Greenwood Township voters approve playground donation at annual meeting
In Minnesota the bedrock of American Democracy rests securely on the foundation built on the state’s many townships. In most of these townships Tuesday, March 13 is election and annual meeting day. People had the responsibility and opportunity to vote for their local government representatives during the town board election and give the board its direction for the forthcoming year. Greenwood Township was no exception. Citizens cast their votes during polling hours and gathered at 8:15 in the evening to approve the township’s financials, set its new levy and budget as well as provide the board direction on what they would like to see Greenwood accomplish.
The first business item on the agenda was to appoint a moderator to conduct the meeting and Mike Ralston, who was also a candidate for one of the open seats on the town board, was selected to serve as moderator.
Jari Ankrum, representing the Greenwood Recreation Board, gave a presentation on the groups’s proposed playground installation while seeking approval from voters to move forward on the project. Last year the Recreation Board built the timber-frame and stone pavilion and bocce ball courts which now grace the township grounds. The nearly $100,000 project was completed with cash donations, and donated labor. The township provided $17,000 of the total cost. Ankrum explained to township residents that the new playground project would entirely be paid for by the Recreation Board through many generous donations and fundraisers.” Not a single dollar of township money is needed,” Ankrum said. Nearly 100 letters of support for the project, including many donations, have already been received by the Recreation Board according to Ankrum. The public also learned that the Recreation Board has consulted a local attorney and that his opinion was that the township would not suffer any significant increase in liability to the township by the addition of playground equipment and that many townships have playgrounds without adverse effect.
Mary Richard said that she did not want to detract from the proposed playground but emphasized that she still did not understand why the township neglected to install the skating rink facility at the town hall this winter. Richard said that she believed that there was a concerted effort by some in the township to prevent the skating rink to be prepared for the skating season. Moderator Ralston acknowledged Richard’s concerns and said that the issue would need to be addressed next autumn to assure that the skating rink issues were resolved before next winter.
Kate Bassing spoke against any liability. “Any liability is way t0o much,” Bassing said and she questioned, “Which attorney (made this determination)?” Jeff Peterson, a local attorney living in the township, provided a verbal response to the question posed and the Recreation Board will seek to have a formal interpretation put into writing, Ankrum assured the voters.
Randy Kladivo then moved to approve to allow the Recreation Board to proceed with completing a playground facility. As soon as the motion received support someone in the crowd of 50 called for paper ballots and called for election judges to assure that only registered voters cast a vote. Two election judges were retrieved from their duties counting ballots from the town board to conduct the polling. The motion in favor of the playground was successful with 31 votes in favor and 19 opposed. The Greenwood Township Recreation Board expects to move forward and township residents should be able to utilize the completed playground some time this summer.
Mo Fontana spoke to encourage the township to generously donate to the Cook Library. According to Fontana, the library offers fine service to Greenwood Township and that she, herself, volunteers at the library. She said that other townships might donate a thousand dollars or more, and encouraged Greenwood to be generous in the future. Township Treasurer Delores Clark explained that Greenwood donates $100 and that donations might become controversial if they were too large. It’s not the function of townships to be donating to civic organizations according to Clark.
Pam Lundstrom also spoke to her fellow Greenwood residents. She reminded everyone about the importance of the long standing Tower Fourth of July celebration and encouraged people to support the activity. There is a Bingo and Chili Feed fundraiser on Sunday, March 19, at the Tower Civic Center, and Lundstrom invited everyone to come and support this event. She also noted additional fundraising events for the Fourth of July which will be held in April and May.
Dr. JoAnn Bassing moved to have the town board select the Timberjay as its official newspaper. A voice poll was taken and the township residents appeared to approve of her motion. No dissent was heard, however no count was taken.
In other action, the township residents:
• Approved the minutes of the March 8, 2016 Annual Township Meeting
• Approved the Treasurer’s 2016 financial report
• Approved a 2018 budget of $340,122
• Set the levy at $150,000
• Learned that the township was actively reducing its annual balance from a high of $1,356,052 in 2015 to a projected $628,880 balance at the end of 2018
• Waived the reading of all receipts and disbursements
• Listened to the Supervisors’ reports and the Fire Chief’s report
• Set the time, and place for the 2018 Annual Town Meeting for 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.