will have a copy on file. Doug Neiters will be representing Clearwater; Del will check with Annandale to see who will represent their department. The revised boundaries will also need to be written into all fire contracts.
Anne is meeting with Clearwater tomorrow to review the proposed fire contract.

The county received a complaint about unlicensed vehicles at 617 Emmet Road, which is in shoreland. We will review this property on our spring road tour to check for a violation.

The agenda was reviewed for the March 11th Annual Meeting. Del will send the updates to Anne to review; she will e-mail it to Karolyn to post on the website.

Jerry discussed a proposed county ordinance on private/vacation home transient rentals; it relates to rentals that are 30 days or less. It would be added to Stearns County Ordinance #209. Jerry will keep us informed of the discussions.

Jerry is going to check into some information on how the cost of the possible tarring on Fairfax and Frankfurt could be handled. This will be discussed at the April Monthly Meeting.

Discussion was held on when we would have the swearing in meeting if it cannot be completed at the short course meetings. If necessary, it will be held March 31st at 5:50 p.m.

Meeting dates for March 2008:
Annual Meeting March 11th 8:00 pm
Canvass Meeting March 12th 6:00 pm
Reorganization Meeting March 17th 6:00 pm
Short Course Holiday Inn St. Cloud March 24th 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
Swearing In Meeting March 31st 5:50 pm
Planning Commission Meeting March 31st. 6:00 pm
Spring Road Tour April 5th
Spring Clean Up in Clearwater April 25th 8:00 am to 11:00 am

Anne questioned a bill from Inspectron with four hours in charges to handle the driveway access permit on 5th Avenue. She will follow up with Ron.

Anne made a motion to accept the correspondence and bills, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
FEBRUARY 4, 2008
Those present were Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Karen Weeres, and Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne made a motion to approve the agenda with two additions, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. There were no corrections, Dave made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. There was a short discussion. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Messer Barn: Ron Wasmund, Township Building Inspector, stated that he had sent a letter to Mr. Messer, stating upon review of the building code and statutes he determined that the property owner has 6 months to backfill the excavation and completely remove the building. Mr. Messer will have until June 17th to complete the backfill with the option of him consenting to the Township completing the cleanup and backfilling and having the cost assessed to the property. Ron had not heard from Mr. Messer. Ron spoke with Mike Couri, township attorney, who suggested that there be a resolution by the township and not just the letter from Ron with the information. Dave will check with Mike and we will review in March.

Mark Ryan: Ron reported that Mark has complied with all of the requirements given to him by Stearns County. If Mark chooses to add a deck, he will need to procure the appropriate permits, but an additional variance would not be needed as long as the deck is not enclosed.

Vait’s Driveway: Ron met with Greg Vait and discussed how to move the rip rap that is encroaching on his neighbor’s property. He has agreed to fix this in the spring. Del will call Eva Jeffery and tell her the results of Ron and Greg’s meeting.

Timm Property 3022 Fulton Circle: Ron provided pictures and testified in court and the judge ordered clean up on this property for removal of the burned out trailer. Jerry will request bids to move forward with the clean up. Review in March.

Z-Marine: Anne asked Ron about getting a final site plan for Z-Marine. Steve Ziebarth was present and had a large copy which was reviewed. Ron will get a smaller copy for the township files. Steve needed a document signed; it was from the State of Minnesota allowing him to sell trailers. After a short discussion, Anne made a motion to authorize signature on the document, seconded by Jerry, motion passed. Jerry addressed the field approaches that are on the Lynden Valley Industrial Park property. The county requires all three to be removed. Bob Herges is aware that the township engineer will not sign off on the project until they are removed. Anne asked about the landscaping plan for Z-Marine. It will be reviewed at the March 31st planning commission meeting. Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commission Administrator, will follow up with Steve.

Tom Middendorf: There was a letter to Mr. Middendorf from our attorney explaining that the items he had listed as being wrongly removed from his property were all on the list of items to be removed as part of the clean up. If Tom contacts Del about this, she will have him call our attorney. The remaining action on this item is to compile all of the costs that have occurred in the process. Jerry and Karen will be working on this. The cost will be added to his property taxes. It will be collected over a period of years; five years was suggested. Jerry will contact Mike on how to proceed. The potential hazardous waste on the site was brought up, and this will handled by the MPCA. Review in March.

