GREENWOOD TWP- The Greenwood Recreation Committee received multiple accolades for the township’s 40th Anniversary Picnic that was held on Aug. 25. Town board members and the public complimented the organizers. The township also received flowers and a note of congratulations from Breitung Township on their new milestone.

The board did vote to donate the extra food (mainly hot dogs) for the upcoming playground ribbon-cutting event on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. Recreation committee members noted they were not allowed to return the food or donate it to a place like a nursing home, but that it was still safe to eat.

Recycling canisters

A motion by Chairman Mike Ralston to remove the recycling canisters from the town hall grounds died for lack of a second.

“No matter what we do it is going to be wrong,” Ralston said. “I’m tired of being beat up on it.”

“I don’t care where they go,” said Ralston.

But other board members were not ready to make that move.

Supervisor Paul Skubic noted that residents seem to be split on the issue.

“Maybe we should wait until the March [annual] meeting,” he said.

During the public input portion of the meeting, which had been moved to the end of the agenda this month, former chairman John Bassing said he had spoken with Mark St. Lawrence, the director of Environmental Services for St. Louis County, who told Bassing he had never discussed having to move the recycling canisters to Soudan. St. Lawrence also said there were 40 acres available at the County Rd. 77 transfer site, plenty of room to site the canisters, and that contrary to what supervisors had stated previously, no special permit would be required.

“The supervisors had a copy of the letter from St. Lawrence explaining it all,” Bassing wrote in an email to the Timberjay, “but they chose to ignore it.”

“We don’t want the board giving out false information,” Bassing said during public input.

Supervisor Larry Tahija and Carmen DeLuca have been doing daily checks on the recycling site, and have been cleaning and hauling garbage as needed.

“If it wasn’t for Carmen and Larry, it would be a big mess,” said Skubic.

Ralston said the board should look into the idea of hiring an hourly maintenance worker.

“We have a lot to do around here,” he said. “It’s too much for just getting it done with volunteers.”

Ralston noted the township was paying contractors for town hall cleaning, snowplowing, and grass mowing, and maybe that money would be better spent on a part-time employee. Ralston said the idea would be put on the agenda for next March’s annual meeting.

Fire Department

Chairman Mike Ralston said the township will be working to clarify how fire department members are classified, and when to remove members from the roll. Former Chair John Bassing had alerted the board to the fact that the roster being submitted for training dollar grant purposes was outdated and included names of past members. Ralston noted there was no way, under current department guidelines, to remove a member unless they formally resign. He said the department needs to have a method to notify inactive members that they are being terminated. Ralston said he had drafted some preliminary language and asked the department to review the language so that can it be approved at the next town board meeting.

Fire Chief Dave Fazio said the department would review the changes.

The board approved the purchase of three new sets of turnout gear, for three new fire department members who were very close to completing their Firefighter I and II training. The cost for turnout gear is $2,930 per set and will take at least six weeks to come in because they are custom fit.

Jeff Maus grievance

The town board, on a unanimous vote, denied the grievance filed by fire department member Jeff Maus. Maus had asked for hourly pay for the time spent preparing his June grievance, something Maus said was required under state labor rules.

“There is no state or federal law which requires us to pay for the time to prepare his grievance,” said Ralston, noting the fire department members are not part of a union and do not have a collective bargaining agreement. Ralston also stated that the draft of the township personnel policy does not apply to fire department personnel.

After the meeting, Maus contacted the Timberjay and noted that the township attorney had previously told the town board, in a letter dated Dec. 8, 2016, that fire department members are considered employees, and stated the township must follow both state and federal minimum wage laws. Maus also disputed the statement that the township’s personnel policy does not apply to fire department members.

Other business

 Heard that the legal rate from the township attorney, Couri and Ruppe, is increasing to $200 per hour or $225 per hour for work on zoning issues.

 Heard that the sale of tax-forfeit land to the Penguins Snowmobile Club is moving forward.

 Received a thank you from a family whose daughter had suffered a severe fracture while out on the lake. They thanked the quick response of First Responder Jeff Maus, noting he made sure the incoming ambulance crew knew the patient was in severe pain. Maus, and then other Greenwood personnel, stayed on scene until the ambulance arrived 40 minutes later.

 Will contact Calgaro Tree Service to see if they can brush the roadside on Birch Point Extension. The cost last time they had the road brushed was around $1,500. Ralston said he had reviewed township records and said that this road had been declared a township road, so the township was responsible for the cost of this type of maintenance. The board noted that some other privately-owned roads in the township also needed to have brushing work done, so that emergency vehicles can safely drive on them.

 Accepted a quote from Reichel Electric to replace the interior town hall room lighting with LED lights, at a cost of $1,956. They noted the project may qualify for a rebate from Lake Country Power.