Discussions about parks, as well as potential term limits for Supervisors constituted a majority of the business for Monday evening’s Palmer Township Board meeting.
The Palmer Park Committee reported on potential Buckthorn removal and the need for volunteers to help with implementing the forestry plan. Chairman Mike Ganz reminded the committee that any volunteers would need to be registered through the township so liability waivers could be obtained. In addition to the invasive Buckthorn, there is other brush and several trees to be removed, as well as some turf establishment in areas that could be used for the extremely popular Palmer Ball program that will kick off on June 10.
Supervisor Steve Demeules discussed several items pertaining to the new county park on Big Elk Lake, including some additional signage being installed and Sherburne County’s request for $3 million in bonding financing from the State of MN during the upcoming legislative session.
A discussion was also had regarding Ice Day on the Chain, scheduled for Feb. 10 on Lake Julia. Because of the late start to ice formation on the lakes due to temperate weather, contingencies are being discussed by Ice Day leadership and could include moving the date to later in the winter or moving the activities to Palmer Park. No decisions were announced, other than general agreement that colder temperatures would hopefully lead to the event being able to be held on the original date.
Term Limits
At the end of the meeting, resident Lefty Kleis asked to address the board on his opinion regarding the need for term limits across all levels of government, from the national to the local offices.
He asked that the board consider putting local term limits on the next agenda and letting residents vote on the idea. Kleis proposed allowing for two terms, or six years, per elected local official.
“With a little luck, maybe it (term limits) will spiral,” Kleis noted.
Several residents weighed in on the proposal, noting a general lack in interest from the public in running for the local offices. Some agreed that the term limit proposal was amenable for statewide or national races, but was not needed for the local government, which already produces a higher level of transparency.
Township Treasurer Roger Johnson, who attended the meeting via Zoom, stated that there were no provisions in state law that would allow a local township to implement term limits, arguing that local ordinance cannot usurp state law. Johnson was unable to cite the specific statute, but held steadfast to his belief.
Current Supervisors Mike Ganz and Mitch Wipper noted that the yearly elections afford anyone the opportunity to run for the office, which includes a great deal of behind the scenes work including filling potholes, or cutting fallen tress off a road due to storm damage.
Wipper called the current township structure, the “purest form of government” and offered that transparency was much higher locally than in those higher offices.
The Supervisors agreed to check on the legality of the request and report back at the next meeting.
The Patriot immediately reached out via email to the MN Secretary of State, but did not hear back regarding the matter by press time.
However, in an email provided to the Patriot, the Minnesota Associations of Townships General Counsel Steve Fenske noted that there are no powers given to the Township board or voters at the annual meeting to impose term limits on township officials. Fenske’s email said that neither the township nor voters have the authority to establish term limits and he surmised that even if the power existed, the practice would probably decimate many local boards who struggle to get people to accept the job in the first place.
In other business, the board:
• Heard from Sgt. Kevin Grams regarding 65 calls for service answered by the SCSO last month, a nearly 30% drop in volume from a year ago. Two fires and a dog bite were included in the call history;
• Reminded residents of the clean up day scheduled for May 18, as well as the Truth In Taxation meeting on April 16 at 9 a.m.;
• Heard from the Park Committee on the need to meet soon to decide on the sizing of the Disc Golf tee stations, as well as the final placement preference for potential pickleball and tennis courts;
• Listened to CLFD Chief Ron Koren, who detailed 16 calls for service for the department last month, including seven in Palmer (two fires, five medicals);
