BOARD OF REORGANIZATION: With no chair, the clerk called the meeting to order with the Pledge and nominations for chair. Maureen Rioux nominated Mike McCullen; Alden seconded, all aye. Mike nominated Alden Shute to be vice chairman for 2025. Maureen seconded; passed. Treasurer Patrice Winfield said she chooses Northview as our checking account and Northview and Members Credit Union as our banks of deposit; Mike moved and Maureen seconded that notice-posting and publishing places would remain the same (Pine County Courier, The Evergreen, Wilmatownship.org). Alden moved and Mike seconded to approve the rates for snowplowing for 2025-2026. Passed.
Requests from OSAC, Family Pathways, Pine County Historical Association and Seven County Senior Federation for continued contracts. Board decides how to divide $300. We have four contracts. The people voted in 2022 to donate $300 to the four organizations. Alden moved and Maureen seconded to give each of them $75. Passed.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING: Written roll taken: Chair Mike McCullen, Superivisors Alden Shute and Maureen Rioux, Clerk Paul Raymond, Treasurer Patrice Winfield, and Deputy Treasurer Glen Williamson (being trained to take over the treasurer’s job). Also Micah Murray, Ellen Cales, Lane Cales, Rebekah Calder, Sarah Bergren, Daniel Calder, and Stefanie Williamson.
Road Report: Alden gave his report for January. He said this month there was nothing, except for some repair at the far south end of Little Tamarack Lake Road at the Holters for soft spots.
Approve wages and fees for 2025-2026: Chairman Mike read each line of the wages for 2025, and moved that the board accept them. Maureen seconded; passed.
2024 2025
WAGES Chairman $105/Mtg. (3 Hrs). $105/meeting
Supervisor 100/mtg. (3 Hrs.) 100.00/mtg.
Clerk 100.00/meeting 100.00/mtg.
Treasurer 100.00/meeting 100.00/mtg.
Clerk and Treasurer bookkeeping and reports 22.00/hour
General Labor 22.00/hour 22.00/hour
Major Mech. 30.00/hour 30.00/hour
Mech. Asst. 22.00/hour 22.00/hour
Grader Op. 25.00/hr 25.00/hour
Annual Meeting Moderator 75.00/mtg. 75.00/mtg.
Out of Town Meetings 100.00/half day 100.00/half day
150.00/full day 150.00/full day
Election Judges 20.00/hour 20.00/hr.
Hourly rate, Chairman $24.50; Supervisors $22 (Supervisor Labor $25/Hour)
Deputy Clerk and Treasurer Training, including meetings, $22/hour
Mileage: Federal rate for officers, judges, delegated township representatives, for judges training, township officers training, and association meetings, etc. $.70/mi. For 2025.
Alden moved to keep the snowplowing rates the same for 2025-26. Maureen seconded; passed.
SNOWPLOWING: 100.00/per season 100.00
Driveways over 700 feet: 125.00/per season 125.00
Driveways 1,000’ to ½ mile: 200.00/per season 200.00
Driveways over ½ mile 375.00/per season 375.00
OLD BUSINESS: Instead of reading a full report of the Pine County Township Officers’ Meeting Saturday, March 29, at the Community Center, Hinckley, Paul printed it out in the agenda. Speakers:
Mike Couri warned townships to prepare for Minnesota’s family leave act, earned sick and safe time law that requires employers to provide paid leave to employees, anyone who an employer anticipates works at least 80 hours in a year for an employer in Minnesota. It but does not include independent contractors. Part-time, seasonal and temporary employees are covered under the law. Employers must provide each employee in Minnesota with one hour of ESST for every 30 hours worked, with the ability to accumulate at least 48 hours of ESST each year.
Mindy Sandell said that Veterans Services has devoted $34 million for veterans services. They have two vans to transport vets to the VA but not enough volunteer drivers.
Jason Rarick spoke on the proposal to end public funding for non-public schools, which he opposes, and how the legislature has turned a surplus into a deficit.
District Rep. Jeff Dotseth spoke on capping property taxes for seniors, the need for workforce housing, and the 65 unfunded mandates.
Commissioner Hallan said road restrictions are on and apply to all gravel roads as 5 tons. There is no money for bridges now. Cuts in HSS have shifted some costs to the county, like for the 43 group homes in the county, which were mandated by the state. If $550,00 is shifted to the county, it is a problem. They have no revenue stream but taxes and grants. A 36,000 acre memorial forest will be dedicated on April 26, north of Duquette.
Commissioner Roger Nelson said the county effort to brush all county roads with wide margins is very successful and aids public safety. He’s very concerned that all the work counties have done to regulate cannabis businesses will be nullifed because they do not apply to native tribes, with the tribal cannabis contract/track, so we may have a tribal cannabis store next to one of the three licensed stores in our county, and there will be problems with taxation.
Auditor Kelly Schroeder said that she never thought that cannabis would consume so much of her time and attention with retail registration, growing and sales. She also talked about the tribal exemption from Pine County’s cannabis ordinance.
