In general elections, Linwood voters have long voted at one precinct, located at the Linwood Senior Center. This year, there will be two precincts.
The action to split voters into two precincts was prompted by recommendation made last February by Cindy Reichert, election manager for Anoka County. She told the board that Linwood’s single precinct is the largest one in the county, with 3300 registered voters.
A big concern in 2014 was the congestion and slow voting process because only one voting machine could be placed at the polling site. Reichert anticipated about 85 percent turnout in the 2016 General Election.
At its Jan. 12 meeting, the Linwood Town Board passed a resolution establishing the boundaries of two these precincts and identified two polling places. The description essentially divides the township into precincts on either side of a Z-shaped line through the township.
The dividing line begins at the west side of the township, east along Fawn Lake Drive, to Typo Creek Drive NE; south along Typo Creek Drive to its intersection with Viking Blvd; and then east along Viking to the eastern edge of the township.
Residents living north and east of this dividing line are in Precinct 1. Those living south and west of the line are in Precinct 2.
Planned renovations of the Senior Center and Town Hall complex this spring will expand facility space. There will be space for two polling places there. Both polling places will have the same address: Town Hall, 22817 Typo Creek Drive NE, Stacy, MN 55079. However, each polling place will have a separate entrance and a voting machine.
The boundary for the two precincts and selection of the polling places was approved by a vote of 4-1. Supervisor Mike Halliday voted no.
Clerk Judy Hanna will check to see if Linwood Covenant Church will be available as a back-up polling site if the town hall complex remodel is not complete.
Though not discussed at Tuesday’s meeting, more election judges will also be needed. The nine who worked at the last election will not be enough to cover both precincts from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters will also have a couple of special issues on their next ballots. Supervisors unanimously agreed to place two town questions on the Linwood ballot. Residents will vote to determine whether the clerk’s and treasurer’s positions will become appointed positions instead of elected ones.
Organization
The Tuesday meeting was also the organizational meeting for the upcoming year. Board meetings continue on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 6 p.m. in the Linwood Town Hall.
Phil Osterhus and Mike Halliday were elected board chair and vice-chair, respectively. The township Auditor is Smith-Schafer. The engineering firm is Hakanson Anderson. Mike Jungbauer is the township building inspector, zoning administrator, tree inspector, and weed inspector. The health authority is the on-call doctor at Fairview Lakes Medical Center. Finally, Frank Kvidera continues as the road foreman.
Liaison appointments were determined. Besides serving as board chair, Phil Osterhus is liaison to the Fire Department, Road & Bridge Committee, Information Technology Committee and Anoka County Sheriff’s Office; he is also a member of the Human Resources Committee.
Halliday is a member of the Human Resources Committee. He is also liaison to the Park and Recreation Commission and the Senior Center and Senior Transportation Committee.
Along with Osterhus, Supervisor Ed Kramer is also a liaison with the Fire Department and Road and Bridge Committee. He also liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission and manages the township Recycling Program.
Supervisor Bob Millerbernd is representative for the Building Maintenance Committeeand chairs the Building Study Committee. He is the township representative on the School Forest Committee and the Sunrise River Watershed Management Organization. Finally, he is liaison with the Safety in Workplace Committee and the Linwood Family Fun Day Committee.
Supervisor Carol Searing represents the township with communications systems. She is board liaison with the township website manager and facilitates schedules for the township newsletter.
Township fees were approved. Changes were made in the Senior Center hall rental fees. Daily rental of the Senior Center without kitchen access is $150 with a $250 damage deposit. Rental of the hall with kitchen access is $250 plus $250 damage deposit.
Other business
The board scheduled an informational meeting about the planned upcoming Town Hall-Senior Center Renovation. The meeting is to be held in the Linwood Senior Center, at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17.
Halliday and Millerbernd told the board that the township’s pleasure rink is now open. The warming house will be open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Weekend hours will be posted.
Jan. 29 is the beginning of the township’s medallion hunt, with clues given to Linwood students one day prior to the Winter Fun Day is on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A candlelight walk in the Linwood Community and School Forest is planned for 5 p.m. on Jan. 31. Participants meet at the pavilion on the north side of Linwood Elementary.
SRWMO has been negotiating with Rachel Contracting about the delay in completion of the carp barriers between Martin and Typo lakes. These were to have been completed Oct. 15, 2015. There has been extra work and expenditures for the contractor and some delays beyond their control. The main concern is getting the project completed. The completion goal is March 1. The township is angling toward a two year warranty on the work.
Fire Chief Darryl Ballman announced that since the snow is three inches deep, burning permits are not required. The board authorized the Linwood Fire Department participation in auto-aid with East Bethel. The East Bethel Explorer Program has expanded to include Oak Grove, Ham Lake, St. Francis, Bethel, and Linwood Township. The name of the group is Engine 6.
Business conducted at the board’s Dec. 22 meeting included approval of the 2016 Budget in the amount of $1.82 million. This includes $459,000 for the general fund, $620 for road and bridge, $241,000 for the fire fund, $225,000 for the police fund, $82,925 for the senior and transportation fund, $71,500 for the parks and recreation fund, $70,000 for capital improvement, and $53,000 for the capital fire fund. The capital improvement is intended to be allocated $50,000 for road and bridge, $5,000 for senior and transportation, and $15,000 for parks.
In response to disputes about operations between the Senior Center Committee and Coordinator Dawn Cash, the board suspended meetings for six months after the January meeting. Supervision may be shifted from the committee to Kramer as oversight of the Senior Center personnel. The step was taken in support of an employee when findings were inconclusive about job performance.
In other business, the board:
– Set the deadline for submission of articles to the township newsletter for Jan. 25 for enough time to have the paper out to residents before the March 8 Annual Meeting.
– Tabled until Jan. 26 a decision on a revised township parking ordinance.