During their February meeting, the Clearwater Twp. Board reviewed five-year recycling contract quotes from three vendors, Waste Management, West Central Sanitation, and their current provider, Republic Services.
After review of the bids and questions from residents, a motion carried to award the contract to Republic Services, which came in with the lowest bid at $6.05 per bin for 2023. The price will go up incrementally each year to $7.21 each in 2027.
The township currently has 577 bins out. Residents can request a second, or larger, bin by calling Republic at 320-252-9608.
Road Projects
A lengthy discussion was held concerning upcoming road projects and which are most needed, including in slope work at the junction of 150th and Huber Ave., removing the hill on Huber that is just before 148th St., and then chip sealing that section, 148th, and Grover Ave.
“I would like to see the in slope work and hill taken out for safety reasons and continue the chip sealing to finish what we started,” said Miller. “They would benefit a large number of residents.”
It had been discussed that dirt from the removal of the hill and another hill on 150th could be used for the in slope work.
“I don’t buy the safety issue,” said Supervisor Rose Thelen. “I’d just as soon meet some other needs first.”
Residents at the meeting spoke both for and against the removal of the hill on Huber. More data was requested.
Maintenance Dept. Supervisor Mike Ludenia stated they will need to check on the status of their permit for the in slope work first, as he was told it had never gotten final approval. He and Clerk Jean Just will check into it. Ludenia was also asked to get a price per mile to chip seal and Just will get mileage for each of the roads being discussed.
Fixing the ‘y’ at the 155th and Grove intersection was also discussed; a motion carried to obtain recommendations from a surveyor.
Other Business
The board discussed creating a public alert messaging system similar to what the City of Clearwater uses. Residents would ‘opt in’ with their phone number to receive the alerts. The issue will be discussed again after more information is gathered.
The board agreed to seek restitution from the person who broke into township hall in August 2020. He was apprehended due to his fingerprint on a can of pop that was left at the scene.
The Mississippi River-Saint Cloud Watershed Planning Group is working on an initiative to develop a Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan for the Mississippi River-Saint Cloud Watershed under the One Watershed, One Plan program. Restoration, protection, and preservation are the primary focus areas of the plan. Residents are asked to provide their input by visiting bit.ly/mrsc-watershed-openhouse.
The Local Board of Appeal and Equalization meeting will be April 27 from 3 to 7 p.m.
Clearwater Twp’s annual meeting will be March 14 at 8 p.m.
The township’s annual cleanup day was set for May 20. The possibility of collecting car batteries was discussed; Just will look into whether it’s feasible.
The next Clearwater Twp. meeting will be March 8 at 7:30 p.m.
