The August monthly meeting of the Farming Township Board was called to order by Jason Willenbring at 8:00 pm in the FCC Board Room. Present were Jason Willenbring, Dave Robertson, Duane Janssen, and Judy Bruemmer. Dan Stommes was absent. Also present were Dewey Klaphake, Dale Lange and Carl Janssen. The flag pledge was said. The meeting was held using social distancing and following Covid-19 recommendations.
The July minutes were read. One correction was made: concerning Arvig “AN” attorney will be contacted not a MAT attorney. Dave Robertson made a motion to accept the minutes with the correction, Jason Willenbring seconded.
Duane Janssen gave a financial report with $435,719.25 in the checking account.
RE: Claims – Dave Robertson made a motion for the Clerk and Treasurer to sign the checks as the Chairperson was not present due to self-quarantine, Jason Willenbring seconded.
RE: Dustcoating – Dave Robertson reported that dustcoating is finished.
RE: Arvig – Dave Robertson reported on his meetings with the attorney concerning the culvert issues. It was decided to review the proposed ordinance and table the issue until the September meeting.
RE: 260th Street West – Jason Willenbring reported he met with a Munson Township Supervisor and an asphalt contractor. It was decided to crackfill the east section of the road and do repairs on the west section in hopes to extend the life of the road several years.
RE: Road Issues – No major road issues – others are being taken care of.
RE: Weed Inspection – Weed inspection is in progress. Discussion was held and it was recommended that spot spraying be done next year.
RE: COL Fire District – Jason Willenbring reported on a meeting with the COL Fire District. All is going well. The fire district is looking into purchasing a 4 wheel-drive vehicle to replace older 2 wheel drive vehicles. Possible donations from the District’s Townships from the MN CARES Act were discussed.
RE: Zoning – Mr. Janssen was present to obtain zoning information from the Zoning Administrator. Dewey Klaphake gave a short zoning report.
The following claims were examined, verified and ordered paid:
6913 Stearns Electric monthly electric bill $ 65.08
6914 Linda Theisen election judge training 75.00
6915 Victor Kotten election judge training 75.00
6916 Joyce Wimmer head election judge training 99.00
6917 M-R Sign, Inc. 911 sign 51.32
Total $ 365.40
Year-to-date Total $ 244,432.28
At 9:40 pm, Dave Robertson made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Jason Willenbring seconded.

The July monthly meeting of the Farming Township Board was called to order by Dan Stommes at 8:00 pm in the FCC Board Room. All members were present. Also present were Dewey Klaphake and Dale Lange. The flag pledge was said. The meeting was held using social distancing according to Covid-19 recommendations.
The June minutes were read. Jason Willenbring made a motion to accept the minutes as read, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Dustcoating – Dustcoating is still in progress. Miscommunications and weather conditions have caused some delays. Dave Robertson and Dale Lange will check into it.
RE: Culvert Issues – Supervisors have discovered some culvert issues have been caused by Arvig cutting through culverts to lay communication wiring through the years. Discussion was held. Arvig has been contacted concerning the situation. An attorney will be contacted to see what the Township’s options are concerning repairs, costs, permits, etc. Arvig will also be contacted again.
RE: Zoning – Dewey Klaphake gave a short report on zoning issues and the website.
RE: Mail Ballots and Assessing – The Clerk will post information on the website concerning these issues.
The following claims were examined, verified and ordered paid:
6895 Stearns Electric monthly electric bill $ 65.08
6896 Math Schmitz road ditch cutting 1,306.00
6897 US Treasury soc. sec./medicare 408.08
6911 Lange Trenching blading 5,118.75
6912 Farming Township tarring fund CD 100,000.00
Total $ 106,897.91
Year-to-date Total $ 244,066.88
At 9:35 pm Dave Robertson made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Jason Willenbring seconded. All in favor, motion carried.

