REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING (MAY 18, 2004)

Board Chair, Robert Benson called the meeting to order. Other members present included Supervisors David W. McKeag and David Garner (7:15 pm). Also present, Clerk Colleen Thompson and Treasurer Kenneth Ebert.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Bob Benson made a motion, seconded by Dave McKeag to dispense with the reading of the April 20, 2004 board meeting minutes with each Supervisor having a copy of the same in hand and to approve the minutes as written. Motion carried.

Ken gave the Treasurer Report. Investments stayed the same at $282,913.75. Cash control as of April 1, 2004 thru April 30, 2004 - $1,886.40 received and $23,109.22 disbursed giving an ending balance of $132,335.29. Bob made a motion, seconded by Dave McKeag to accept the report as read. Motion carried.

Donald Benson representing the Boy Scouts of America Indian Head Council located off 310^th Street at 30654 32^nd Avenue Way appeared before the Board to request a building permit for a 42x42 troop cabin. A site plan was presented. All setbacks will be met. Estimated cost is $75,000. Dave McKeag made a motion, seconded by Bob Benson to grant a building permit. Motion carried.

Supervisor Dave Garner arrived at this time (7:15 p.m.).

Dave Garner reported he attended the Cannon Falls Planning Commission meeting dated May 10, 2004. He stated Corey Schmidt from C.C. Schmidt Engineering basically presented the same Request for Annexation to the Cannon Falls Planning Commission for the proposed Cannon Falls/County Road 24 Subdivision Property as he presented to our Board at our April meeting. Cannon Falls had a lot of concerns and question and stated they will not put it on the City Council Agenda until Stanton Township “signs off on it”.

The Board discussed the Public Hearing dated May 17, 2004. Corey Schmidt presented the Annexation Request to residents of Stanton Township. It was agreed there was much opposition expressed by the residents. It was decided there are unanswered questions. Road access and public safety are major issues.

Dave Garner made motion to by resolution deny Oak Ridge Development , LLC their request for annexation of approx. 145 acres located in the Township of Stanton due to the verbal withdrawal and pending written withdrawal of their proposal by Mr. John Larson, President of Oak Ridge Development at the Public Hearing held by Stanton Township on May 17, 2004. Dave McKeag seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Dave Garner reported that the Planning Commission reviewed the Planning Commission Guidelines. He stated they had no problem with the first three guidelines but did not agree with the need to have only the Clerk put legal notices in the Cannon Falls Beacon.

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING (May 18, 2004 cont.)

Bob stated the notices need to go through the Clerk. He stated two or three notices have had to be “pulled out” of the paper by the Clerk due to improper procedure, this costs money and only

the Board is allowed to incur expense.

Colleen stated she had pulled two or three notices. She also stated that MAT lawyer, John Dooley advised what should be included in the guideline.

Paul Schluter asked what would be the proper procedure.

It was stated that persons requesting conditional use or variance requests need to appear before the Planning Commission. If it is determined by the Planning Commission that a Public Hearing is needed they will then need to receive the needed information and payment for the Hearing from the party making the request, compile that information and present it along with payment for the Hearing to the Board at the next Board Meeting. The persons making the request may appear but are not required to be at this Board Meeting.

Paul Schluter stated he will relay this information to the P.C. Chairman. Paul stated he will make up a map for P.C. use showing township roads and private roads.

Jeff Haugen, 5825 303^rd Street Way, Cannon Falls, MN in Section 13 appeared before the Board to request a variance for an oversized 3072 square foot shed to be used for storage purposes. Mr. Haugen stated he restores antique/vintage snowmobiles and needs to keep these out of the weather. He stated Dave Kapp Jr. recently built a shed as per Township Ordinance guidelines and has already outgrown it, not accomplishing anything and he wants to avoid this happening to himself. Mr. Haugen presented his site plan. The shed would be 48x64 with a side wall height of 17 feet and the center of the building being 25 feet. Estimated cost is $30,000 to $40,000. A Public Hearing was held on May 11, 2004 by the Planning Commission. No opposition to the proposed shed was made. The P.C. stated concerns with the size of the shed but recommended approval of the request with a 4-1 vote.

Dave Garner stated the shed was out of proportion for the neighborhood.

Bob asked Mr. Haugen if he could scale down the size.

Mr. Haugen stated that if he scaled down the wall height it would not accommodate the 14` door needed for a motor home. He stated he has one of the bigger lots in the area, having a 1.25 acre lot.

