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Paynesville Press - May 19, 2004

Township plans spring road repairs

By Michael Jacobson

The Paynesville Township Board of Supervisors took the following actions at their meeting on Monday, May 10.

*The board accepted the low bid of $154,353.65 from Bauerly Brothers for overlaying and shouldering on several township roads this spring, including the north end of NW Koronis Road and 185th Street. The bid includes a price of $21.51 per ton for asphalt for overlaying (6,435 tons), $29.54 per ton for asphalt for a cul de sac (145 tons), and $13.71 per ton for gravel (850 tons for shouldering). Their bid totals $138,416.85 for overlaying, $4,283.30 for the cul de sac, and $11,653.50 for shouldering, totalling $154,353.65.

The township received five bids, ranging from Bauerly's bid of $154,000 to $218,000.

A representative of Bauerly's Brothers told the board that work would begin last week.

The township is expected to split the cost of overlaying 180th Street with Eden Lake Township.

*The board was updated by chairman Don Pietsch on negotiations with the city over funding the local match for extending the Lake Koronis Recreational Trail from the city to the city beach on Koronis. The project is set to receive a $260,000 federal grant, but the local share could approach $100,000.

The township board, feeling the township has already done valuable sections of the trail, has told the city that it's their turn for the greater burden, especially since this leg will connect city residents with the rest of the trail. City officials recognize the township's existing investment in the trail, Pietsch told the board.

The board approved offering a 75-25 split between the city and township on this section of the trail, which Pietsch thought the city would accept. The township also hopes to involve the Koronis Lake Association in the project, further lowering its contribution.

Supervisor Pat Meagher, who represents the board on the trail committee, said that DNR grants might also reduce the amount of the local match for this portion of the trail.

*The board heard a request from township resident Roger Bagley to close a section of Lake Koronis Road to motorized traffic during the busy summer months. The road, between Veteran's Memorial Park and Grand View Cottages, is very narrow and the high volume of pedestrian traffic on and crossing the road is not safe with vehicles speeding along.

The township could erect a barricade on one end of this section, effectively closing the road to through traffic while keeping it open to residents in the area.

But the supervisors told Bagley that they would like to hold a public hearing on the matter and requested that he gather a petition from property owners in the area to request such a hearing and such a closure.

*The board approved fining Bob Ahrens $500 for a fire call. Ahrens was burning and had a burning permit but did not call dispatch before burning, so the fire department was sent when the fire was reported.

Ahrens protested the charge to the board, saying that he could not find the decision in the meeting minutes, prompting the board to reapprove the fine. He also charged supervisor Harry Thielen with lying to him when he asked if he would be charged and told the board that he would not pay the fine until Thielen was off the township board.

Township resident Julie Atwood told the board that she had looked through three years of meeting minutes but had not come across a policy for this. The township, however, did approve a policy of billing $500 for all fire calls at their annual meeting in March 1998.

*The board approved a variance for Kelly Mohr to build an addition to his house 21' closer to Cushing Road than the required setback.

*The board noted that it intended to enforce its dog ordinance in order to reduce the number of stray dogs in the township. The township's dog ordinance requires that dogs may not run at large in residential areas of the township, defined as any area with six year-round residences within a half mile.

*The board recessed in order to attend a county hearing on Tuesday, May 11, and to attend a joint meeting with the Paynesville City Council on Wednesday, May 19.



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