Paynesville Township Board

*The township board unanimously approved terminating their joint powers agreement with the city of Paynesville for the new airport. The city of Paynesville had previously passed notification of their intent to terminate the agreement, which would have taken effect in 365 days had the township board not agreed to terminate the agreement immediately.

As part of the agreement, the city allowed the township to keep unspent money designated for the airport ($194,000). The township, on the other hand, agreed that the city would no longer make payments towards debt retirement for the Koronis Civic Arena. Previously, the city had contributed $7,000 yearly for debt retirement at the arena. The city did agree to continue its $5,000 yearly contribution towards the arena operation.

*The board unanimously approved paying off one of the township's loans for the Koronis Civic Arena. The loan was at 6.5 percent interest. To pay it off on Tuesday, Aug. 13, would cost $248,053.17, said board chairman Don Pietsch.

The township will use the $194,000 that was designated for the new airport as well as cash in a few CDs to pay off the loan.

The township board also has a smaller loan (around $80,000) at 4.9 percent interest that they will continue to pay off. That loan requires monthly payments of $4,200 until February 2004.

*The board approved four appointments of township residents to a joint township-city swimming pool committee: Urban Fuchs; Greg Hansen; Lonnie Lien; and Brad Skoglund. Additionally, township clerk Don Wiese will serve as a nonvoting member.

The city will also appoint four members to the board, and those eight members will choose an additional three members for the committee, whose first task will be to direct the completion of a feasibility study.

*The board unanimously approved matching the contribution of the North Fork Crow River Watershed District, up to $5,000, towards a stormwater improvement project in the city of Paynesville. The city plans to put in curb and gutter on Lake Avenue (Highway 124) later this summer and direct the water to a retention pond, which will be located near the Catholic Cemetery.

The city had approached the township and the watershed district about participating in the project because 80 percent of the water involved comes from the township.

The state, which is paying for the rebuilding of Highway 124 before turning the road over to Stearns County, will also pay around $200,000 for the stormwater project, leaving around $50,000 in costs for local entities.

Allen Kuseske, manager of the watershed district, told the township board that the watershed district was looking at contributing $5,000 to $8,000 for the project and asked the township board to match that contribution.

*Following a public hearing with no comment, the board approved designating 263rd Avenue - from Highway 23 to the Zion Township line - as a Rustic Road. They then lowered the speed limit on the road to 40 mph. The township board had received complaints about drivers travelling at unsafe speeds on the road, especially from traffic turning onto it from Highway 23.

*The board approved having Warren Nehring remove rocks from the center of 187th Street for the flat rate of $100. The board directed township maintenance man Mike Jensen to fill the holes with gravel.

*The board approved having Jensen use the township's tractor and brush cutter to clean up the trails on Leo Louis' property before a camping outing for around 300 Boy Scouts.