Beihoffer takes seat at reconvened Greenwood Town Board of Supervisors meeting

WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2018 — On April 10 the Greenwood Town board of Supervisors voted to continue its present meeting on April 18. This move was undetertaken upon the advice of Mike Couri, the township’s attorney, and was done to wait until all statutory requirements could be fulfilled before Byron Beihoffer could be sworn into office and take his seat on the town board. Following the election recount the township needed to wait for 10 days before seating Beihoffer in case the election was challenged. Dr. John Bassing had not yet conceded the election and remained on the board of supervisors. Apparently the township did not desire to continue to do any further business until the results of the 2018 election were implemented and the new board member seated.

Unfortunately new Town Board of Supervisors Chairman Mike Ralston made an error in counting dates when he proposed April 18 as the date to continue the meeting and seat Beihoffer. It turns out the that unless Bassing acknowledged his loss, and willingly steps down from his supervisor’s seat Beihoffer could not be seated until April 19.

Faced with having to again continue the town board meeting Ralston met with Bassing and it was decided that he would tender his resignation to the board so that it could seat Beihoffer on April 18, and complete its reorganization tasks without further delay. Bassing agreed to resign provided he was provided an opportunity to make a public statement at the board of supervisors meeting.

Bassing resigned and took the opportunity to address the town board and lambasted this writer, Anthony Sikora, as “unprofessional” and criticized remarks I made to Greenwood Clerk Sue Drobac following her abrupt cancellation of a recount of election ballots on April 3. Now that the township completed a recount of ballots from the March 13 election it was obvious that Greenwood was indeed able to successfully conduct a election and recount contrary to what Sikora told Drobac, Bassing said.

Following Bassing’s revisionist history lesson the town board appointed Beihoffer to a one day term of office so it could conduct its business with its five seats filled. The town clerk gave Beihoffer his oath of office and he was seated on the board of supervisors for the day, until his elected term of office begins the next day.

The board continued its regular meeting and its reorganization business.

The Greenwood Township Board of Supervisors took the following actions:

  • Thanked Bassing for his time served on, and his resignation from, the Greenwood Township Board of Supervisors
  • Discussed negligent hiring and agreed that new fire department policy resolved any issues related to the matter
  • Determined that there was not any need to have an Employee Supervisor because the only “employees” are firefighters which become employees only by the fact that they receive an honorarium for their services
  • Approved $15.00 as the hourly wage election judges to be paid for future elections, beginning with the Minnesota Primary on August 14
  • Accepted and acknowledged several donations received by the township in memory of Daryl Horsman, and a donation from the Greenwood Quilters in appreciation for using the town hall for its activities (Phil, you should have a correct spelling, right?)
  • Approved liquor licenses for Vermilion Club, Gruben’s Holdings, shamrock Landing, Timbuktu Marina and Bay View Lodge
  • Filled the list of Supervisor appointments
  • Acknowledged that the township’s 40th Anniversary celebration will be held  from 12:30 until 5:30 in the afternoon, on Saturday, August 25, at the town hall and adjacent recreation complex
  • Purchased a subscription to The Tower News.If you already haven’t, you should too!
TOP