Dave Garner stated it is 2.5 times as big as we allow.

Mr. Haugen stated it met all of the setbacks.

Dave Garner stated it is an imposing building.

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Mr. Haugen stated there is a church in the background. To try to scale down walls defeats his purpose for the shed.

Dave Garner said he understood the need and stated again it is an imposing building.

Mr. Haugen stated he would be keeping everything inside eliminating a cluttered yard. He also stated he is willing to work with the Township and is willing to move the building back. He stated there is a grove of trees to the West and that he would landscape the North line with trees.

Dave Garner noticed in the drawing that the measurement for the front yard setback was measured from the center of the road, instead of measured from the right-of-way line. The requirement is 60` from the right-of-way line. He stated Mr. Haugen needed 93` from the center of the road and he was 23` short on front setback, and that a 30` setback is required from the back property line. Dave Garner stated that as presented he can not vote for because of not meeting setbacks.

Bob stated setbacks need to be met. He suggested the discussion be continued next month giving Mr. Haugen time to redesign with a different layout.

Dave Garner made a motion to table the request until next month. Dave McKeag seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Craig Emery appeared before the Board representing Steve Emery, 2050 330^th Street, Dennison, MN in Section 33. Mr. Emery is requesting a permit to build a 25x60 calf shed. All set backs will be met (200 feet from the road and ¼ mile on all other sides). The estimated cost is $13,500. Bob made a motion, seconded by Dave Garner to grant a permit. Motion carried.

Tom Kurtz reported that approximate 500 yards (35 loads) of gravel has been delivered. He stated that roads have been graveled from Dick Danials on 325^th Street to Robinson’s driveway. Tom presented his list of roads needing rock. He had two categories. Roads that definitely needed gravel and roads that “could use” gravel. Bob stated wherever roads need it – put it.

Bob asked Tom his opinion of 1” rock.

Tom stated he wouldn’t recommend 1” because nothing binds it.

Dave McKeag asked if you could mix it with ¾” to help it bind. He also suggested trying 1” in the “soft spot” on 320^th Street and stated he would like to try it on 330^th Street in front of his place.

Colleen reported that she had called Joel Stenhaug from Warsaw Township to get his opinion of the 1” rock they had put on their roads. She stated that Joel stated it was a mistake. The rock didn’t stay on the road and either ended up in the ditch or flew up cracking windshields.

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Dave McKeag made a motion for Tom to have the authority to place rock where he determined it was needed. Bob seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Bob stated Tom was doing a great job and the Board has received a lot of compliments.

Tom asked the Board to contact Hernke’s about adding another truck to shorten the down time between loads. Dave McKeag stated he would call Mr. Hernke in the morning.

Gerald Willenbring, 32860 57^th Avenue Court, Cannon Falls, MN (Oak Leaf Estates) appeared before the Board with Ron Waltz and Paul and Lori Jenson to speak about 57^th Avenue being considered as a township road.

Bob Benson stated that Colleen had found some recent information.

Colleen stated that she had spoken to the County Recorders Office and was informed that the road, starting at CR 24 and along lot 1, then making the ninety degree turn onto 57^th Avenue is a plated road and was recorded as such on October 29, 1971.

Bob stated this shows that the road was developed before township regulations on roads came into effect in 1973. Bob asked those appearing if they wanted the road to be tarred and if so the township could set up assessments.

Ron Waltz stated there is a problem with the cul-de-sac not being large enough for the school bus to turn around.

Dave Garner stated that means there is no room to turn our plow or grader around determining it would need a 75` radius.

Bob stated we need to get the problem fixed now.

Dave Garner stated the township will gravel the road but stated he felt the township should not pay for fixing the cul-de-sac.

Dave McKeag stated the property owners should contact contractors and come back with cost estimates.

It was decided by the Board to have Tom Kurtz evaluate the project to determine if he would be able to handle the project, possibly costing less than if done by private contractors.

Mr. Willenbring will talk to neighbors in the area that would be affected by enlarging the cul-de-sac and return to the June 15, 2004 meeting with their response as well as cost estimates from contractors.

Tom stated we have the same problem on 20^th Avenue Way, not having a turn around for the

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING (May 18, 2004 cont.)

school bus. Tom will contact Mike Grunlund at 27639 20^th Avenue Way about putting gravel on

his property where the bus is currently turning around, giving the school bus and township a mud free area to turn around.