The June monthly meeting of the Farming Township Board was called to order by Dan Stommes at 8:00 pm in the Farming Community Center. The flag pledge was said.
All members were present. Also present were Dewey Klaphake, Ken Schmitz, Dale Lange, Officer Dennis Kern, and Butch Gertken from Munson Township.
The meeting was held using social distancing according to COVID-19 recommendations.
The May minutes were read. One correction was made – the Class 2 quote was per ton, not cubic yard. Dave Robertson made a motion to accept the minutes with the correction, Jason Willenbring seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
Treasurer Duane Janssen gave a financial report with $357,903.34 in the checking account.
RE: Ken Schmitz – Ken Schmitz was present with a property line issue. Discussion was held. Jason Willenbring made a motion to acknowledge that Schmitz would be making a .17 acre property line adjustment and that Farming Township had no issue with the adjustment, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Stearns County Sheriff Department – Officer Kern was present to update the Board on happenings in the Township in April and May – 19 calls each month, no major issues and no COVID-19 complaints. He stated that if someone had a COVID-19 complaint they check into it and tell the residents that they are not following the guidelines.
RE: Munson Township – Butch Gertken was present from the Munson Township Board to discuss 260th West Street. The tar is in need of repair. Munson Township is interested in making it a 9 ton road as vehicles and farm equipment are getting larger and heavier. Discussion was held concerning the repair and what steps were necessary concerning the river bridge. The Farming Township Board agreed with the plan and to have Munson check things out and get back to Farming Township.
RE: Dustcoating – The Board went over the dustcoating plans for the Township and Dave Robertson will coordinate with the contractor and Lange Trenching.
Official Minutes 6.2.2020 Page 2
The following claims were examined, verified and ordered paid:
6898 Dewey Klaphake zoning adm. wages $ 279.36
6899 Dan Stommes supervisor wages 415.57
6900 Dave Robertson supervisor wages 415.57
6901 Jason Willenbring supervisor wages 415.57
6902 Dave Robertson reimb. mileage 21.46
6903 Duane Janssen treasurer wages 526.39
6904 Dewey Klaphake reimb. permits/website 1,296.09
6905 Judy Bruemmer clerk wages 845.00
6906 Stearns Electric monthly electric bill 65.08
6907 COL Fire & Rescue Dist. Qtr 1 and Qtr 2 fire protection 2,502.84
6908 Judy Bruemmer reimb. supplies/mileage 201.05
6909 Stearns Cty. Aud/Treas. assessment fee 7,160.00
6910 Lange Trenching Class 2/Class 5 66,075.60
Total $ 80,219.58
Year-to-date Total $ 137,168.97

At 9:40 pm, Dave Robertson made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Jason Willenbring seconded. All in favor, motion carried.

The May monthly meeting of the Farming Township Board was called to order by Dan Stommes at 8:00 pm. The flag pledge was said. All members were present. Also present was Dale Lange. The meeting was held using social distancing according to Covid-19 recommendations.
The March minutes were read. Jason Willenbring made a motion to accept the minutes as read, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
The April minutes were read. One correction was made: Jason Willenbring abstained from voting on the Hildebrand permit, citing possible conflict of interest. Dave Robertson made a motion to accept the minutes with the correction, Jason Willenbring seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
Treasurer Duane Janssen gave a financial report with $363,459.55 in the checking account.
RE: Dust Control Quote – Only one quote was received. Central MN Dust Control gave a quote of .58/foot. Discussion was held. Jason Willenbring made a motion to accept the quote of .58/foot from Central MN Dust Control, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Crack Seal Quote – A crack seal bid was received from Jet-Black for $1.35 a pound. The Township has Midwest Asphalt doing crack seal for $1.40 a pound. Discussion was held. It was decided to stay with Midwest Asphalt for this year and to look into other companies next year. Dave Robertson made a motion to stay with Midwest Asphalt at $1.40/lb, Jason Willenbring seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Ditch Cutting Quote – One Quote was received for ditch cutting. Math Schmitz submitted a quote of $60/hour plus fuel. Discussion was held. Jason Willenbring made a motion to accept the quote of $60.hr plus fuel from Schmitz, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Blading – One quote was received from Lange Trenching. It was for $50 per mile – a raise from last year. Discussion was held. Dave Robertson made a motion to accept the quote for $50 per mile, Jason Willenbring seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Class 2 – One quote was received from Lange Trenching. It was for $18.25/ton. – the same as last year. Discussion was held. Jason Willenbring made a motion to accept the quote from Lange Trenching for $18.25/ton, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Class 5 Gravel – Two quotes were received for Class 5 Gravel. WD Scepaniak’s was for $10.77/cy, Lange Trenching was for $10.40/cy. Discussion was held. Jason Willenbring made a motion to accept the quote from Lange Trenching for $10.40/cy, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
The Supervisors had finished Road Tour. Discussion was held with Lange Trenching about road and culvert issues. The Barker and 310th Street culverts are being worked on. Barker will be doing some ditch clearing and if needs any other assistance will contact the Township Board. The 300th Street culvert issue has cleared up.

5.5.2020 Minutes page 2
The following claims were examined, verified and ordered paid:
6890 Linda Theisen election judge/training 165.70
6891 Victor Kotten election judge/training 165.70
6892 Joyce Wimmer head election judge 135.00
6893 Stearns Electric monthly electric bill 65.08
6894 Lange Trenching blading 5,096.34
Total $ 5,627.82
Year-to-date Total $ 56,949.39
At 9:55 pm, Jason Willenbring made a motion to adjourn the meeting, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.

