FLT Annual Meeting Matters a Secret?

This year Fish Lake Township (FLT) held its annual meeting on Tuesday, March 8th, as required by law. The annual meeting provides township residents the opportunity to participate in local government by voicing their concerns, proposing resolutions and collectively voting to give direction to the town board for the upcoming year.

Traditionally, most Fish Lake Township supervisors have discouraged or attempted to limit and control annual meeting attendance so that they could freely promote their own personal agendas. Township supervisors have also resisted voter attempts to move the township elections from March to coincide with the general elections in November because such a change would allow the annual March meeting to begin at an earlier time of day when more residents could attend. Currently, the annual meeting begins about 8:10 p.m. on a Tuesday, following the annual township elections held the same day. Township supervisors such as Bob Carter have even gone so far as to single out, chastise and bully annual meeting participants who did not support their personal agendas. Other supervisors have orchestrated dealings behind the scenes to insure their supporters were prepared and organized to attend and dominate the annual meeting.

This year, in an unusual fashion, the annual meeting did not conclude after “burning the midnight oil” the night of March 8th. The Fish Lake Township web site indicates that a re-convened annual meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, September 13th at 7:00 p.m. to “approve the budget for 2012.” Short of ever publishing an agenda prior to any annual meeting, there may be other unfinished business as well.

The annual township meeting is the only meeting whereby area residents can collectively vote and direct the town board each year. Annual township meeting matters should be available and accessible to anyone seeking such information. For a web site that boasts it was “created as a public service for the residents of Fish Lake Township,” why aren’t annual meeting minutes or agendas ever posted?

Letter to the Editor

Next Tuesday, March 8th, Fish Lake Township will have the opportunity to elect the first African-American township supervisor, John L. Cook
Jr.
I am writing to endorse Mr. Cook and to encourage other voters to support diversity in our township. You can read more about Mr. Cook in his brief submission published in the Fish Lake Township Spring 2011 Newsletter. I have also provided a photograph of Mr. Cook when he was recently elected as the newest Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota Masonic Charity, a testament to his education, qualifications and integrity.

In my humble opinion, if elected, Mr. Cook would be the only sitting town board member with any integrity. Please cast your vote for John L. Cook.

Tim O’Keefe, Former Fish Lake Township Supervisor

The Fix Is In?

Next Tuesday, March 8th, is the local election day for Fish Lake Township. In addition to selecting a township supervisor and treasurer, voters will need to decide on a ballot question initiated by Supervisors Carter and Larkin; “Shall the position of Treasurer of Fish Lake Township be changed from an elected to an appointed position?”

Since the December 20th decision to add the treasurer question to the ballot, Supervisors Carter and Larkin have actively promoted the plan to hire instead of elect a township treasurer. The township web site currently describes the “need” to change as follows; “Due to the complexity of the duties of Treasurer the board is asking residents for their approval to appoint/hire the Treasurer. If approved, the position will no longer be an elected term.” Supervisors Carter and Larkin have also spent taxpayer money to publish and distribute a “Township Newsletter” to further describe and promote their perceived need to implement change.

At the December 20th re-convened meeting in 2010, minutes indicate that in the absence of Supervisor Cupit, Supervisors Carter and Larkin discussed “new business” to hire/appoint a township treasurer instead of elect one. Meeting minutes state “the Treasurer position is much more involved with today’s technology and requires the knowledge of computers, bookkeeping programs, internet and online banking that not everyone voter is qualified for.” (If the clerical skills of the hired township clerk are any indication of the financial competence voters can expect from a hired treasurer, perhaps the treasurer position should best remain an elected one.) Shortly thereafter, the meeting minutes state, “The current Treasurer, Sharon McAndrew, has indicated that she will accept the appointed position if the questions passes.”

Why would Supervisors Carter and Larkin instigate and actively promote a hired treasurer position under the guise of retaining qualified help, then assure the public that the current treasurer has agreed to re-assume the position if the ballot question is approved?

Furthermore; why would Fish Lake Township residents vote to approve such a ballot question thereby forfeiting their future rights to choose?

FLT Citizens Beware?

Fish Lake Township (FLT) has finally updated its web site to provide information about the upcoming March 9th local election. In addition to listing the candidates running for township supervisor and treasurer, a seemingly untimely ballot question has also been included.

At an unusual re-convened meeting on Monday morning, December 20th, Supervisors Carter and Larkin implemented several sweeping changes in Supervisor Cupit’s absence. One such sweeping change was to include the following ballot question on March 9th; “Shall the position of Treasurer of Fish Lake Township be changed from an elected to an appointed position?”

At a time when Fish Lake Township is being sued for misappropriation of funds and official misconduct, and Supervisor Cupit has mysteriously disappeared from township meetings, why now to pose the elected versus hired treasurer question?

