Action on a petition from the local card club seeking more heat in the town hall on Monday mornings, approval of a positive comment for a proposed plat in a development project, a discussion of the upcoming township election for a new treasurer and a preview of the proposed 2016 levy were among the items on the agenda at the regular meeting of the Santiago Township Board Wednesday night.

 

Chairman Stuart Nelson informed the board he had received a petition from the members of the Monday card club that meets in the Santiago Town Hall requesting the thermostat in the facility be turned up by two degrees for Monday morning only during the cold weather period.

 

The matter had come before the board at the December regular meeting, at which time Nelson had stated that the card club members might “bring a light shawl” with them on cold days.  The petition letter included a photo of the club members wearing their shawls, along with the request for a slight heat increase.  Nelson declined to provide the photo for publication, doubtless hoping the subsequent board action would put the matter to rest.

 

After a brief discussion, in which Supervisor Jeff Pappenfus pointed out that the card club members do pay a fee for the use of the hall, and it was discovered that the thermostat can be pre-programmed for individual times, the board agreed unanimously to authorize the two degree increase throughout the winter months from 1-5 p.m. on Mondays.

 

The board approved a request for a positive comment to be forwarded to the Sherburne County Zoning Office regarding a preliminary/final plat for a proposed subdivision in the Soperfect Crystal Pines development.  Land surveyor Craig Wensmann appeared before the board representing the Bogart, Pederson Inc. engineering firm, and presented copies of the proposed plat to the board members for consideration.  The board had tabled action on the matter in December, when no representative from the engineering firm was present at the meeting.

 

Board members reviewed the plans with township contractor John Herbst, in particular discussing culvert placement and other details before agreeing to provide a positive comment to the county.

 

Clerk Kathy Woolard informed the board two candidates had filed in advance of the deadline seeking the two-year position of treasurer in the March township elections.  Incumbent Jeff Anderson is not seeking another term in the position, and candidates Kourtney Mortensen and Patti Simonsmeier have filed with the clerk.  A third party who missed the filing deadline is reportedly considering a write-in campaign for the position. 

 

Nelson said the board could look into the matter of ballot placement, since a misunderstanding as to the deadline led to the unnamed candidate not filing on time.  He also congratulated all of the candidates for their willingness to take part in “direct democracy” at the township level.

 

Pappenfus has filed for another three-year term as supervisor, Woolard said, the only other office on the ballot.

 

Anderson provided a preview of the proposed $302,500 2016 budget levy at the Wednesday meeting, which is the same as the 2014 levy.  

 

 

He also said, while the township does have a significant cash reserve at the moment, costs continue to rise and those funds can easily be consumed by road maintenance, construction and unexpected emergencies.

 

Anderson asked the board members to study the proposed expenses for the coming year in advance of the February board meeting, which will be his final appearance as township treasurer, and to provide any suggestions in regard to potential future expenses at that time.

 

The proposed levy showed $77,500 in the general fund, $145,000 in the road and bridge fund, $75,000 for fire protection and $5,00

0 in the park fund to reach the $302,500 total.

 

The sheriff’s report indicated 44 calls for service in Santiago Township in December.  The board learned that representatives of the manufacturer and the installer of the carpet in the town hall will meet next week to address the problem of carpet pulling up from the concrete under-floor in the main room.