Co Attorney Reese Frederickson said they’ve put a lot of drug dealers and offenders behind bars, and he fought to keep a level-3 child molester out of our county. He prosecuted a drive-by shooter on I-35 and a man who shot his dad in their hunting cabin.
Sheriff Jeff Nelson said burglaries are up and encouraged more use of cameras. They can be solar powered and motion sensitive. The dept. has a new canine oficer, a German Shepherd. The county is getting license plate reading cameras. He admitted the privacy concerns but said they focus on suspicious cars. They read the rear plate and not every car is flagged, and no driver data but only the plates. Very helpful for stolen cars. Pine County shares data with other counties.
Dave Banta, county planning and zoning director, said that there is a big concern about short-term rentals like Air B&B and resorts are demandng fair play. There aer 600 short-term rentals in the county and only 20 are licensed and only five have a Minnesota health license. People are starting tiny home developments with multiple dwellings. County zoning does not allow multiple dwellings but does require strict adherance to septic ordinances. He stressed the Importance of the shoreland ordinance to protect our lakes. Once you lose a lake it’s hard to reclaim it. The state budget for invasive species is $193,000.
NPAHD Representative Barbara Fischer said colonoscopies are now available at Essentia Sandstone. They had education grants to train 18 EMR’s and another one for certified nurses and the class was full. The district is hosting Everyone’s Table on May 20, plus national night out and a health expo. There have been no tax increases in 26 years.
MAT Director Tammy Carlson strongly encouraged everyone to attend the Short Course on April 4. She said there was a tremendous turnout for township day at the capitol. MAT is lobbying for universal cell phone reception and for transportation funding for townships. Paid leave starts January 1, 2026 and towns must report in the same portal as unemployment insura nce. District 7 meeting August 7 in Cambridge. The annual conference is December 11-13 in St. Cloud, back to three days. She talked about the pfishing scam that MAT fell for.
NEW BUSINESS: Spring Short Course: Will be this Friday, April 4, at the DECC in Duluth. 8:00-8:30 check-in; 9:a.m. Welcome and Pledge. $75 per officer. Alden, Glen and Paul will ride with Patrice; Maureen is driving.
Schedule: Clerks & Treasurers: Post/Publish/Nothing; Meetings; Legislative & MAT Update and Insurance Update; Reorganization Meeting: Setting the Stage for a Successful Year; Paid Leave Reporting; Clerk/Treasurer Monthly Duties
Supervisors: MN State Fire Marshall Division; Local Road Research Board; Legislative & MAT Update and Insurance Update; Navigating New Regulations on Road Approaches
Paid Leave Reporting & Town Road Miscellany
Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) The U.S. Department of Treasury released the Project and Expenditure Report and associated User Guide to be used by recipients of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Recipients are required to report data for the period of April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. The deadline to obligate all SLFRF funds was December 31, 2024. Wilma obligated all of our unspent funds to training fees and town hall internet. Recipients are permitted to use SLFRF funds for any eligible use of funds that satisfies the SLFRF program rules, including the requirement that the recipient incurred an obligation by December 31, 2024. Any SLFRF funds that are not reported in the Annual 2024 report or not obligated by the deadline must be returned to Treasury. The due date for submitting this report is April 30, 2025.
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. Only Mike is certified for the review. Alden and Maureen can take the class online:
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. Assessment Training: Online training for boards of appeal and equalization: Board of Appeal and Equalization Training website: mnrevenue@public.govdelivery.com Follow the instructions.
Cigarette License: Stefanie Williamson asked for a cigarette license for their new place on the corner next to the Duxbury store, 55070 Tamarack River Road. Alden moved to grant it; Maureen seconded; passed. Fee $10. Paul will email it to Stefanie to sign and return one copy. Stefanie asked how to get fire extinguishers recharged and certifed. Mike said we have several and she should contact whover inspected it before.
Duxbury VFD Pancake Breakfast: Mike said the board gave approval for the Duxbury Volunteer Fire Dept. to use of the hall on all Memorial Day weekend Sunday.
New Volunteers: While Patrice was working on the checks and training Glen how to do them, a break was taken for some Duxbury Fire Department issues that came up. Six people from the EcoVillage on Tamarack Pine Drive attended the meeting and most of them volunteered to be either firefighters or responders, including Ellen Calles, who is a ER Surgeon. Micah Murray, Daniel Calder, and Sarah Bergren for the fire department. The new Chief of the Duxbury Volunteer Fire Department, Mike McCullen, encouraged them to attend the drill in Markville later this month (he wasn’t sure of the date) and get to know the other firefighters. We have EMR/responder bags equipped with AED’s, thanks to grants, and we can seek more grants to get more turnout gear. We just got two new trucks, a tanker and a grass rig, to learn and play with.
Treasurer’s Report and Claims: Total bills: $4,506.48 Alden moved to approve her report and transfer $4,500,000 from savings to checking. Maureen seconded; all aye. Passed. Mike moved to adjourn; Alden seconded. Adjourned at 8:40.
Paul Raymond, Clerk