FLT Election Candidates a Mystery?

In an unusual move, Fish Lake Township posted an upcoming election notice on the township web site in December. One Township Supervisor position (currently held by Robert Cupit) and the Township Treasurer position (currently held by Sharon McAndrew) are up for election in March 2011.

Although affidavits of candidacy had to be filed by January 11th, Fish Lake Township has not posted the candidates for the upcoming election.

After finally making a step in the right direction, why the mystery to post the candidates?

FLT Non-Snowplow Policy?

In the past, Fish Lake Township (FLT) was very responsive and reliable to promptly plow snowfalls and salt/sand roadways in a logical, efficient manner. However; in more recent years, Fish Lake Township’s snow removal work performance has suffered and digressed to the point of negligence. In fact, Fish Lake Township has not only provided decreased and diminished snow removal services over recent years, but attempted to justify and support their reduction of service as well.

Perhaps motivated by complaints, Fish Lake Township took the rare step to document its “Snow Removal Policy” in December 2003 when Supervisors Cupit and Larkin served on the town board. The policy documented the change in township procedures to plow snowfalls exceeding 3 inches instead of 2 inches as per previous practice. On April 13, 2009, the policy was “ammended” by Supervisors Carter, Cupit and Larkin to change township procedures once again to plow snowfalls exceeding 4 inches instead of 3 inches as previously documented in 2003. While the change in procedure may sound insignificant, 4 inches of blowing, drifting snow on winding country roads can and does cause winter travel safety issues especially for emergency vehicles such as ambulances or fire trucks. Although Fish Lake Township routinely leaves gravel roads unplowed for snowfalls up to 4 inches, it preferentially plows paved roads under the same circumstances. Perhaps the residents who live in the small developments with paved roads deserve better service than those who live on gravel roads. Current town board supervisors, Carter, Cupit and Larkin, are quick to point out to complainers that they all live on gravel roads and are receiving the same (poor) service levels as the majority of residents. However; Carter, Cupit and Larkin each live a stone’s throw away from a well-maintained, paved county road or state highway which is plowed during or immediately following any measurable snowfall. They have no need to navigate treacherous, snow-drifted township roads which turn to glare ice with the compaction caused by constant traffic.

Each year after the first measurable snowfall, Fish Lake Township publicizes its “Snow Removal Policy” on the township website. This year, Fish Lake Township received about 8-9 inches of wet, heavy snowfall in the season’s first major snow event occurring on Saturday, November 13th. Although the township recently purchased a new, high-tech Caterpillar road grader to the tune of $246,025 to plow such snowfalls, no gravel roads were plowed after the record-breaking snowfall. Apparently, Supervisors Carter, Cupit and Larkin ignored their own “Snow Removal Policy” and instead subscribed to the “Meltdown Theory” of winter snowfall “management” in Minnesota. With November overnight temperatures dropping into the twenties, the 8-9 inches of wet, heavy snow froze upon the gravel roadways into icy piles and treacherous ridges.

Managing and maintaining safe township roads is the single, most important responsibility of a town board and the primary reason a town board exists. Considering the current level of non-service, what will the next snowfall bring for Fish Lake Township residents?

Welcome to Fish Lake Township?

Fish Lake Township recently installed a custom-made sign near the corner of North Pine Lake Road and Little Pine Lake Trail. The hand painted sign reads, “Welcome to Fish Lake Township.”

On the surface, the message appears to welcome newcomers to a kind and neighborly way of life in Fish Lake Township. However; the three town board supervisors who erected the sign, Carter, Cupit and Larkin, are well-known for their anti-development reputations and fierce opposition to residential growth.

The “Welcome” sign is erected at the original “battlefield” site of Prairie Fields, a contentious development which Supervisor Cupit publically vowed that Fish Lake Township was not going to set a precedence to allow. However; a lengthy court deliberation and landmark opinion published by the Minnesota State Court of Appeals eventually cleared the way for the Prairie Fields development to be established and exist as a residential neighborhood today.

When the first residential group home proposal was brought before the Fish Lake town board, Supervisor Larkin vehemently opposed the operation. Her main concern appeared to be focused on the nearby proximity of the proposed facility to her home. By the time another residential group home proposal was under consideration, new Minnesota State laws had removed local government control over group home operations and Fish Lake Township no longer had input. Ironically, the second residential group home was established in Prairie Fields, right next door to Supervisor Larkin’s home. Not even the obtrusive, bully tactics of Supervisor Carter audaciously knocking on the group home door could thwart the new facility from opening.

So next time you drive by the “Welcome” sign, will you be fooled by the township facade which stands in stark contrast to the truth?