BOARD OF AUDIT: Chairman Glen Williamson called the Audit Meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Also present: Supervisors Mike McCullen and Alden Shute, Treasurer Patrice Winfield, Clerk Paul Raymond and Micah J. Murray and Daniel Calder. Paul and Patrice had coordinated and cross-checked their books before the audit. Supervisors checked and compared the records. Alden moved and Mike seconded to approve both the clerk’s and treasurer’s records and and to sign the Schedule 1 Reports. Passed.

Proposed Budget and Levies for 2026 to present to voters at Annual Meeting. Clerk proposed no changes for 2026. We have not needed to increase our taxes and levies for over 10 years. Alden moved to approve the budget and levy proposal with no increases in any fund for 2026; Mike seconded. Passed. Paul showed the board the changes in Wilma Finances in the past 10 years, and also since 2007 (when we first used the CTAS Accounting System). In 2014 we had a total of $92,407 in all of our funds. Today, we have $176,337. In 2007, the first year of CTAS, we had $39,401 total in all of our funds.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING: Alden moved to adjourn the Board of Audit; Mike seconded, passed. Glen called the regular meeting to order with the Clerk’s Record of January Board Meeting: Paul read the record. Alden said the Eagle Head culvert is 30” x 30 feet, not 20”x24′. With this correction he moved to approve the record; Mike seconded; passed.

Road Report: Alden gave his report for January. He plowed all the roads and drives twice so far, and it looks like more snow is coming. He hopes he can wait for the two waves of snow before plowing again. Randy Michael told Patrice he had not been plowed; Alden said he had a closed gate. Alden can’t get off the grader to open gates.

Major Grader Repair: Alden said the shins on top and bottom of the rotation pivot need to be replaced. He ca’t do this but wants to call Nortrax and hopes they will send a mechanics’ truck with the equipment to repair the grader. It would cost a lot to ship it.

Treasurer Issue: Patrice sent a check to MAT for the L&R meeting in October for $90. They say they never received it. She asked if we should pay the $40 stop-pay fee. The board agreed that the risk is low and not to stop payment. Paul and Patrice will need to void the check in their October accounts.

OLD BUSINESS: OLD BUSINESS: Township Website Wilmatownship.com is now Wilmatownship.org. It it the same site, but is now powered by the Town of Wilma and the Wilma Township Board. Chairman Glen Williamson told the Board of Supervisors that he wanted to get out of the site, and has given it to Wilma Township. Meeting records and Financial Reports for the last several years are on the site. If anyone wants to review earlier records or financial reports from prior years, they are public records. Make an appointment with the clerk (320-245-2579) to see them. All town websites are required to get a .gov address, so we will also eventually. Webmaster Erv Kleinschmidt says it will cost the town about $200 to host the site. Town Safe: All of our records from 1907 are in the safe. Alden said his gun safe had some dampness and he and Paul opened and checked our safe; all was high and dry.

Minnesota Association of Townships 2025 Township Day at the Capitol: The Minnesota Association of Townships met at the Capitol and at the Capitol Radisson in St. Paul to lobby for township issues, especially transportation funding for town roads, taxes and state aid, EMS services, and bringing cell phone service to unserved rural areas. Glen and Paul attended. We met with Senator Jason Rarick and Representative Nathan Nelson and urged them to pressure MN Dot to allow cell phone repeaters on the Eagle Head Tower. District Director Tammy Carlson and Paul got to see the tail-end of the House session which the Democrats again boycotted. Glen reported on the Starlink Satellite Cell Service which is just starting. He gave Paul the info and Paul applied when he had cell service in Minneapolis last weekend. You need text to sign up. At first the trial is free, if one is accepted. We don’t know the cost after that. Starlink Internet is $100 month. https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/satellite-phone-service

NEW BUSINESS: Assessor, Board of Review and Equalization: To appeal property assessment for 2026 taxes. Lori Houitsma and Karen Stumne, our appraiser, will attend. Her phone is 320-591-1639. Paul will post the meeting. The Supervisors cannot appeal their assessments at the meeting but have to go to the county. Will be on Monday, April 15, Wilma Town Hall, 1 p.m.

New 2026 – 2028 Assessment Agreement, Pine Co: $5 per parcel for 2026; $4 per parcel for 2027; and $3 for 2028. Mike moved and Glen seconded to accept and sign this agreement for the next 3 years.

MBA Life Insurance: Minnesota Benefit Association is requiring boards who want to keep MBA Life Insurance to get $5,000 life insurance coverage per member; $1,000 no longer offered. Cost is $80 per officer per year, up from $35 for $1,000 coverage, for six officers. Discussion if it is a good use of taxpayer money. We have always subscribed for our officers. Glen asked Micah and Daniel for their opinion, and then moved and Mike seconded to keep the insurance at the higher rate for far more insurance. Passed.

Wilma Township Election, Tuesday, March 11, 2025: Patrice and Glen are up for re-election and both filed, along with Maureen Rioux for Supervisor. Paul, Cindy Klienschmidt and Lori Shute will serve as judges, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Absentee Ballot Board: We are required to have a Board of Absentee Ballots to open and verify any absentee ballots. Two judges are required; Paul and Cindy are trained for the board and Mike moved to appoint them; Alden seconded; passed. Per Auditor Kelly: “You need to meet periodically through the absentee period.  For the beginning part, the ballot board needs to accept or reject the ballots within 5 days of receiving them.  And then within 2 weeks of the election, that decreases to 3 days. Example: Ballot comes in February 9th.  You can wait until February 14th to meet and see if you get any others. If you get a ballot on March 3rd, you have to meet by March 6th.”

Board of Canvass and Annual Town Meeting: Will follow the election.

Board of Reorganization: To swear in newly elected officers and set wages, bank and posting sites for 2025. Usually done before the April Board Meeting.

Board of Audit for 2024 Books: Usually before February board meeting.

Treasurer’s Report and Claims: Total bills: $2416.73. Mike moved to approve her report and transfer $2,400 from savings to checking. Alden seconded; all aye. Passed. Mike moved to adjourn; Alden seconded. Adjourned at 8:30. Paul Raymond, Clerk