John Krause Compliance: John appeared at the February meeting; at that time he was told he had a permit to sell used cars but he could not have inoperable vehicles at the site without screening. It was stated that the one inoperable truck was to be moved; at this time the truck has been moved, but other inoperable vehicles are there. Dave will follow up to see if they have been removed. Review in March.

Dick Holthaus Dog Complaint: Del talked to Dick; he said he has only four dogs, and he has none for sale. He keeps them in a barn and only lets them out when he is doing chores. There will only be follow up if there is another complaint.

County Nuisance Report: There were four complaints left and two have been taken care of. The two remaining are at 202 Alder Road where the county will be taking action on the three cars on the premises starting February 5th and the Rinkenberger property on Dunmore Circle. This property will have an extension until May when there is to be an auction. Jerry will follow up on compliance.

Eaglewood Speed Limit: This action was driven by residents that live in Shores Point. At this time there are speed signs that read 25MPH; this cannot be enforced unless the road has a speed study that would warrant that speed. A resolution must passed by the township to have the study done. Jerry checked with Dave Totzke traffic engineer; the study will be at no cost to the township. Dave will prepare a resolution to review in March.

Clearwater and Annandale Fire Boundaries: Jerry met with the dispatcher at the Sheriff’s Office and gave them a map showing that everything north of 155th St. should be covered by Clearwater and the area south of 155th St. should be covered by Annandale.
The Board still has questions about the Clearwater Fire Department budget and how they utilize their actual expenses to compute their method of billing. Though we appreciate their services, we still need to understand how our costs are calculated. Anne will contact Clearwater to set up a meeting with the appropriate individuals to better understand their billing. Review in March.
The Clearwater Fire Department would like to cover the entire township; discussion ensued and it was decided this is an option that would only be considered if a sub-station was constructed in Clearwater Township.

Frankfurt/Fairfax Road Petition: Wayne Ethen, Bill Schmidt, Rob Schmidt, and Tim Tramway were present. They asked for information on getting Frankfurt and Fairfax Roads tarred. Wayne stated they want to research the options and get information to present to the residents who will be involved. They presented information that showed the total distance is less than one mile. Jack Kritzeck owns the land on both sides of the road on Frankfurt. Wayne asked if the first 1225 feet of the road could be considered a through road. He was told it does not constitute a through road because ultimately it has no outlet. In addition it would not qualify for township funds for the paving because traffic counts do not warrant it. The process of a paving petition was explained. Anne will forward a petition form to Wayne. If a valid petition is received, the township will facilitate the process but would only pay for the work to bring the road up to specifications in preparation for the asphalt. The requesting residents would be responsible for all other costs. The formula for assessing the costs to the homeowners is yet to be determined. Discussion ensued. Jerry offered to get an estimate of the cost of tarring. There are three empty lots; they are looking for the names and addresses of the owners. Del will check the records and get the information to Wayne.

Xcel Energy: Jerry explained about the power line that will be running through the area; it will be a single pole with a 150 foot right of way. The proposed location has not been chosen. Jerry will attend all meetings and will see about having an Xcel representative attend the annual meeting to make a presentation and answer questions from residents.

Carpet Cleaning: Del will check on prices and it will be discussed at the March monthly meeting.

Approval of Judges for Township Election: The schedule of judges was reviewed. Anne made a motion to approve the election judges, seconded by Dave, all in favor, motion passed.

Newsletter: Karolyn had prepared information sheets for everyone with ideas for the newsletter. Assignments were discussed. February 24th will be the deadline to get information to Karolyn. Target mailing date is February 29th to have it out before the annual meeting March 11th.

Annual Meeting Planning: There was a short discussion and topics were assigned. There will be more discussion at the March monthly meeting.

There was discussion about the transition of the Planning Commission duties. Karolyn in her position as Planning Commission Administrator will be taking the minutes. The board may not attend all meetings, unless there is an issue that needs their presence. All members agreed that they will be taking a lesser part in the discussions yet still remain aware of any issues. At this time it was decided there was not a need to purchase an additional transcriber for Karolyn.

Bills were reviewed: Anne had a question on an engineering bill from SEH. Jerry was not sure what it was. He took the check and will speak to the engineer before releasing the payment.