The April Monthly Meeting of the Farming Township Board was held by teleconference due to the Governor’s COVID-19 “stay at home” restrictions. Dan Stommes called the meeting to order at 8:00 pm. All members were present. Also present were Dewey Klaphake, Dale Lange and Jason Barker.
It was noted that Dan Stommes and Judy Bruemmer had received their Certificates of Election and had taken their Oath of Office.
No Minutes or Financial Report were given. They will be reported at the May meeting.
RE: Jason Barker – Mr. Barker was present to discuss the culvert and road situation along his property on 221st Street. He stated that the culvert and road situations have changed greatly since the Township took over the road approximately 2005/2006. There was lengthy discussion on the situation between him, the Supervisors and Lange Trenching. Several issues were covered. Lange Trenching will check to see what can be done. Mr. Barker was also advised the clearing a ditch for better drainage was not the Townships responsibility if it was out of the road right-of-way. He would have to contact neighboring land owners concerning that. The Supervisors will also look into the situation during Road Tour.
RE: Pilgrims Request – Pilgrims request to haul up to 97,000 gross weight on .78 miles of Township roadway was discussed. The permit is not in effect during road restrictions, is good until May 2021 and will be renewed annually. Dave Robertson made a motion to sign the permit, Dan Stommes seconded. Jason Willenbring abstained because of possible conflict of interest, motion carried. Chairperson Dan Stommes will sign the permit and mail it.
RE: ReOrganization – Discussion was held. It was decided that due to the COVID-19 crisis the Board would just keep the same, positions, wage amounts and fees as set up in 2019. Jason Willenbring made a motion to leave all reorganization items the same as 2019, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Website – Dewey Klaphake reported that the Township website and security settings were up for renewal. Jason Willenbring made a motion for Dewey Klaphake to take care of the renewal, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Trappers Pub and Grub – An application from Trappers Pub and Grub for a County On/Off Sale Intoxicating Liquor License for a period from July 1, 2020 thru June 30, 2021 was presented. Discussion was held. Jason Willenbring made a motion to sign the application, Dan Stommes seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Zoning – Dewey Klaphake had presented copies of 3 permits he had issued by e-mail to the Board.
RE: Road Tour – Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Supervisors will each take an area of the Township and report back at the May meeting.
RE: Road Issues – Several road issues were discussed – culverts on 300th Street and 310th Street among others. They will be checked into once Road Tour is finished and water levels have subsided somewhat.
RE: Quotes – Quotes for ditch cutting, gravel, class 2, dust coating and crack filling will be due at the May meeting.

4.15.2020 minutes – page 2

RE: May monthly meeting – If the “stay at home” restriction is extended to May 13, 2020 the May meeting will be extended to May 14, 2020. The Clerk will check into the restrictions.
The following Claims were examined, verified, and ordered paid by vote on the teleconference – Jason, yes – Dave, yes – Dan, yes:
6885 US Treasury medicare/soc.sec. $ 392.46
6886 Stearns Electric monthly electric bill 65.08
6887 Stearns Cty. Aud/Treas. truth in tax/election costs 308.61
6888 Star Publications newspaper ads 192.41
6889 Sunny Brook Ent. Inc. snowplowing guarantee 700.00
Total $ 1,658.56
Year-to-date Total $ 51,321.57
A motion was made by Dan Stommes to allow just two signatures – that of the Clerk and Treasurer – on the checks to pay claims for the month of April due to the COVID-19 crisis, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
At 9:04 pm, Dave Robertson made a motion to adjourn the teleconference, Jason Willenbring seconded. All in favor, motion carried.

The March monthly meeting of the Farming Township Board was called to order by Dan Stommes at 8:00 pm. The flag pledge was said. All members were present. Also present was Darice Stommes.
The February monthly meeting, Board of Audit and Budget Meeting minutes were read. Jason Willenbring made a motion to accept the minutes as read, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.Treasurer Duane Janssen gave a financial report with $337,074.05 in the checking account.
RE: Albany Fire Department – Dan Stommes gave a report on the fire department meeting. The department is planning on a truck purchase and is investigating needs and costs at this time. A Farm Accident Demo is planned with support from area businesses.
RE: Hildebrand Hauling – A request was received from Hildebrand Hauling to drive on the Township gravel roads during road restrictions season for hauling and picking up rendering animals. Jason Willenbring made a motion to give permission, Dave Robertson seconded. All in favor, motion carried.
RE: Road Issues – Road issues were discussed and will be checked into further during Road Tour.
RE: Township Election/Annual Meeting – All is ready. Judy Bruemmer reported that two election judges received E-Poll training as the County would not do paper rosters for the Township Elections.
RE: Reminders – Reminders were given concerning the St. Martin Fire Dept. meeting, the Township Workshop, the Weed Meeting and the Board of Appeals and Equalization.
RE: Gravel, Blading, and Dustcoating Quotes – The Quotes will be addressed at the May monthly meeting.
RE: Road Tour – Road Tour is tentatively planned for April 7, 2020 following the Board of Appeals and Equalization Meeting, weather permitting.
RE: Capital Tour – Duane Janssen gave a report on his tour of the Capital and the items of interest to the Township.
The following claims were examined, verified and ordered paid:
6875 Daniel Stommes supervisor wages $ 304.75
6876 Dave Robertson supervisor wages 277.05
6877 Jason Willenbring supervisor wages 415.57
6878 Judy Bruemmer clerk wages 775.74
6879 M-R Sign Inc. 911 sign 36.57
6880 Stearns Electric monthly electric bill 65.08
6881 Sunny Brook Ent. Inc. snowplowing 1,970.00
6882 Judy Bruemmer re-imb. mileage/supplies 209.16
6883 City of Albany fire protection 15,473.00
6884 Duane Janssen treasurer wages 595.66
Total $ 20,122.58
Year-to-date Total $ 49,663.01
At 9:00 pm Dave Robertson made a motion to adjourn, Jason Willenbring seconded. All in favor, motion carried.