10/10/23 Minutes
TOWN OF CRANE LAKE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS’ MEETING
October 10, 2023
The October 10, 2023, Board of Supervisors’ Meeting was called to order by Chairman Jerry Pohlman at 5:30PM at the Crane Lake Chapel Fellowship Hall, with the Pledge of Allegiance recited by those in attendance including: Supervisors Jerry Pohlman and Jeanne Shuck; Deputy-Clerk Gretchen Janssen; Treasurer Traci Bak; Clerk Jo Ann Pohlman and 4 members of the community (including Zoom). Supervisor Jim Janssen was absent.
BUSINESS
Additions to the Agenda: Costin Agreement and Fireworks were added to New Business.
Minutes – A motion was made by Jeanne, supported by Jerry, to approve the minutes of the 9/12/23 Board of Supervisors’ Meeting. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
Treasurer’s Report –The September Cash Balances were read, and the bills were presented as follows: IRS – $550.67; Lutefisk Tech. – $64.95; Costin Group – $1,250.00; Lake Country Power – $156.00; CLVTB – $6,366.80; CLWSD – $7,850.00; Johnson, Killen & Seiler – $5,133.15; Casper Construction – $22,192.95; Braun Intertec – $3,091.20; and Payroll – $830.82. A motion was made by Jerry, supported by Jeanne, to approve the Treasurer’s Report as read and the payment of bills. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
The Clerk presented the correspondence. The correspondence was received and will be placed on file and acted upon as required.
OLD BUSINESS
VNP-Visitor Center/Campsite:
Committee Report & Resulting Board Action: Gretchen provided the following report: Construction is progressing on both projects. The $1.9M Direct Appropriation is progressing through the DNR and County for eventual Town signature. To review, the work plan includes spending these dollars on building additional sites to complete the RV park as originally bid (38 sites, no showerhouse or tent sites). Any dollars not spent on the RV park or Visitor Center will be spent on design of the boat launch. The change order to complete this is being modified to fit within the budget. The lack of topsoil on site and lack of topsoil available locally has become too expensive, so the original plan of 4 inches of topsoil is being scaled back. The Campground/RV Park construction crew has asked that the Town plan for a delay in the campground opening date. Paving and completion of the site surrounding the Visitor Center will have to wait until spring, so they have asked that July 30, 2024 be the new expected substantial completion date. With the challenges of landscaping, finalizing the details of each campsite, and costs of staffing it may be best for the Town to plan on opening the campground in the Spring of 2025. Additionally, Voyageurs Conservancy and the NPS are going through organizational changes for the exhibits, so 2025 may be much more realistic for the finalizing of the Visitor Center as well. Framing of the Visitor Center walls is underway. Concrete floors are poured and steel support beams are installed. There has been a change to the North (lake) side of the Visitor Center entrance. Due to the grade on site, a deck is no longer needed. There will be a concrete pad outside that door and a rock or aggregate path from that door around to the front of the Visitor Center. A footing is being poured now, but in the Spring the pad will be poured with a railing system and stairs down to the footpath.
The committee members who reviewed software for the campground met again to make a recommendation to the board. Campspot and Recreogo were the two companies that gave presentations and both were capable of meeting our needs at an affordable price. Campspot is a much larger company with more features in its software. It had many nice options for the guest including weather insurance, a “pencil-in” option, and a POS for adding expenses like firewood and other supplies to a guests bill. Recreogo is a smaller company covering all the basics with a knowledge of Crane Lake and a more obvious desire to earn our business. Handbergs uses Recreogo and since our presentations, the owner of Recreogo has implemented several of our requests into their programming. Campspot charges $3 per reservation. Recreogo charges 6% for online bookings only. Both companies offer satisfactory reporting, booking in real time, emails generated to guests, rules/regulations that must be agreed to, and guest cc numbers held for up to a year. The group felt more confident in the ability of Recreogo to provide excellent customer service when we need it, and also offer a campground reservation software system that we are happy with. We would like to recommend a contract with Recreogo, if the Town board approves. Who would the board like to be the contact for setting this software up?
Crane Lake Meeting Minutes – September 12, 2023
VNP-Visitor Center/Campsite: (Cont.)
The committee would like for the Town board to review these rules (handout) and send comments to Gretchen before January. This will be helpful in getting the website finalized and the software set up.
