CRANE LAKE WATER & SANITARY DISTRICT (CLWSD)

BOARD OF MANAGERS’ REGULAR MEETING

Crane Lake Visitor Center

Wednesday, October 1, 2025 – 1:00 PM

The meeting was called to order at 2.25PM

Members present: Mark Anderson, Bonnie Caughey, and Rob Scott. Also present: Maintenance Worker Jeff Truebenbach, and Clerk/Treasurer Jo Ann Pohlman.

Members absent:  Deena Congdon and Darrell Scott.

Minutes: A motion was made by B. Caughey, supported by M. Anderson, to approve the minutes of the 9/3/25 Regular Meeting.  All voted in favor and the motion carried.

Correspondence:  The correspondence list was reviewed by the Board.  A motion was made by B. Caughey, supported by

1. Scott, that the correspondence be placed on file and acted upon as required. All voted in favor and the motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report:  Clerk/Treasurer J. Pohlman presented the August 2025 Financial Statements to the Board.  September 2025 payroll:  Admin – $2,576.00 & Operating – $7,797.50.  Payroll Taxes:  PERA – $1,389.12, Fed Dep. – $2,486.26, & MN Dep. – $430.00. VHB paid off the Septic/Gas Incident invoice.  $9,564.14 in deposit payments have been paid towards the cannister roof.  $100,000.00 was transferred from the Debt Service Savings account to the Capital Reserve Savings account.  A motion was made by B. Caughey, supported by M. Anderson, to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented and to approve the bills as follows:  Admin – $1,986.00, Legacy VI – $13,546.20, and Operating – $18,841.78.  All voted in favor and the motion carried

Funding Balances:  The balances were presented to the Board.

Administration

• Board Requirement (Options): The Board Manager requirement has been reduced from 5 to 3.  Mia Thibodeau, of Fryberger Law provided the procedure for the Board to reduce its manager requirements from 5 to 3.  The District is not required to do this, but may when they find it necessary. Communication on procedure continues with Mia.

Joint Powers Board

• State and Federal Grant Funding:  Most of the future bonding funds will be for Ash River.  R. Scott informed the Board of Crane Lake’s plan to replace the aging sand filters at the WWTP in the next few years with a request for funding options.  Estimated costs would be from $700,000 to $1,500,000. The VNP reported that they are addressing electrical lines and a design for year-round housing at Kettle Falls.  Their staffing is down.  They are looking for an operator for Kettle Falls.

S.E.H. Engineering Update 

• District Update:  There was no update needed.
• Sand Filters:  Initial discussions on procedure for sand filter replacement have been initiated by Plant Operator Rob Scott, Jr.

O & M. Update (Decentralized)

• Jeff Truebenbach Report: All the ISTS’s on this year’s checklist have been visited.  Ron Rutchasky is looking into a sticking float at the Partridge property.  Necessary pumping of lake access ISTS’s will be done soon.  Jeff is assisting with the location of the ISTS at the Weston property.
• Management Program Update:  The October 2025 Expansion Report was presented to the Board.  Three systems have been installed this year, with one more planned. Four new systems are planned for 2026, so far.
• Yearly O&M Review (Orton):  Jim Orton has a few more St. Louis County required property reviews to complete. Most of the needed repairs, provided on his ‘Fix It’ lists, have been completed.
• Yearly O&M Review (District):  See Jeff Truebenbach’s report above.

CLWSD Meeting Minutes –October 1, 2025

O & M Update (Centralized)

• Jeff Truebenbach Report:  WWTP valve was repaired by MN Pump.  Chemicals for the winter have arrived and are being stored at Rutchasky’s.  A few more loads will be hauled from the WWTP before winter.  Work on the cannister/storage building continues with the roof arriving from Toro near the end of October.
• Operations Report:  We met all the MPCA effluent limits for the month of August.  The plant is operating well. The influent volume is running high, which is at normal summer levels. There was a control valve in the primary clarifier that was replaced a couple of weeks ago by MnPump. The new storage containers are now on a good base of class 5 and level. The new steel roof has been ordered. We also ordered a new chemical storage tank and pump for adding chemical to the new settling tank. I talked with Craig Cambell, our sludge truck driver, about no longer dumping his personal sludge truck operation into our system anymore. I noticed a significant increase in phosphorus and fecal in our Pace Labs results and am trying to find a way to lower these numbers.  Other factors of this increase come from Voyagaire Houseboats and the new visitor center campground. That is why we ordered a new chemical tank and pump for the settling tank to help mitigate these numbers.
• Craig Campbell Concerns:  An email was sent to the Board with Pumper Truck Driver Craig Campbell’s concerns about the tank solids at the WWTP.
• Maintenance Vehicle:  The Board discussed replacing the Ranger rather than pursuing a maintenance truck option.

• Pumper Truck:  There was no report.
• Winterization:  The Board is looking into placing blankets on all grinder stations in the original centralized area.  The infuser will be turned on at the Brandon Anderson property prior to the others.

Public Comments: There were none.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:15M

Jo Ann Pohlman, Clerk/Treasurer

NEXT MEETING:   Board of Manager’s Meeting – November 5, 2025 – 1:00PM, Visitor Center

This draft of the CLWSD minutes has been posted solely for preliminary informational purposes.  Minutes are unofficial and subject to change until they have been approved by the CLWSD Board of Managers.