The Palmer Twp. Board met Monday evening and heard several reports from county officials, and also showed off their new in-house solution for keeping roads repaired. After trying different solutions over the past couple of years, the board was recently able to purchase a used pothole patcher trailer and over the past week, the supervisors have been out using the hot mix to bring area roads up to snuff.

“Since last Monday we’ve spread eight tons of tar,” Chairman Mike Ganz reported.  “It went real well and the tar kettle has heat so the mix stays hot longer.”

In the past, the township has been at the mercy of the local hot mix plants and even when they could secure material, it usually had cooled off and was difficult to use once the crew hauled it back to Palmer.  Another issue was that in the springtime, the Township often had to wait until the plants opened to start addressing the tire-eating craters.

However, Palmer’s tar kettle trailer has a diesel motor that keeps the tar hot, meaning it is much more effective and efficient than using cold patch material.  In addition, Ganz noted that material can be stockpiled and then heated up and used on the township’s, rather than the hot mix company’s, schedule.

During the spring road tour, the supervisors were able to do an inventory of the areas that needed attention and while Ganz believes they were able to address most of the needs, he encouraged residents to contact the township hall to report any issues.

County Update

Sherburne County Administrator Bruce Messelt appeared before the board for his annual update and shared a variety of information pertaining to the county’s efforts over the past year.

He discussed items such as the St. Cloud airport request to change to a regional airport authority, as well as last year’s CARES expenditures and the upcoming ARPA funds and how they might be used.

Two items specific to Palmer Twp., however, brought the most discussion with the board: the proposed park on Big Elk Lake and rural intersection traffic safety.

Ganz noted that the township would like some communication regarding the proposed park, especially since it lies within the township’s boundaries and could perhaps remove over 400 acres from the tax rolls if it were acquired and developed by the county.

Messelt agreed that they would provide increased communication moving forward, as he would have Parks Director Gina Hugo be in touch about updating the board on a regular basis.

Messelt noted that the plans for the park have shifted dramatically since the first iteration, with a focus on passive use and preserving the history and native archeology that is tied to the area.

Treasurer Roger Johnson noted that many of the current plans are in line with the past work of the County Parks Commission, which he was a part of for years until it was disbanded several years ago.

The other area of discussion related to rural traffic safety and specifically the CSAH’s 3 and 20 intersection, which has been the site of several crashes over the past few years.  In fact, the entire rural corridor has been of concern to the board, as well as residents, for some time.

Messelt noted that in the past year, the county has made several safety enhancements to the intersection, including rumble strips and increased visibility and amount of signage.  Two separate traffic studies have been done in the area to gather data about best practice solutions to the ongoing crash issues.  The results showed that driver indifference is the biggest obstacle, but that the county can increase safety at the intersection by a range of 15-22% with the current improvements..

Several area residents quizzed Messelt on what they perceived as slow action to address the intersection, asking why studies had to be done instead of taking immediate action to alleviate some of the risk.  LED lighted stop signs seem to be the preferred application that the residents believe could help the situation.

Messelt noted that even the county is subject to the planning and regulatory processes of MN DOT and roadways have to meet two of four established criteria to be eligible for the upgrades. The CSAH’s 3 and 20 only met one criteria so additional studies had to be done to get approval for the increased control apparatus.

In addition, Messelt explained that the county must use data in looking at the traffic issues to ensure other conditions are met, for example that insurance coverage will be valid.  

However, he also said that he understands the sensitivity of the issue and the concern of area residents.  As a result of the citizen engagement over the past months, he felt that the county has been able to gather important local data that he supports a pilot project to install the LED signs at this location.  He would also propose to set up an ongoing study to look at conformity issues and data collection across the approximately 40 county rural intersections with similar features.  

His plan was to present the pilot project to the board of commissioners on Tuesday and seek funding to get it initiated this year 

(Editor’s note: the project was approved Tuesday morning by the county - see related article).

BOA

In related county news, Supervisor Demeules and Treasurer Roger Johnson both expressed their dismay at the board of commissioner’s plans to enact an ordinance that would prohibit elected officials from serving on the county’s Board of Adjustment.  

Both Johnson and Demeules are current members of the BOA and they see their service on that entity as important to Palmer’s residents. 

Demeules noted that Palmer sees one of the highest number of applications for variances, etc. that come before the board, while other jurisdictions see hardly any (Elk River and Becker) since they handle their own zoning. 

Public Safety

SCSO Commander Bob Stangler reported on last month’s 108 calls for service, which included many traffic stops and several reports of suspicious activity.  The same reporting period from 2019 and 2020 yielded 84 calls each year, according to his records.

Several boating complaints were registered, resulting in warnings and citations being issued.

Last month, Stangler had promised the board that he would investigate the ability to issue citations during high water emergencies on the local lakes when the “no wake” zones are declared.  Since then, Ganz and Stangler have communicated several times and the issue seems to have been worked out so it will be placed on the July agenda.

Ganz noted that recently there have been complaints about dogs in Palmer Park, but when he has responded to the issue, the canine owners have claimed they are service dogs.  The board was looking for guidance on the issue and Stangler stated that he will look into the legal aspects of such reports and bring information back next month.

Fire Chief Ron Koren next gave an update on the department’s activity, which showed 37 calls in the past month, including 16 in Palmer (14 medials).

Koren noted that as the meeting was happening, he had crews performing required pumper testing to ensure that the department is able to respond to fire situations where water has to be pumped for long distances.

Roads

In other road maintenance business, Ganz brought up the issue of turf establishment at residences, as there have been complaints from some homeowners about blowing and drifting sand coming from a neighbor’s house that has no grass seeded.

Ganz inspected the area and did note sand drifts and he felt the township should at least seed its shoulder right of way area to keep the roadway edge intact.  Supervisor Steve Demeules volunteered to look into the county ordinance regarding seeding of lawns so the rule can be applied evenly across the township.

Ganz also noted that a culvert on 95th Avenue is in need of repair so he will be gathering several quotes on prices and contractor availability to rectify the situation.  With the lack of rain recently, the board agreed that now would be a good time to address the project.

In Other Business, The Board:

• Heard a report that 161 participants had been to clean up day and next year the board agreed to look into solutions for accepting appliances and electronics;

• Learned that approximately 300 participants are showing up for Palmer Ball, the wildly popular program which runs for six more weeks;

• Heard from Ganz that the Candy Shack roof had been temporarily patched and will be replaced nest year as part of the Roofer’s Union apprenticeship program at no labor cost to the township;

• Listened to Clerk Amy Bragelman as she announced the results of the sport court survey, showing that 43 votes were received for putting in tennis and pickle ball courts, while 18 votes were just for tennis.  Several quotes will be sought, as it was believed last year’s prices have probably increased;

• Listened to Demeules give the Lake Association report, including the plans for July 2 fireworks and a July 3 boat parade.  He also reminded residents that shoreline project funds are available from both the BLCA and Sherburne SWCD;

• Approved positive comment for several zoning requests, including a re-zone on 57th St. for John Walker and a Toralv Dahle septic variance.