IT'S TEN O'CLOCK: DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR TOWN BOARD IS?

You can see them on Zoom meetings! Until further notice vis a vis the coronavirus, this will be the mode of operation for the Township meetings and even public hearings if there are any. Recently, several citizens have attended meetings in this way. You are encouraged to also attend from the comfort of your own home.

If you are on the "notification list," the Clerk will send you the information for joining the meeting. If not, it is always posted on the Township website. If you would like to be on the notification list for certain items such as special meetings or public hearings or certain topics, just let the Clerk know and she will be glad to include you.


It is also of interest that the Town Board has opted to hold two regular meetings a month-the second and fourth Mondays as a rule. The hope is that meetings will not take so long, "overtime" attorney fees beyond the flat meeting rate up to 10 p.m. can be avoided, and attendees can function well at work the next day! So far, meetings have ended by ten or earlier. The first meeting of the month will generally be the one at which citizen permits and reviews are held.

At the latest Town Board meeting on the 22nd of July, the Board reaffirmed a policy to allow pools and decks to be processed as Over-The-Counter (OTC) permits. This was instituted years ago under then-Planning Commission Chair Mike Greco as an aid to citizens due to the short seasons for such uses. Rather than needing to go before the Commission and the Board at successive meetings, the Planning Commission Chair or Vice Chair, along with the Zoning Administrator (the Clerk) will review the applications for zoning requirements such as setbacks and sign off on them. The permit is then forwarded to the Building Official for inspections, etc. This is a big time saver for citizens.

It is of note that, although classified as OTC, the building permit fees for these structures is based on the Building Official's valuation, per the state schedule. Other more typical OTC permits, such as re-roofing, have a flat fee attached to them.

One type of permit that will continue to come before the Planning Commission and the Town Board for zoning review is for an agricultural building. A previous Board had moved Ag building permits to OTC status; a subsequent Board had moved them back to more review.

At the last Town Board meetings, Mark Ceminsky argued to make them OTC again. It was stated at each meeting that the majority of the Commission believes these permits need to come before both bodies. During the time that they were OTC, an ag building was constructed over a lot line! This sort of error must be avoided. Exemptions from the Building Code for such structures are governed by State statute. Every time a building is incorrectly granted ag exemption status, the Township misses out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars of permit fees!



Under the statute, the land must be taxed as ag by the Dakota County Assessor. It must have produced ag products for at least one year prior to receiving this classification. The building must be used for agricultural purposes, such as the storage of grain, hay, or farming equipment, or the housing of livestock. The public is not allowed to be in the building. Farmers, their families and farm employees are covered for use. If the public has entry, then the structure is no longer considered ag, and the Building Code must be enforced to protect public safety. The State Legislature made this accommodation to farmers, reducing their costs of doing business since the permit fees do not apply. There is a Township fee of $25 for Clerk time and one of $25 for Planning Commission member inspection of setback stakes. There is also an accompanying ag exemption form to be filled out and signed by the applicant, attesting to the structure's use as ag.

Since this can be a weighty matter, the Commission has supported both Commission and Board review to be sure that the statute is being met and any permit fees that should be required in certain instances are paid.

The Board agreed and voted to keep these buildings on the monthly agendas. Since the applicant is receiving an exemption from building permit fees, this is thought to be not too much to ask. It is also less likely that errors will be made with more eyes with oversight.