Vice-Chairman Mark Knowles informed the board that there had been no change in the number of Sherwood West residents who had signed the documents that would allow for a 15-foot construction easement, and that the project could not move forward without 100 per cent compliance from all residents.

 

The board had earlier held a public hearing on the project which included detailed maps outlining the work to be done, and had stated the need for complete agreement among residents in regard to the easement.  Knowles informed the board Monday that it would be difficult to line up construction companies for the project at this late date, even if all of the easements were signed now.  The board had originally planned to call for bids in January or February, when the best prices could have been negotiated.

 

A number of residents in the project area had cited concerns over damage to property and removal of trees in the construction zone, while others had raised issues concerning potential funding from the Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and MnDNR for including efforts to curb water run-off in the construction area. 

 

Chairman Jeff Schlingmann stated at an earlier board meeting that the water run-off issues were “beyond the scope” of the township’s authority, while Knowles said at the same meeting that no such funds had been available when the project began.  He also said that the $36,000 spent on survey and design work on the project far exceeded any other project in the township in recent memory.

 

Following the discussion on Monday night, the board agreed to contact the engineering firm of Bogart, Pederson & Assoc. to inform them of the decision to postpone any further work on the project.

 

In regard to the $250,000 the board had set aside for the road project, Knowles suggested that the township now embark on a program of “savings and maintenance” for the coming year, and suggested several maintenance projects which will be revisited at the May regular meeting.

 

 

The board held a required public hearing on the new six-year MS4 license that had been approved by the MPCA, which produced no comments from the audience members Monday night.  Schlingmann said that the new license had been approved “without comment” after the township had filed a re-application to deal with some “unsatisfactory issues” in the original application earlier in the year.

 

After closing the public hearing, Schlingmann stated that the new license will impose “many new obligations” for the township in regard to storm water management, specifically noting the Sterling Heights area, costs of which would be alleviated if the section is annexed by the City of St. Cloud in the future.  The township will also look into assistance from Sherburne County in meeting the costs mandated by the new license.

 

The board had also inquired into a waiver from the MPCA, but the volume of water dealt with places Haven Township outside the parameters for it, and one will not be granted at this time, Schlingmann said.  He informed the board that he had completed MS4 certification training through the MPCA.

The MS4 application is available for viewing on the Haven Township website.

 

 

Haven resident and long-time environmental activist Jane Korte gave a short presentation on the proposed Sandpiper pipeline project in northern Minnesota.  The current plan calls for the pipeline to pass through the Itasca State Park near Park Rapids, MN, continuing on to a refinery in Superior, WI.

The proposal by the Enbridge Corp. of Alberta, Canada, would see a 30” diameter pipeline carrying 375,000 barrels per day from the Bakken oil fields in South Dakota to the refinery in Superior, WI, with the refined oil potentially being shipped out on tankers from the Port of Duluth.

 

Korte said another feature of the Sandpiper pipeline is that it can be used both ways, and so has the potential for use in transporting fresh water from Lake Superior to alleviate drought conditions in the western states.  Such an operation would require approval from the governors of all of the Great Lakes states in the U.S. and the Canadian government.

 

A decision on the oil pipeline project by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is expected by October, Korte said.

 

 

Supervisor Kathy Sims-Kosloski informed the board that area residents can achieve significant savings on international flights by booking connections through St. Cloud once regular service to Chicago begins at the St. Cloud Regional Airport on May 6.  She told the board she had personally saved $400 on an upcoming trip to China by booking a connection to Chicago through the local airport.

 

Sims-Kosloski also said that the airport was in a “do or die” situation in terms of retaining the current level of air service, and that it would be very difficult if not impossible to attract another carrier if the volume through St. Cloud should prove to be too low.  While the current figures are encouraging, she wondered why airport officials in St. Cloud have not been more aggressive in advertising in local newspapers throughout the area.

 

The annual Clean-Up day is scheduled for Sat., May 17 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Haven Township Hall.  Sherburne County Master Gardners and the Yellow Bike Program are already on-board for this year, Sims-Kosloski said, and the Boy Scouts from St. Cloud have also volunteered for the event.

 

The sheriff’s report for March showed 76 calls for service in Haven Township including 32 traffic stops, eight accidents and 10 public assist calls.