Correspondence: A letter was received stating that the Letter of Credit for the Lynden Valley Industrial Park has expired and can no longer be drawn upon. We had received a letter in October saying it would be lowered; the board did not believe that would happen because we had not authorized it. Dave will ask Mike Couri about the letter. Review in March.

Meeting dates for February 2008:
Planning Commission Meeting February 25th 6:00 pm
Budget & Audit Meeting February 27th
Spring Road Tour April 5th

Anne made a motion to accept the correspondence and bills, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair

LYNDEN TOWNSHIP, STEARNS COUNTY MONTHLY MEETING
January 7, 2008
Those present were Anne Ackerman, Jerry Finch, Dave Johnson, Karen Weeres, and Del Moeller. Anne opened the meeting at 7:00 p.m. and led the pledge of allegiance.

Anne asked if there were any additions to the proposed agenda. There were no additions, Dave made a motion to approve the agenda, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Anne asked if there were any additions or corrections to the minutes. Jerry noted that the name of the person who had spoken to Jerry about the hazardous waste on the Middendorf property needed to be added. Dave made a motion to approve the minutes with the addition, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Treasurer’s report by Karen Weeres was reviewed. There was a short discussion. Anne made a motion to accept the treasurer’s report, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Ron Wasmund, Township Building Inspector, was not present.

Middendorf: Jerry explained that Tom Middendorf provided a list to the township of all the objects he believes were removed from his property in error during the clean up. Jerry gave the list to Mike Couri, Lynden Township’s attorney for his review. Mike did not have a copy of the approved minutes from the December meeting at that time. Once he receives them he will reply to Mr. Middendorf’s complaint. When Tom was at the December meeting he stated that he would allow for testing of hazardous substances on his property, and was asked to put that permission in writing. His permission was not included on the document he provided. Tom stated he wanted to have his property issue settled before he would allow any testing. Tom also was upset because he felt his girlfriend had been insulted when the clean up took place. He wanted someone to apologize. Anne stated that she was very sorry the incident happened, but there was no one present from the township at the time, so he should express his concerns to the company who handled the clean up. Jerry explained that he would give our attorney the minutes from the December meeting and there would be a letter from him explaining how we would proceed with further action. Review in February.

Dick Holthaus was not present. Del will follow up with a phone call. Review in February.

John Krause: John was present; Anne explained that his conditional use permit (CUP) allowed a display area for used cars to be sold. It was brought to the attention of the Township Board that there were inoperable cars that have been there for a long period of time. John stated there was only one vehicle there now and he admitted that it was inoperable. Anne explained that if John wanted to sell inoperable vehicles, those activities would be considered junk and salvage operations and would require applying for an additional CUP. There was a short discussion. John agreed to remove the vehicle within 30 days. Review in February.

Gutzwiller Sign Removal: A letter was sent informing the property owner that the off-premise sign on the I-94 frontage was illegal. He was given until today to comply. Anne will follow up to ensure the billboard has been removed.

Eaglewood Speed Limit: There was discussion regarding the speed on Eaglewood Road. Jerry talked with Dave Totzke traffic engineer, who reviewed Eaglewood Road. In an e-mail to Jerry he said the township could submit a resolution requesting a speed limit study for a maximum speed limit of 25 mph. Jerry felt that a study should be done because the residents expressed a desire for speed limit enforcement. Anne voiced concern about the potential cost of a study. Jerry will check into the cost of the speed limit study. Review in February.

County Nuisance Complaints: All the vehicle complaints that were filed were resolved, except at 202 Alder Road; The County will now pursue an abatement order to enforce compliance. Review in February. The Rinkenberger property on Dunmore Circle will be reviewed after May. The machinery that is on the property is in his brother’s estate. There is supposed to be an auction in spring. This will be reviewed at a later date.

Dog issues on County Rd. 44 and 5th Ave.: Anne visited the residence on County Road 44 today and there was no one home. Vicky Evavold and Marlin Schroeder were present. They said they knew the people who lived there and they take good care of their animals. Anne stated that we needed to follow up because of a complaint report we received from the Sheriff’s Department. Anne will contact the property owner via phone. Anne read the ordinance and found that there is no limit on dogs in an A-40 district if they are kept indoors.
Anne received a complaint about a dog frequently running loose on 5th Ave. She is sending a letter to the owner informing them of the ordinance and the risk of their dog being impounded.

