The fall Meeting of the Pine County Township Officers’ Association was held on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at the Hinckley Community Center, in Hinckley, MN. The meeting was called to order by Chair Katy Overtoom at 9:00am. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Chair Katie Overtoom. The invocation was provided by Katy Overtoom.
Roll Call was taken with 22 townships present, establishing a quorum.
Motion made, seconded to approve the minutes from the Spring Meeting Saturday October 26, 2024.
We had several speakers:
Mike Couri: Mike Couri discussed an upcoming legal seminar, highlighting Rutledge as the nearest location. He emphasized the significance of understanding the Family Leave Act and the new payroll tax implemented to fund it.
Mindy Sandell – Veterans Services: There are 2014, veterans in Pine County, which is a decrease from last year by 72 people. Despite improvements for veterans in the area, the Veterans services face a shortage of drivers to transport veterans to the VA. Currently, there are two vans in service, and Mindy is available in Pine City on Thursdays.
State Senator Jason Rarick: Every session in St. Paul is different. The House was in disarray for four weeks, and Senator Eichorn resigned. They are pushing for more transportation funding, but it is unlikely to be approved. The state is facing a $6 billion deficit and plans to shift Health and Human Services (HHS) from state to county, impacting property taxes.
State Rep. District 11A Jeff Dotseth: The session has been unique with some civility. They are facing a budget deficit. Jeff Dotseth serves on the housing committee and is looking for credit related to a seminar on property taxes. Despite challenges, discussions are ongoing. They feel like a freshman. Another bill in the house concerns Sandstone Healthcare, which is at risk of being cut from the budget. County
Commissioner District #1 Stephen Hallan: Road restrictions apply to all gravel roads and do not need to be posted. There are no funds for township bridges. The Central Minnesota Council for Aging has been delivering meals on wheels for 18 years, funded by the Older Americans Act. There has been an increase in these funds, which will continue.
Commissioner District #3 Roger Nelson: The newly elected official has been in office for less than three months and has been networking with government officials and county commissioners. He sees value in having opposition. The cannabis issue went through a mandated public process requiring counties to develop cannabis compacts with tribes, exempting tribal land from certain regulations. This may counteract the legislature’s intent.
County Auditor Kelly Schroeder: The country recently had large elections in November and March for townships. Property tax statements were mailed out, with most of the county seeing no significant increase in valuation. Cannabis zoning and retail registration are limited to three establishments in the county, though the tribal compact might circumvent this limit.
Pine County Attorney Reese Frederickson: The primary focus is on criminal prosecution. An individual was sentenced to 88 months in prison. A level 3 sexual predator was prevented from re-entering the community after being imprisoned in 1999 for 13 years, and later in 2024 for stalking a 20-year-old woman. A judge blocked his release. Recently, an appeal was won to re-imprison a person with a long criminal history for 160 months. A grand jury is required if a life sentence is in question. Additionally, there was a case involving someone who shot their father.
County Sheriff Jeff Nelson: The sheriff’s office has maintained steady staffing levels. They have a new German Shepherd canine undergoing 16 weeks of training. Citizens are encouraged to install cameras on their properties. A license plate reader program tied to a national database is nearly ready for implementation.
County Planning and Zoning Dave Banta: The land and resources manager has held this position for about 1.5 years. Tiny home development is generally not allowed in the county. He frequently receives inquiries about septic systems and hazardous waste management. It is recommended to check the website first for answers. Regarding short-term rentals, only 26 are licensed out of approximately 600 being rented. The primary goal of shared land management is environmental protection, while shoreland management focuses on protecting lakes and rivers. There is also significant training for new staff.
ECRDC Jorden Zeller: If you have business, we have a revolving loan fund available to you. There is assistance for marketing plans, business plans, transferring the business and the loan program. We are public sector. We do not compete with the private sector. Glen is on our loan committee.
Barb Fischer-Hospital Board: There is a newsletter that comes out in the Evergreen Newspaper. There are new healthcare classes at Pine Tech.
We are creating a history of healthcare in the area from the beginning of healthcare in the area.
There is a lot of new equipment to keep up with technology.
All are welcome to come to our board meeting. We meet on the 4th Tuesday of every month at the hospital meeting room at 6:45pm.
Pine County Soil and Water Paul Swanson: Paul has been active for about 4 years. It is divided into 5 regions and focuses on protecting shorelines and repairing gullies. They receive funding from state grants and the county, but do not have levy authority. The district employs six full-time staff members and works with a pheasant wildlife specialist that works tow days a week. They typically haven’t collaborated with townships and do not have enforcement powers. The organization is headquartered at North Pine Government Center.
MAT District #7 Director Tammy Carlson: Tammy expressed gratitude to Kelly for election assistance. And acknowledged the great turn out to lobby at the capital for Township Day at The Capital. She thanked the politicians for their time. Paid leave will commence on January 1, 2026, with a maximum tax of 1% allowed. Training will take place at DECC on Friday, April 4, 2026. A new town government manual is now available. The district 7 meeting on August 19 at 6pm is where township resolutions can be voted on. Ensure Financial Reporting Forms are filed by March 31st with the state auditor. There is a town law review in Otsego. New Clerk Training is upcoming. The MAT annual convention will be held on December 11, 2025, in St. Cloud. MAT and 800 other companies were victims of a phishing scam; you can find the FBI victim impact statement on the MAT website. MAT was cleared of all charges in a lawsuit, but the petitioner is appealing the decision.
Motion was made, seconded and passed to re-elect Susan Grill and Randy Davis to another 3-year term.
Business Meeting:
The treasurer’s report was read, and a motion was made and seconded. The treasurer’s report was approved.
A motion was made to dispense with the reading of the minutes and approve them as written. The motion was passed.
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting and seconded and passed at 10:40am.
Respectfully submitted by
Glen Williamson Sr.
Secretary/Treasurer
Pine County Township Officers Association
Date Approved: ______________________________
Chair: ___________________________________________