January 2024 Minutes
REGULAR MONTHLY BOARD MEETING OF THE SUPERVISORS OF THE TOWN OF MORSE HELD ON
January 9, 2024
At 5:01 p.m. on January 9, 2024 at the Morse Town Hall, Chairman Len Cersine called a regular meeting of the Supervisors of the Town of Morse to order with the following present: Supervisor Bob Berrini, Supervisor Terry Soderberg, Supervisor Len Cersine, Clerk Nick Wognum, Treasurer Mary Ann Lekatz.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
The minutes of the December 12 were reviewed.
A motion was made by Soderberg, seconded by Cersine to approve the minutes of the December 12 meeting. Motion carried.
Lekatz presented claims 16636 to 16655 for $28,026.11. Wognum presented a late claim from the Minnesota Association of Townships Insurance Trust for $2,907.00.
A motion was made by Cersine, seconded by Soderberg to approve the claims as presented including the additional claim for $2,907.00 to Minnesota Association of Townships Insurance Trust. Motion carried.
Lekatz presented receipt 96005 for $2.00.
Lekatz said there were two additional expenses in 2023, $17,678.00 for the ambulance and $100 to Butch Gornik along with LGA of $4,559.00 and $422.00 in Disparity Aid and $50.37 for agriculture. She said the two CDs that came due in December we received $601.76 in interest on $20,000. We are still waiting for some final numbers for 2023 including interest from bank accounts.
Wognum said he would like to set up a Zoom meeting with the DNR on the parcels on Taconite Trail issues.
Treehouse Broadband is still waiting to hear on their grant application.
On the LRIP the applications have closed and we should expect a three month timeline to hear something.
Soderberg said the city put a deflector on the streetlight and complaints from Jeff Larson in reference to dark sky issues. He said he is not in favor of taking the light down. The board agreed. Wognum will send him a letter due to concerns over emergency response in that area which is very dark at night.
Berrini said a meeting on the Wildfire Defense Grant should be held in April at the Morse Town Hall. There will need to be two two-hour workshops that would have to be held to meet the grant requirements. From the workshops we would develop a community specific mitigation action plan. Soderberg asked that we contact Jason Chopp to see if his firm would assist with this.
A letter was received from Grant Netzer at 1961 Old Highway 1 on providing access on a private road. Since the township has no authority on this road there is no action to be taken.
There is $69,000 remaining on the fire truck loan in 2024. Lekatz asked about paying off the loan in February. We could save several thousand in interest.
A motion was made by Soderberg, seconded by Berrini to approve paying off the remaining balance of the fire truck loan, estimated to be $69,000. Motion carried.
The Ely Golf Club submitted their liquor license renewal form which need to be approved by the township.
A motion was made by Soderberg, seconded by Berrini to approve the liquor license approvals for the Samz, Ely Golf Club and Burntside Lodge. Motion carried.
Wognum said the Automark assisted voting machine was brought to Virginia by Harold Langowski and he picked up our new Omniballot machine.
Wognum said the township filing period will close on January 16 at 5 p.m.
Correspondence was reviewed but no action was taken by the board.
There was discussion on the ambulance service. Lekatz said at the current rate Morse would be paying $80,000 a year. Berrini said there are a number of meetings this month on that topic. He said more monies have been coming in from the billing company. The next meeting on the Ambulance Joint Powers Board will be on January 22.
A motion was made by Soderberg, seconded by Cersine to adjourn at 5:53 p.m.
_____________________________ _____________________________
Len Cersine, Chair Nick Wognum, Clerk
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