Dean Stienessan from AMA Architects attended Tuesday’s Clear Lake Township meeting to present expanded plans for the new township hall.

 

He explained the building was designed to look more like a house than a business in order to fit in with the rest of the neighborhood. The exterior was designed with an up north cabin look with stone and logs or cedar siding and open trusses. Stone columns, fake dormers and a false chimney were added for character and a homier feeling. 

 

Supervisor Gary Gray asked for the columns over the front entry to be added over the sheriff’s entry door on a smaller scale as another option.

 

Gray explained the interior layout along with the fire proof room needed for records storage. The building is currently laid out at 3,300 sq. ft. 

 

Gray informed attendees the township has been saving money for the past five years as their goal is to not have to borrow money when the time comes to build. The new structure will be built on Clear Lake Twp. Park land they already own; he’s been working with Sherburne Cty. on zoning issues.

 

The cost of the building is estimated between $400,000 and $600,000; the township currently has around $358,000 put away and they will be receiving $24,000 from the sheriff’s department for lifetime use.

Gray explained the new township hall is needed as the current one is dilapidated, not handicapped accessible and has a number of other issues. He stressed they didn’t know when building would actually happen and that the plans were all preliminary.

 

Comment forms were favorably approved concerning the applications the township submitted in order to build the new township hall; one for a CUP (conditional use permit) for a permanent government structure, one for an outlot in Riverwood plat, and one for the property plat of Asia White and Isaac Marks, which is the name the township gave to the parcel. 

 

White and Marks started the trading post by the river in 1848.

 

Engineer Terrance Vander Eyk asked for a motion for partial payment to Astech for $3,573 for last year’s contract, which was passed. 

 

He informed the board Allied would be commencing with the 2017 seal coat projects on August 28 and said they were looking for a place to store the chip seal. The board agreed on a site at 16th Street in Riverwood which Eyk will recommend to the company.

Jeff Rhodes from Driveway Services LLC informed the board Riverwood was patched and ready for sealcoating.

 

Eyk told the board a preconstruction conference on the 80th Ave. project was held last week; the board reiterated they wanted the work completed by the first week in September.

 

Gray told the board they were still in negotiations with the City of Clear Lake regarding the new fire contract; the goal is to make it more equitable for all parties involved.

 

A motion to approve the 2018 levy at $465,000 was passed.

 

Gray informed the board there was finally some action on the solar garden projects in the township.

 

The board passed a resolution for MnDOT’s five-year construction easement needed for the upcoming Hwy. 24 project.

 

The sheriff reported 92 calls for service for July, including 47 traffic violations, one accident, three medicals, four boating complaints, four ATV complaints and four fireworks complaints.

 

The next Clear Lake Twp. meeting will be September 19 at 7 p.m.