The Town of Morse board held back to back meetings on Nov. 4 in order not to meet during the firearms deer season.
First the regular monthly meeting was completed in 30 minutes with a light agenda.
That was followed by a joint powers board meeting with the Fall Lake board for the Morse-Fall Lake fire department and first responders.
During the first meeting the board discussed making improvements and repairs to township roads in preparation for winter.
Morse contracts with St. Louis County for snowplowing services on township roads and the county provided a list of tasks that needed to be done prior to snowfall.
The board discussed Newgord Drive, which has two hills and has been a problem for plowing in the past.
Road supervisor Mike Velcheff said everything on the county’s list has been completed and that the township may need to plow Newgord until the ground freezes.
Clerk Nick Wognum told the board he met with Teresa Floberg of Ely Fireshed to help improve communications with Morse.
Wognum said using federal grant monies to widen roads in the township so fire trucks can fit down them is something the township would like to see done. So far the only project with township approval was clearing brush around the fire hall on Grant McMahan Boulevard.
In other business the board:
• Approved transferring $25,000 from Wells Fargo to Frandsen as the township changes where it does banking.
• Heard Wognum and supervisor Bob Berrini will be attending the Dec. 9 RAMS meeting.
• Chair Terry Soderberg updated the board on participation in a St. Louis County Safety Action Plan
• Heard the Ely Ambulance Joint Powers Board will meet on November 24 at 4 p.m.
• Changed the next meeting date to Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.
• Received an appraisal from the DNR on purchasing an easement for township land with a 40-foot easement was valued to $7,000 and a 100-foot easement was valued at $17,500. Berrini asked that the easement terms be limited instead of permanent.
• Heard the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office has offered to have a representative attend township meetings in the future.
