Township board holds second monthly meeting

This article submitted by Michael and Peter Jacobson on 1/5/00.

The Paynesville Township Board of Supervisors held their second regular monthly meeting for December on Monday, Dec. 27, at the township hall, which is located on the south side of the Koronis Civic Arena.

Several items of discussion dealt with the township's relations with its neighbors. Paynesville Township sent a check for its portion of a joint culvert to Roseville Township. Additionally, the supervisors talked about their desire for a written contract with Roseville and Zion townships concerning the maintenance and care of joint roads. Paynesville Township already has such an agreement with Eden Lake Township, which could be used as a model.

The township would like to cooperate with the city of Paynesville in making the intersection of Highways 55 and 23 safer. The board passed a resolution to the city asking for joint effort in getting the state to study the intersection and make it safer. At a minimum, the township board thought a sign saying, "Cross traffic does not stop,"Ęcould be put along Highway 23.

The township will be sending another letter directly to the state concerning the intersection of Highway 23 and NW Lake Koronis Road, about a mile west of the high school. One idea would be to install a turning lane there.

Attorneys for the city and the township still need to work on the annexation agreement between the two entities.

•The board discussed the proposed expansion of an Earl B. Olson turkey farm in Section 19 of the township. The township has told EBO that there is a lot of opposition to the expansion of their facility. Stearns County's Planning and Zoning Board wants the township to make their decision before the county considers the issuance of a conditional use permit again.

The township has a limit of 500 animal units per farm. The current proposal would mean an increase to 1,584 a.u. The state is planning to change its definition of an animal unit, but the township would need to revise its ordinance to make the same change.

Board chairman Johnnie Olson will be contacting EBO to discuss their project.

•The location of the township's proposed recycling facility has been reconsidered. The township had dis-cussed locating it by their maintenance shed, but now think that might not be a good spot for it.

•Two unpaid fire call bills will be put on the respective property owner's taxes if they are not paid. Two of the calls still owe $500. One didn't have a burning permit, and the other left a fire unattended and it got away.

•The cost for paving the Koronis Civic Arena parking lot and installing curb and gutter will be split between the hockey association and the township. The hockey association will pay 85 percent to cover the cost for the arena, while the township will pay 15 percent for access to its maintenance building. The township will pay for all the landscaping.

•The township's next meeting will be on Monday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. Also that night at 8 p.m., the board will hold a public hearing concerning a variance request for a relay tower for Cellular Mobile Systems. The 420-foot tower would be located on the western edge of the township in Section 30, near the border with Roseville Township. A variance is needed because the township ordinance limits the height of a tower to 200 feet.

•A county zoning informational meeting will be held at the Paynesville Area Center on Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m.

Return to Archives