ALASD

ALASD has had their share of press lately concerning the effluent discharged into Lake Winona.  It appears that the MPCA, pressured by the MCEA and the Le Homme Dieu Lake Association, will be issuing a new permit reducing the amount of phosphorous that can be discharged from the plant into Lake Winona.  More than likely, it will be an amount that ALASD cannot meet with its current plant design.

You may wonder where the phosphorous comes from, as ALASD does not add any during their process.  It is brought into the plant through the sewer system from your homes and businesses.  Many soaps are not phosphorous free and human waste contains it.  There is also concern regarding chloride (salt) levels in the lake which comes from softened water in the sewer system and runoff from winter ice treatment.          

Will Lake Winona become clear if ALASD stops discharging into it?  The answer is no.  The average lake depth is 4.5 feet and it has a high level of carp which disturb the bottom keeping the phosphorous suspended.  If the carp are not controlled, the lake will stay the way it is now.  Of the phosphorous entering Winona, 64 percent of it comes from ALASD. The other 36 percent of the phosphorous coming into the lake will remain, which is more than likely enough to keep the water from ever becoming clear.       

What choices will ALASD have in order to meet the expected new permit limits?  The MCEA and the Le Homme Dieu Lake Association have mentioned spray irrigation and rapid ground water infiltration as possible solutions.  Spray irrigation will spray the treated effluent onto the ground.  Some of it will evaporate and the rest will seep into the soil and possibly into the water table.  This will work when the air is dry enough to spray and warm enough for evaporation to work, about five months out of the year.  Rapid ground water infiltration is accomplished by forcing the treated effluent, under pressure, into the ground where it may eventually get into the ground water.  Currently the treated effluent, which is virtually potable water, is discharged into Lake Winona which then flows through several other lakes and into the Sauk River to be carried away.

Also, the MPCA will not direct ALASD to use a particular method to meet the permit standards.  They want to stay out of future litigation brought by other special interest groups that protect ground water or air quality.

Whatever solution is found it will cost everyone in the sewer district more money either through property tax or user rate increases and in the end Lake Winona probably won’t change.                                                                                 Mike Rosenwald

Do State Unallotments affect you??

Townships throughout Minnesota set their levies based on what they need to operate.  This amount is then passed on to their county treasurer to be allocated to your real estate tax. Landowners then pay their real estate taxes (which include school district and county levies plus any special assessments) to the county.  So far this seems pretty straight forward.  This is where the unexpected curve ball is thrown.  Before the county allocates the levy, it puts the levy amount into a formula which divides it into three portions.  The largest portion (approximately 97%) is charged to the property owners.  The remaining amounts are put into Ag and Homestead categories and the state is required to send these funds to the townships from their funds.  However, over the last several years the state has unallocated these funds, leaving townships short of their levy amount.  In 2009 Ida Township was short by a little over $14,000 and in 2010 it will be over $15,000.  With the situation that the state budget is in, we can no longer rely on them for some of our levy and will have to set our levies to cover the state shortfall.                                                                                                                                                Mike Rosenwald

2012 Tax Levies

 Below are the amounts your board is requesting for 2012.  Please come to the annual meeting on March 8, 2011 in order to have input regarding these requests.

                                                                                2012 Request                                       Last Year’s Amount

General Revenue Fund                                       $   80,000                                              $   65,000

Road & Bridge                                                        175,000                                                  160,000

Fire Protection                                                           70,000                                                    60,000

Tar & Upgrade                                                          30,000                                                    25,000

7T Debt Service                                                        57,000                                                    60,000

                Total                                                      $ 412,000                                              $ 370,000

Lake Charley Cemetery

Lost to time for years, regular maintenance of the cemetery has brought new life to this historic place. The Cemetery Committee would like to thank Bill Olson for doing a wonderful job with clean up and maintenance at the cemetery. 

The Newcomers Garden Club has offered to put its time and talent toward beautifying the cemetery as a service project for their group.  An area around the cemetery sign is currently getting a make-over. We welcome their efforts and appreciate the experience and energy they are bringing to this project. 

Locator markers have been placed on each of the lots made available. Of the 48 lots made available 15 have been sold and 33 remain open.  Current pricing is $250.00 per lot for township residents and $500.00 per lot for those residing outside the township.  Please see the Ida Township website for more information. 

Efforts to locate and identify the many unmarked gravesites in this cemetery are ongoing.  If you have any information you would like to share regarding cemetery history or are interested in working with the Cemetery Committee, please contact the township office.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Julie Kirscht

Correction

                Last year we informed everyone that a petition was required in order to request that a road be black topped, which is correct.  However, we stated that this petition needed to be signed by eight registered voters within three miles of the project which was incorrect.  The petition must be signed by property owners that own at least 35% of the abutting property to the road being improved.                                                                                 Mike Rosenwald

March Election and Annual Meeting

The Township Election and Annual Meeting will be on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. The polls will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the Annual Meeting starting after the polls are closed. There will be two offices on the ballot:

                Supervisor Seat A 3-year term          Candidate:   Mike Rosenwald

                Treasurer   2-year term                       Candidate:   Palmer Krueger

The 2012 tax levy will be set and voted on at the Annual Meeting, as well as other pertinent items, so it is very important to attend!  Both the election and annual meeting will be held at the Ida Township Hall,

Candidates for Office

Supervisor Seat A

Mike Rosenwald  Here I am again.  I tried to go away, but no one else appears to want the job.  I had announced that I was not running for re-election in September; then, after several residents asked me to reconsider, I said that I would accept a write in if no one else ran.  At the close of election filing when no other candidate showed up, I decided that it would be easier if my name was on the ballot.  We wouldn’t want a recount and have to argue about misspelling my name.                                                                                                                            Mike Rosenwald

Treasurer

Palmer Krueger  I am a lifelong resident of Ida Township. I was drafted one week after graduating from Central                   High School and served in Uncle Sam’s Navy in the Atlantic and mostly in the South Pacific during World War II. After my honorable discharge, Lucy and I got married and we operated a hog and beef operation until our retirement in 1992, at which time we built our earth sheltered technology home. I served on the church council and as secretary for many years,  I was director on the Douglas County Fair Board for fifteen years and. I belong to the American Legion.

Due to the death of the Treasurer in 1974, I was appointed treasurer of the Ida Township Board, and I want to thank the voters of Ida Township for their support for all these years. I would appreciate your support on the second Tuesday in March.                                                                                                                Thank you, Palmer Krueger

Office & Meeting Schedule

Meeting Schedule:  The Ida Town Board meets on the First and Third Mondays of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Ida Township Hall. If the Meeting date falls on a holiday or conflicts with an election, the meeting will be held the following day at the same time and place. If you wish to be put on the agenda, call or e-mail the township office preferably by the Thursday before the next scheduled meeting.

Website   If you are interested in what is on the agenda for the next Town Board meeting or if you want to know what transpired at recent meetings you were unable to attend, check out the Township website at www. Idatownship.com.

Office Hours The Township Office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until Noon, except for holidays.  You can also call and set up an appointment.

Town Hall Rental The Town Hall is available to rent for meetings or family gatherings at reasonable rates.