Clearwater/Annandale fire districts: Jerry stated that he talked to Lieutenant Nohner who works in dispatch; Jerry gave him the boundary lines for fire department coverage and he will make the corrections. There were questions about the Clearwater Fire Department budget and proposed cost of the fire service contract. Anne will contact Joni for further clarification. Review in February.

Lynden Valley Letter of Credit: Bob Herges was present. We have not received a formal request to reduce the letter of credit. Jerry informed Bob that everything would need to be complete before we agree to reduce the letter of credit including the removal of the field approaches. Jerry will follow up with SEH to get a final review of the project. Bob will request a reduction when he believes everything is in place.

A phone call was made to Ron Wasmund; he will not be present due to having the flu. He had sent a late e-mail. We will move forward with the rest of the agenda. Dave will contact Ron on the agenda items of the Messer Barn, 3022 Fulton Circle, Mark Ryan Compliance, Vait Driveway, and Z Marine Site Plan.

Shane Cotter: Shane is purchasing a lot in the Lynden Valley Industrial Park and would like to move forward with a building. Shane has a business that is a permitted use. The ordinance states that all businesses in the Industrial Park must present a site plan to the Planning Commission, but due to the holidays we did not have our regular meeting. Shane presented a site plan which was incomplete and also showed two access points. He was told that our guidelines allow only one access per lot. After a short discussion it was agreed that Shane would meet with Karolyn Boucher, Planning Commission Administrator. Karolyn will inform Shane of all ordinances with which he must comply. Anne suggested that he also contact our Building Inspector to complete the permit process so he can move forward with the building as soon as he meets all the other requirements. Anne is going to put together a registration form for permitted uses to help streamline the process in the future. We will discuss this at our next planning commission meeting.

Planning Commission Administrator: Karolyn Boucher stated that she has met with Chelle Benson and Rick Holman. They have made progress in defining the position. One issue that was discussed was that the township should have one primary contact person at Stearns County Environmental Services (SCES). Del will handle the agenda for the January Planning Commission meeting. At that meeting there will be a detailed discussion of the Planning Commission Administrator position.

Snow removal on Foxtail Court: Snow removal is difficult because a tree stands in the middle of the cul-de-sac. There is a 66 foot right of way, but residents maintain their lawns into the right of way. Jerry has discussed the issue with the property owners and he feels the problem is resolved. He will follow up if necessary after the next snowfall.

There are upcoming workshops concerning township land use and zoning, and the development process. Anne made a motion that Karolyn and Anne would attend the training, seconded by Jerry, all in favor, motion passed.

Roger Brown was present; He has a parcel that has 62 acres is an A-40 district. He went to the county to see if he could split 20 acres off the parcel because his son is interested in building a home. He was not sure who he talked to at SCES but they gave him a rezoning recommendation form and told him he should come to the township. The location of his parcel was reviewed, and he is not adjacent to a moderate growth area. If he would want to rezone, it would be considered spot zoning and Jerry explained it would be highly unlikely that he would receive approval from the county board. There was a question as to how many acres he actually has. He said he had different results from two surveys that were completed in the past. He was told to return to SCES and specifically talk to Angie Berg or Jennifer Buckentine to determine exactly how much land he has and whether he has enough for two building credits.

Census: Del received a letter in December stating that the Township should be involved in the process of confirming addresses for the 2010 Census. The township board does not understand why we should do the work if the county is also doing so. In addition, the county maintains the address database, not the township. Jerry will talk to Randy Schreifels, Stearns County Auditor. This will be reviewed in February.

Meeting dates for January 2008:
Planning Commission Meeting January 28th 6:00 pm
Tentative date for Audit meeting February 27th

Correspondence: Stearns County denied Dana Rootes variance in Shores Point.
There was a letter stating the court date for 3022 Fulton Circle will be January 14th.
The property sales were reviewed.
Bills were review by all township board members.

Anne made a motion to accept the correspondence and bills, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed.

Anne made a motion to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Jerry, all in favor motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 9:28 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Del Moeller, Lynden Township Clerk
Anne Ackerman, Lynden Township Chair