Bob Benson made a motion to raise the pay for our road maintenance person to $18.00 an hour starting with the June payroll. Dave McKeag seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Bob Schlekewy representing the Cannon Falls Sportsman Club appeared before the Board for approval of a 3.2 liquor license. It was moved by Bob to by resolution certify that the Town Board of Stanton in Goodhue County grants Cannon Falls Sportsman Club to sell 3.2 malt liquor and hereby consents to the issuance of the license applied for. Dave McKeag seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Colleen read the letter received from Ron and Sue Davis. They asked that the Board adopt a resolution stating that Mr. Michael Peterson:

a. Would not have been given approval of his re-plat without the road being improved.

b. Would not be given any building permits without the road being built and improved.

c. Has directly benefited because of the work that the Davis’ did to improve the road.

Dave Garner stated – No.

Bob stated they are dragging their feet.

Dave Garner stated other public use of that road is immaterial. They were given the conditions when they first approached the Board they were to upgrade and bring the road up to standard making it a public road.

Dave Garner moved not to take requested action. Bob seconded the motion. Motion carried.

John Berendt and Tom Marthaler representing Randolph Township appeared before the Board to request Stanton Township maintains 10 miles of road in Randolph Township. They stated their displeasure with their current contractor stating roads were not cleared of snow until after 3:00 p.m. last winter. They stated they have several cul-de-sacs. They do not have a current snow plow policy. They would like to meet with Tom to talk about gravel road maintenance needs including mowing.

John Berendt stated they are currently paying $65.00 for truck/plow plus sand and $60.00 for blade work.

Colleen reported that she had been contacted by Carl Slifka concerning their proposed driveway. They were given approval from the Board to come off from the end of a proposed township road. Their question was if this would open that portion of the driveway up for public use. They wanted us to assure them that it would not be used by neighbors to access fields or by others and that no driveway could be built off from his driveway.

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Bob stated the answer is no. We do not recognize the road. We will put up a dead-end sign.

Joe Vandenheuvel asked where the driveway starts.

Bob stated the use of the end of his driveway is between Mr. Slifka and other property owners, not the Township. He can not stop access to someone’s property and asked “what way are they using now to access fields?”

It was reported that tar repair is still needed on Deerwood Drive.

Bob stated he has not received town hall blueprints.

Colleen reported that old business including the snow plow policy, Ordinance draft copy and a letter to Allard Moorhouse concerning his gravel pit are not done. She stated that months back a motion was made to purchase fire extinguishers, first aid kits and warning triangles for use in township equipment. Colleen stated she would purchase the needed items in Cannon Falls.

Gary Sheridan, 5090 323^rd Street Way, Cannon Falls, MN appeared before the Board to request he and his neighbors on 323^rd Street have their 150` of “free” chloride applied to Stanton Trail. Mr. Sheridan spoke about the excessive truck traffic to the “tackle business” and the dust raised by this traffic.

Dave Garner made a motion stating he was in favor of making an exemption to the rule and putting their 300` of Dustmaster on Stanton Trail starting at Lingle’s for a total of 450` total applied. Bob seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Bob stated there are large trees that need to be removed from the road right-of-way in that area and stated he will contact property owner Paul Mantei concerning their removal.

Bob made a motion to transfer $3,500.00 from the General Fund to the Fire Fund. Dave McKeag seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Mail was distributed.

Colleen will return the township cell phone due to Tom stating he would use his personal cell phone if needed while working.

Dean Johnson asked when there would be a Public Hearing on the request by American Tower to add equipment to an existing tower.

Dave Garner stated that in talking with township lawyer, Tom Scott, he had gotten verbal confirmation that a Hearing would not be needed for adding equipment to a current tower as it was a permitted use.

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Dean Johnson expressed his disagreement.

A letter was received from the City of Cannon Falls asking the Township to review their proposed transportation plan affecting our township and to reply back as to which option the Township would prefer. In reviewing the options, the Board stated they would be in favor of a service road along TH 52. They stated they were NOT in favor of option A or option B.

Bob stated he had talked to the County Engineer about our bridge on 330^th Street. He gave Dave McKeag’s name and number to the Engineer to talk about the possibility of moving the bridge to the west when it is scheduled for repair work to be done due to the water washout occurring.

Claims were paid.

Dave McKeag made a motion, seconded by Bob and carried to adjourn.