The meeting was called to order by Supervisor Brandt at 7:00 p.m. with the Pledge of Allegiance. Supervisors Brandt and Peterson were in attendance.

Motion by Peterson, seconded by Brandt to accept the minutes of the January 13th Board Meeting, the January 21st Special Meeting, and the January 28th Special Meeting as amended. Carried unanimous.

Constance Madison presented information regarding her upcoming application for a conditional use permit to allow the breeding & boarding of horses on her property on Ossiwinimakee Road. Once the application is made, the board will review the details and submit a recommendation to the county.

Supervisor Brandt presented the Road and Bridge report as follows:

1. The maintenance crew’s been plowing, sanding, and scraping on warmer days.
2. They expect to have enough salt/sand for the season.
3. The crew assisted with the hauling of fire wood for Big Island.
4. Equipment issues are being repaired during slow periods.
5. Received information regarding the required inspection of the bridge on Willow Creek. Inspection has been completed and no issues were found.
6. Brandt presented information on a resolution prepared by the MN Association of Townships in support of transportation funding. Motion by Peterson, second by Brandt to approve the resolution. Carried unanimous
7. Brandt will be participating in the annual townships bus trip to the state capitol on March 13th.
8. There were no safety incidents.

There was no report presented for the Fire Department. A proposed line-item budget for 2015 for the fire department was provided to the board.

Supervisor Brandt reported that a report and study had been done in support of the Firewise Program in Ideal Township. He will be setting up a meeting with fire department and DNR officials to review next steps.

The Transfer Station/Recycling Center report was as follows:

1. Supervisor Brandt had worked the station to fill in for Doug who is on vacation.
2. The county had picked up the electronics and hazardous materials.
3. Brandt reminded users that fluorescent bulbs are not accepted at the station.
4. Tina Chisholm, who hauls the recycling bins, was still in hospital with her baby born in December. She has someone to fill in for her so the recycling bins can be emptied.

The Park and Recreation report was as follows:

1. The park sign and fence had been damaged by a vehicle spin-out. The damage has been reported to the sheriff and will be repaired in the spring.

Supervisor Brandt reported on planning & zoning issues:

1. Reviewed the information regarding the Madison CUP discussed earlier in the meeting. Brandt discussed possible conditions, and would expect to recommend approval, but would make final decision after the formal application is presented at future meeting. Dave Johnson offered to check with neighbors to get further comment.
2. Commented that there appeared to be no concerns regarding the McGee variance request.
3. Discussion of the Michels variance request on Whitefish Lake. Previous requests were granted by the county despite the township recommendation to deny. Now they are requesting additional lake setback variance to allow construction of addition to existing garage including guest quarters. Motion by Peterson, second by Brandt to recommend denial of the variance due to high level of impervious surface area and that there are already 3 families worth of structure on the small lot.
4. The Trout Lake Camp CUP had been approved by the county with the inclusion of 14 conditions. The conditions the township had recommended are included. Brandt will be working with the camp and county highway officials to install flashing warning signals at the CSAH 134 and Trout Lake Drive intersection. Camp officials had informed Brandt that they pursuing a grant to correct pathway drainage issues.

Supervisor Brandt discussed that he had been working to get more help from the county sentence to serve program. He had acquired a report of where the program had been used in the county during 2013. He was able to get a crew of 5 to help with the Big Island wood hauling.

Brandt presented some donation requests that had been received recently including the Crow Wing County Fair Association, the Crisis Line and Referral Service, and the Crow Wing County Historical Society. Motion by Peterson, second by Brandt to send $250 to Crisis Line for health services, and $100 to the fair. Carried unanimous.

A discussion took place regarding the town hall construction project. The clerk presented an update of the cost tracking and reviewed the pending & remaining items. A walkthrough with the contractor will be scheduled for next week.

The clerk discussed quotes received by Charter, Inc to provide cable, internet, and phone service for the township. They would only be able to provide service for the town hall building. The clerk will check with TDS to determine how this would affect the pricing of the existing service bundle. The Board discussed the upcoming Spring Short Courses, the annual bus trip to the capitol, the county association meeting, and the national association fly-in to Washington DC. The clerk notified the Board that a new bank account is to be setup to isolate incoming lodging tax funds that will show on future treasurer reports.

Motion by Peterson, second by Brandt to accept the treasurer’s report for January as presented. Report includes receipts #4606 through #4620 totaling $80,647.67 and disbursements #IRS011314 through #SVC013114 for total of $183,936.21. Carried unanimous.

Motion by Brandt, second by Peterson to approve the February claims as presented; claims #19011 through #19062 totaling $50,245.79. Carried unanimous.

There being no further business to transact, the meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm.

John Plein,
Ideal Township Clerk
February 22nd, 2014