Town of North Star
Annual Town Meeting
March 9, 2021
Call to Order and Welcome – Town Clerk, Carrie Landman, greets and thanks the residents for attending the meeting. She expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to work with them as the Town Clerk and support the communication initiative.
Pledge of Allegiance
Nominate and Elect a Moderator
Gary Mantay nominated Dick Dillon and Sue Forbragd second the motion.
2021 Election Results – Election Judge/Gary Mantay reported the results of the election was 18 votes for Dick Dillon and no other write-ins votes.
Moderator Dick Dillon announces the Clerk is going to make a statement.
Statement by the Carrie Landman: As you know from both the letter you received in the mail and the posting on the message boards, this meeting is being held by phone due to the Minnesota Emergency Executive Order preventing large gatherings due to COVID-19.
However, it will be very difficult to have discussions and vote over the phone, particularly on the 2022 proposed budget levy. The Annual Meeting does not need to be completed tonight, instead you can vote to recess, basically pause the meeting until a later date when the meeting can be held in person, either outdoors or inside with better ventilation. That will enable us to have more through discussions before voting.
Carrie asked if there were any questions? There were no questions, would someone like to make a motion/second the motion approving the continuation of the 2021 Annual Meeting until June 8, 2021 at 7 pm?
Annual Meeting (Continued)
06/08/2021
North Star Town Hall
Call to Order – Town Clerk, Carrie Landman *Welcome to the Town of North Star Annual Meeting recessed on March 9th to tonight. Thank you for coming tonight! Our Moderator Dick Dillon is unable to join us tonight so we will need to nominate and elect another moderator.
Nominate and Elect a Moderator Linda Britton nominates Gary Mantay and Jan Keough seconds. All aye. Gary reminds everyone that due to COVID-19 the meeting was recessed until now.
Read and Approve the 2021 Annual Meeting Agenda
Review and Vote to Approve Minutes from March 10, 2020. Linda Britton makes a motion to approve the mintues. Jan seconds the motion. All in favor, aye all. No opposed.
Reading of Board of Audit Report as posted prior to the meeting (Clerk)
- Financial Report
- Receipts and Disbursements for 2020
- Receipts – $53,564.10 (does not include Fire Donations, one-time payments or Recycling)
- Disbursements – $155,899.96 (does not include Fire Donations or Recycling)
- December ending balance checkbook $97,652.94
- Receipts and Disbursements for 2020
- 2022 Proposed Budget / Levy
Jan makes a motion to approve the 2022 budget, Rory second. All in favor – unanimous. No opposed.
General fund $ 23,543.00 Salary increase Clerk/Treasurer/Communication
Road & Bridge $ 7,500.00 2022 Includes gravel
Fire $ 25,265.00 Additional fire turnout gear
Building $ 7,685.00
Total $ 63,993.00
Jan makes a motion to approve the 2022 budget, Rory second. All in favor – unanimous. No opposed.
- Election Results – Dick Dillon was elected for another three-year term as supervisor.
- Road Report – Gary Mantay, Supervisor reported they have done grading and will be hauling in some gravel over the summer and spread over some bad spots. Gary asked for issues to let him know.
- Communication Strategy – Carrie Landman, Clerk
- Email list of residents 59 people who have signed up on the website
- First Town of North Star e-newsletter was sent to 54 residents in May 2021 and 31 people opened! It is not to late to sign up! Another planned for August 2021
- Message posting boards being updated
Linda Britton raised the issue about the website and minutes not being posted. Carrie reported that Mike is still graciously updating the website and we are working on getting them posted sooner.
- Fire/EMS Department Report – Rory Blazevic, Fire Chief
- New Fire Truck
- Three sets of additional turnout gear Additional Turnout Gear with more grants in progress.
- 19 calls in 2020
- Training update. 2 year refresher on CPR. Additional inhouse training with Air Guard fire for air craft incidents because the township is in the fly zone.
- Rory received a phone call fro the company who sold NS the truck. Want to showcase the truck at a 2 day event at the DECC in October. Want to take it the night before, clean, polish. Was a unique truck build for them and they are using some of them in their new designs. Great way to showcase the Town of North Star. This will be discussed/voted on at the next board meeting. Gary raised the issue of stripping the gear off the truck will take a full crew two nights to do.
- Pancake breakfast in discussion for Labor Day Sunday but there is a shortage of people to work it. More information to come.
- Gary reports there may be a couple of new members in the future.
- Broadband – Janet Keough Supervisor
Jan reports that the Township has been trying to get better Internet for 11 years. The density/population is low. Frontier won’t come because the Township is in Century Link territory Century Link won’t come because of low density population. CLP
Via Sat –
Hughes Net – Satellite
AT&T hotspots
Elon Musk – several people in the Township are beta testing it.
Elgin reports that some of the families in his troop 9 are reporting good data speed. The plan is $99 per month with $500 for the equipment.
The FCC is providing a huge grant LTV to bring fiber to the home throughout MN and other states. They have six years to build it, start with the high density. Town of North is probably year seven or eight.
General Discussion of Items of Concern – Gary says the Township is seeking a Treasurer as person who accepted the position is unable to continue and asks for interest in the Township. Ray Barnes is retiring on November 1, 2021. Carrie says there will need to be
Old Business
New Business: Township position: The Town of North star is seeking a Treasurer.
Determine Date, Time, Place for 2022 Annual Meeting – March 8, 2022, at 6:30pm at North Star Town Hall
Motion and Vote to Adjourn the Meeting. Linda makes a motion to adjourn, Jan seconds. All in favor – unanimous.
Gary Mantay made a motion to recess the meeting until June 8, 2021 at 7 pm and Sue Forbragd second the motion.
Dick asked if there were any Nay votes – none. Yay votes: Jan, Gary, Sue, Dick, Jeff
The motion passes and the meeting is recessed until June 8, 2021 at 7 pm.