Regular Meeting
06/03/2013, 7:00 PM
Members present: Kerry Olson, Chairman; Paul Zent, Supervisor; Ken Selzler, Supervisor; Jerry Kunz, Zoning Board Member; Terry Mauch, Weed Board; JP Moszer, Road Supervisor; Roger Thompson, Assessor; Greg Hillig, Building Inspector; Mike Schwartz, Treasurer; and Elizabeth Patterson, Clerk
Member absent: Rick Solberg, Zoning Board Member
Chairman Olson opened the meeting.
Supervisor Zent made a motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting. Supervisor Selzler seconded the motion. The motion passed with Supervisors Zent and Selzler and Chairman Olson voting in favor.
School Board report: Shawn Whitney, Apple Creek School Board Member, said the painting of the school will begin in July due to the rainy weather.
Zoning Board: Mr. Kunz said he had attended the most recent Lincoln zoning meeting regarding the new subdivision on 26th Street and had reminded those present that 26th Street was not built to county specifications and is not maintained and felt anyone planning to build in that subdivision should be aware of that.
Assessor’s report: Chairman Olson said he received an application for abatement from the county for Robert Kiefer. He said the county believes the property should be valued as a mobile home. The township had previously discussed the application and had decided to leave the home classified as it was. Supervisor Zent made a motion to approve the application for abatement for Robert Kiefer as approved by the county. Supervisor Selzler seconded the motion. The motion passed with Supervisors Zent and Selzler and Chairman Olson voting in favor.
Chairman Olson said the township has gotten on the wrong side of the county assessor and it appears that the county assessor would like Mr. Thompson removed as the assessor in the township and for the county to use Vanguard to assess properties. Chairman Olson said the county assessor claims the township has some inequities in its assessments, mostly new properties in the Copper Ridge area that were incomplete at the time all township assessments were due to the county. Mr. Thompson did not include those in his books. Chairman Olson said the township board agreed with Mr. Thompson’s handling of the incomplete properties. He said the county says those properties should have been included and assessed a certain percentage and at a meeting with the county assessor, Chairman Olson requested that the township be given the chance to fix the errors made by Mr. Thompson. Supervisor Zent said the properties in Copper Ridge are in the city’s jurisdiction, not the township’s, but the township assessor receives the building permits from the city to assess. Supervisor Selzler said the county assessor wants Vanguard to reassess all properties in the township and will take that request to the county commission at its meeting on July 17. Supervisor Zent said the township does not want Vanguard to begin assessing properties because the township would lose the ability to address each property owner’s situation at the equalization meetings. Supervisor Zent also suggested that township residents attend the July 17 meeting in a show of support for Mr. Thompson and the way the township is handling assessments. Supervisor Selzler said he spoke with the North Dakota Township Officers Association about this situation and it was suggested that the township contact Thomas Moe, legal counsel for the association, for guidance. The consensus of the board was for Chairman Olson to contact Mr. Moe.
Building Inspector’s report: Mr. Hillig said he issued the following permits:
• D & D Ziegler Construction - new home with attached garage at 10017 Pond Place.
Valuation of work - $167,814
Permit - $954.65
• Bob & Joyce Oatfield - house/garage addition to new house construction at 6909 93rd Street.
Valuation of work - $54,013
Permit - $418
• Justin & Jamie Jacobson - detached garage at 2600 93rd Street.
Valuation of work - $21,760
Permit - $258.75
• Marchus Homes - new home with attached garage at 11001 Lake View Drive.
Valuation of work - $204,763
Permit - $1,079.63
• Al Stein - detached garage at 8713 Chestnut Lane.
Valuation of work - $21,600
Permit - $233
Mr. Hillig said the owner of a property in the Mees Subdivision wants to build a garage with living quarters to live in until he finishes building a home on the property. Supervisor Zent said that in the Mees Subdivision, an approval of this sort must first be agreed to by the subdivision’s covenant board. Mr. Whitney said he will get the covenant board together to discuss this property. Supervisor Selzler said if the covenant board does not act on it by the township’s July meeting, the township will act on this property.
Edward Rath, owner of the property at 11761 Hillard Drive, was present to discuss the letter he received from the township requesting that he remove the structure and garbage from his property or the township would remove it and charge him the cost. Mr. Rath said he had begun fixing the property and removing garbage, but requested another month to finish the job. Mr. Hillig asked that Mr. Rath call him before a new roof is installed to inspect the structure. Supervisor Zent made a motion to allow Mr. Rath until the township’s July meeting to fix his property or return at that meeting with an update. Supervisor Selzler seconded the motion. The motion passed with Supervisors Zent and Selzler and Chairman Olson voting in favor.
Road Supervisor’s report: Mr. Moszer said he has prepared a letter for Chairman Olson’s signature to the county regarding signage on the intersections discussed at last month’s meeting. He said he also has a letter for Chairman Olson’s signature to the county requesting the speed limit on 66th Street between Lincoln Road and 26th Street be posted at 35 miles per hour. He indicated that the work on the gravel portion of 119th Street will begin as soon as it is dry. In response to the concerns at last month’s meeting regarding ATVs and motorcycles in the ditches and over approaches, Mr. Moszer said the sheriff will begin patrolling the area, but Mr. Moszer also implored residents to not put up barricades on the approaches to block riders.
Treasurer’s report: Mr. Schwartz said checks written totaled $2,010.13 and deposits totaled $3,444.
Supervisor Zent made a motion to pay bills. Supervisor Selzler seconded the motion. The motion passed with Supervisors Zent and Selzler and Chairman Olson voting in favor.
Other business: Supervisor Zent announced that Ann Willoughby was appointed by the board to fill the position of clerk as Ms. Patterson will be moving outside of the township.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Patterson