Bills to Approve:
RV Park
S.E.H INV 453642 $47,351.79 (LCCMR)
Braun Intertec B360108 $817.75 (IRRRB)
Visitor Center
S.E.H INV 453643 $8606.07 (LCCMR and DEED)
Braun Intertec B360107 $4013.75 (IRRRB)
CR-BPS, GBC CRANE 001 $3795.38 (IRRRB)
Max Gray App 2 $319,088.42 (LCCMR and DEED)
Total $383,673.16
Board Action
A motion was made by Jeanne, supported by Jerry, to approve payment of the Visitor Center/Campground invoices totaling $383,673.16 as listed above. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
A motion was made by Jerry, supported by Jeanne, to approve and sign Max Gray Pay Request #2 for $319,088.42 for Visitor Center work. All voted in favor and the motion carried. Gretchen will forward the signed document to Max Gray.
Bayside Drive Upgrade: Easement payments have been made to the property owners on Bayside Drive. A variance from the State Park Road Account Design Standards – Minimum Geometric Design Standards for SAP 069-600-052 to allow Bayside Drive to include a single 15 mph design speed horizontal curve was received. There will be tree removal work performed along Bayside Drive in preparation for the road update in the spring.
American Rescue Plan Act Fund: $7,850.00 of the $8,961.15 grant was spent on the CLWSD application fee and connection fee for the sewer at the Visitor Center/Campground. $1,111.15 remains.
Jim McKie Easement Request: Jim McKie is requesting an easement across Township land for dock access. The subject is currently under legal advisement.
Flooding: The final 10% reimbursement was received, closing the account.
VNP Ice Road Management Plan: There was nothing new to report.
Bayside Drive Maintenance: Four people were invited to provide a quote to plow Bayside Drive this winter. Trent Bak responded to the Board’s request with a quote. A motion was made by Jerry, supported by Jeanne, to accept Trent Bak’s quote of $189 per plow. All voted in favor and the motion carried. A request was made to grade Bayside Drive. The Board did not feel the expense is justified prior to snow fall and construction this coming spring.
Dark Sky Crane Lake: Mary McKie provided the following report: Week of September 18-22 – Email correspondence with representatives from the Voyageur Conservancy, Voyageur NPS, Bob Degross. October 2, 2023 – Zoom Meeting Present: Christina Hausman Rhode, Executive Director Voyageur Conservancy, Breanna Trygg and Jesse Gates, Program and Education staff for VC. Discussion concerned Dark Sky Preservation, Education and Outreach. Staff from both the Voyageurs Conservancy and NPS have shared resources for educating individuals and eventually the community on supporting Dark Sky outcomes in National Park “gateway” communities.
Follow-up from the discussion, I will: Pursue additional information from Starry Skies North, a local chapter and advocacy group with DarkSky International (formerly International Dark Sky Association).
View a video by Paul Bogard, 2022 Star Party https://www.voyageurs.org/events/2022/8/18/an-evening-with-paul-bogard.
Question to the Board – Is there a representative from the Board or the Crane Lake Community as the lighting is being designed and selected for the Visitor Center? Answer: Dark Sky was considered by the Committee and the Board – Also by VNP Superintended Bob DeGross. The Theme of the Visitor Center is Dark Sky. Peter Coggan volunteered to work with Mary McKie on Dark Sky Crane Lake. His contact information will be provided to Mary.
Crane Lake Meeting Minutes – October 10, 2023
NEW BUSINESS
Costin Group 2024 Agreement: A motion was made by Jeanne, supported by Jerry, to approve and sign the Costin Group 2024 Agreement to provide consulting services. All voted in favor and the motion carried.
Fire Works: Premier Pyrotechnics extended an early pay option to their clients. A motion was made by Jerry, supported by Jeanne, to accept Option 1 to provide full payment by December 1, 2023 to add 15% more product to the display. All voted in favor and the motion carried. The bill will be approved and paid at the November meeting.
Other New Business: There was none.
Comments from Officers: Jerry thanked Gretchen Janssen for all her work on the Visitor Center/Campground project; and Peter Coggan for volunteering to work on Dark Sky Crane Lake. Jo Ann commented that the County Dock work had begun on Gold Coast Road and will be completed in the spring.
Public Comments: Carolyn Coggan thanked everyone on the Board for their community efforts. Nancy Ross thanked Jo Ann for providing her with meeting changes and information.
Next Meeting: Board of Supervisors’ Meeting – November 14, 2023 – 5:30PM, Fellowship Hall
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:10PM.
Jo Ann Pohlman, Clerk Jerry Pohlman, Chairman
This draft of the Crane Lake Township minutes has been posted solely for preliminary informational purposes. Minutes are unofficial and subject to change until they have been approved by the Crane Lake Board of Supervisors.
