CRANE LAKE WATER & SANITARY DISTRICT (CLWSD)

BOARD OF MANAGERS’ REGULAR MEETING

Crane Lake Chapel Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, November 2, 2022 – 1:00 P.M.

Members present: Deena Congdon, Darrell Scott, and Rob Scott.  Also present: Clerk/Treasurer Jo Ann Pohlman

Members absent:  Mark Anderson and Bonnie Caughey

The meeting was called to order by Rob Scott at 1:12PM.

Minutes: A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by D. Congdon, to approve the minutes of the 10/5/22 Regular Meeting.  All voted in favor and the motion carried.

Correspondence:  The correspondence list was reviewed by the Board.  A motion was made by D. Scott, supported by D. Congdon, 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 September 2022 Financial Statements, which were Previous Year Comparisons and were reviewed with Jennifer of Glorvigen, to the Board.  October 2022 payroll: Admin – $2,101.00 & Operating – $5,919.50.  Payroll Taxes: PERA – $1,283.31, Federal Deposit – $2,237.44, MN Tax – $331.00. A motion was made by D. Scott, supported by R. Scott, to approve the Treasurer’s Report as presented and the payment of bills as follows:  Admin Fund – $2,802.50, Legacy III Fund – $4,108.00; Legacy IV Fund – $25,495.00; and Operating Fund – $9,707.16.  All voted in favor and the motion carried. There was Board discussion of the shortage funds in the Admin. Fund and the Operating Fund; and the transfer of funds from the Kicker Blvd. Legacy Fund to those funds to bring them into balance.  A motion was made by R. Scott, supported, by D. Scott, to transfer $30,000 from the Kicker Blvd. Legacy Fund to the Admin Fund and the Operating Fund.  All voted in favor and the motion carried.

• Funding Balances:  A Report of current Legacy grant funding balances was presented to the Board.
• IRRR Grant:  The District will be receiving $250,000 in IRRRB Grant funds to use as a partial match for the WWTP update grant.  The District was previously awarded a $200,000 ARPA grant for the remainder of the WWTP update grant match.
• 2023 Sewer Rates:  The Board discussed the need to increase rates for 2023 due to increased expenses and inflation.  The Board has not increased rates since 2014.  A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by D. Congdon, to increase rates by approximately 8% for 2023 beginning with the February billing as follows:  $70 base fee plus $15.75/per 1,000 gals usage per month for older systems, and $86 per month for newer systems. All voted in favor and the motion carried.

Administration

• Ordinance & Procedure Review:  The District will review their Ordinances and Procedures over the next few months.
• SLC Short Term Rental Application:  A letter was received from St. Louis County with Michael Seigley’s application for a Short-Term Rental Permit as the property is within the District’s boundaries and could affect the District’s infrastructure.  A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by D. Congdon, that the proposal may be issued as proposed.  All voted in favor and the motion carried.    
• Delinquent Sewer Bills:  The Board reviewed the list of delinquent accounts.  A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by D. Congdon, to certify to St. Louis County the delinquent amounts to be included on property taxes of the affected properties.  All voted in favor and the motion carried.
• Kristin Scott Usage Fees:  It was brought to the Board’s attention that usage fees for the Kristen Scott property should be refunded back to June of 2021 when the house burned on that property.  A motion was made by R. Scott, supported by D. Congdon, to refund the usage fees for the Kristen Scott property from June 2021 forward and to discontinue charging usage fees.  R. Scott and D. Congdon voted in favor, D. Scott abstained and the motion carried.
• FYI – Twp. Posting of Manger Positions for 2023:  The Township will be posting and publishing two manager positions in mid-November to be voted upon at the Township December meeting.

Joint Powers Board

• JPB Update:  The October meeting was held in Crane Lake.  Ash River is working on easements and soil borings and hopes to have a design by March.  Kabetogama is doing soil borings at the State Point Area for the treatment plant site.  Koochiching County has been allocated $200,000 which needs to be spent upon usage decision.  Crane Lake has begun their Waste Water Treatment Plant update with progress being made this fall with planned completion next summer.  More ISTS’s were installed this summer.
• State and Federal Grant Funding:  The earmark process will begin in Jan/Feb after the elections.  State Bonding requests will be made in 2023 or 2024. 

CLWSD Meeting Minutes – November 2, 2022

S.E.H. Engineering Update  

• District Updates: 

Plant Upgrade: The WWTP update is in process.  There will be a construction meeting on Friday, November 4^th to review progress and plan what further work can be completed this fall, weather permitting. 

O & M. (Decentralized)

• Management Program Update:  A report of current ISTS activity was presented to the Board. Work may begin at the M. Schwanke property yet this fall.  An email will be sent to the Schwanke’s outlining the pricing structure for their planned expansion.
• Rate Study:  B. Caughey continues to work on the project.

O & M Update (Centralized)

• Operations Report:  Rob Scott Jr. provided the following report:  We met all the MPCA effluent limits for the month of September.  The plant is operating well. Rachel Contracting is making great progress on the plant upgrade project. The settling and equalization tanks are in place and hooked up. They will not be put into service until the entire project is done, sometime next summer.  We have an onsite meeting Friday November 4thwith Rachel Contracting and SEH to go over the progress of the project.
• D. Tufte RV Site:  D. Tufte’s engineering firm, Benchmark, and S.E.H. are talking about the planned RV site sewer infrastructure needs. The District will provide the grinder station and access to the main line.

• Twp. RV Site:  Jason Chopp of S.E.H. advised that needed information requested by Don Hinzmann of S.E.H. had been provided regarding the sewer requirements for the Township Visitor Center and RV site
• Job Descriptions:  There was nothing new.
• Winterization:  The team will begin the process of placing blankets, turning on heat tapes and starting the infusers.

Public Comment:  There was none.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:10PM

Jo Ann Pohlman, Clerk

NEXT MEETING:   Board of Manager’s Meeting – December 7, 2022, 1:00PM, Fellowship Hall

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.