Maine Prairie Township/City of Kimball Joint
Meeting
November 29, 2011 7:00 p.m.
Kimball Area Fire and Rescue Hall
Chair Loewen opened the meeting with the pledge to the flag.
City members present: Mayor Tammy Konz, Paula Capes, Nat Osmundson, Joe
Krippner, and Eric Loewen. Fire Chief John Gohman was also
present.
Township members present: Chair Dennis Loewen, John Wicker, Ronald
Kuechle, Chuck Froehling and Clerk Terre Harff.
Old Business was called for:
1) Orderly Annexation – The
Township asked if the city was still interested in pursuing an orderly
annexation agreement. With the consensus to continue, it was
agreed upon that each entity draw up a new document for review then
work, as a group, on issues not agreed upon.
2) Storage of Township Files –
Chair Dennis Loewen thanked the City council for allowing the township
files to be stored at their police station. The City council asked
for a rental agreement to be drawn up to have a deadline for storage of
the files for a 10 year period with no cost to the township. With
it already approved at the city, Supervisor Wicker/Kuechle made a motion
to accept the rental agreement with a starting date of December 1, 2011.
Motion carried.
3) Fire Hall/Town Hall – With
the township looking at building a town hall, there was a question as to
the availability to add onto the fire hall. John Wicker stated
there was a discussion at the annual meeting in 2010, by the fire
department personnel who live in the township, concerning adding onto
the fire hall. With the township board being denied previously
saying there was not enough room, there was confusion as to when that
changed. John Gohman explained that before the annual meeting last
year, Mayor Konz, Supervisor Loewen and himself got together to discuss
the possibility of adding onto the fire hall. Gohman explained it
was the past City council and fire board that did not see the
possibility of adding on. He further explained that the building
could expand east to the pond and the fire department still could add a
bay to the north. Further discussion was that the township
residents feel the fire hall is their building so it will be a hard sell
to build elsewhere until that misconception is cleared up. John
Wicker thought it would be an easier sell if a Joint Powers Agreement
could be drawn up with the City concerning the fire department to assure
the township has some type of ownership if money would be spent on city
owned property. Discussion was to check into it further with the
township lawyer and bring the info back to the next joint meeting.
In the meantime, the township will look at what is best for the township
and come up with cost figures for adding onto the fire hall. Discussion
was that since it is a city owned building, it would need to be an
engineered project which would add onto the cost. John Gohman
explained the township would have their own operating expense for fuel
and utilities of which rent is paid.
Chair Loewen called for any other old business, with none, new business
was called for:
1) Billing and work done on a
culvert at the intersection of 135th Street and 83rd Avenue. Clerk
Harff billed out for the patching but was confused if the intersection
work was a shared cost. With discussion as to the location, it was
decided that it was a shared cost.
2) Proposing work to be done on
135th Street – With each entity in agreement that patching and crack
filling is needed to be done on 135th St., east of Hwy 15, the township
board was told to check into costs this spring and bring it back to the
city board for approval.
3) Central Lakes Snowmobile
Club requesting permission to use city property for their trails.
It was explained where the trails were located last year. A
concern was the damage to the road edge on 83rd Ave. It was
suggested the club use the old Eckman gravel pit entrance instead of
83rd to get into the city because that would keep them off of the steep
ditch on 83rd. The new trail would have them go around the city.
Mayor Konz doesn’t think it is bad to go into the city because it brings
in business for the city. It will be further discussed at the
City’s next meeting but they would relay the concerns for the shared
road.
Chair Loewen called for any further business, with none the next meeting
was scheduled for 6 months unless a special meeting could be called
concerning the joint powers agreement.
Dennis Loewen/Eric Loewen made a motion to adjourn. Motion
carried. The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 p.m.
Terre Harff
Maine Prairie Clerk
Maine Prairie
Township
12670 Co Rd 149 Watkins, MN 55389
Phone: 320.398.2905 Fax:
320.398.2906
clerk.mpt@meltel.net
Copyright (c) 2008