The enclosed document is the Policies of Mission Township for its employees, Town Board Supervisors, Clerk & Treasurer, service contractors, and volunteers of Mission Township.

This is not a comprehensive document covering all laws or regulations affecting Mission Township. Please refer to the Town Law Manual for a more complete documentation of Township rules and laws.

Mission Township Supervisors, employees, and contractors will comply with all Federal, State, County laws, statutes, Ordinances and Mission Township, Ordinances, Resolutions, Motions, or Policies.

Violation of Mission Township Operating Policies by employees can result in disciplinary action up to and including employment termination by the Town Board.

All township business shall be conducted at the regular monthly Township meetings, duly noticed special meetings, or emergency meetings when necessary.

Policy 1 -Rules of Order for Old and New Business Agenda items

A. Agenda items can be placed on the Agenda by elected Township Officials (Clerk & Treasurer), the Town Board, or requested by the public. The Town Board may add or remove items from the Agenda at any time during its meetings.

B. Pre-meeting information requirement:
All financial records and pertinent documents for the Regular Township Monthly meeting shall be posted and available to the Township Officers 3 business days prior to the scheduled Monthly meeting date.

The documents required to be available for review are:

  • Financial report from Treasurer
  • Claims with scanned receipts
  • Departmental reports
  • Sub- committee reports
  • Other documentation for agenda items,
  • Previous month’s minutes
  • Current Month’s meeting Agenda

C. Chairman recognizes agenda item and yields the floor to the speaker. The Chairman reserves the right to limit the time any speaker may have on any particular issue.

D. Discussion of the agenda item by the Board.

E. A Motion is called for by the Chair and made by a Town Board member.

    • The Chair can either recognize the motion or decline by reason of violation of law or Mission Township policies.

F. Chair calls for a Second to the Motion.

G. Chair calls for further discussion. At this time the main motion may be or amended, withdrawn, or tabled by vote of the Supervisors for a later meeting.

H. Motion voted on by the Town Board. Results of the vote are noted per Town Supervisor by the Clerk.

Policy 2 – Financial

1. Audit. An independent Audit of the Township finances will be conducted by either the State Auditor’s office or a private accounting firm as required by law, and when not required by law, at the discretion of the Town Board.

2. Claims. All expenses submitted to the Township Clerk must include a receipt from the vendor, identifying the vendor, a description of the item, cost per unit, date, the total amount, and the purchaser. The expense item will not be paid by the Township without all the proper documentation. The claims must be submitted by the 20th day of each month, for payment approval at the next Regular Board meeting, unless an exception is approved by the Township Board.

3. Invoice. All invoices received will have the date received noted on the invoice by the Clerk.

4. Claim Approvals. The Town Clerk cannot submit claims for payment to the Town Board without receiving the proper documentation as described in #2 above. Written (or email) notification is sent by the Clerk to the responsible person if all proper documentation is not received for a claim.

5. Purchasing. Vendor accounts, Reimbursable expenses with Department or Supervisor approval, or monthly billing invoices from the vendor are the preferred methods of Claim Payments by Mission Township. Each Department/Committee Manager should establish, with Town Board approval, a payment method, vendor account agreement, or purchasing system for expenses in their department.

6. Credit Cards. The Township shall not have credit cards in the name of the Township.

7. Sales Tax. Present tax ID when possible to exempt Mission Township from sales tax.

8. Capital projects. All capital projects over $125,000.00__ require a financial project analysis as directed by the Town Board. At minimum, the analysis will include:

a) Goals/Objective or Description of the project
b) Items or materials required to complete project and their estimated costs
c) Alternatives to the project and cost comparison
d) Summary and recommendation to the Town Board

9. Expense Authorization. Town Board Supervisors, the Township Clerk, and the Fire Chief shall have the authority to purchase supplies for the Township, provided no one person’s purchases shall exceed $1,000 between monthly Town Board meetings without prior Board authorization. All other employee purchases over $250.00 require Town Board or the Board Liaison approval prior to the purchase being made. Exceptions for repairs to put equipment back into service are allowed, upon notification to the Town Board Liaison.

10. Budget limit. Expenses may not exceed the Budgeted amount for the Four (4) funds i.e., General, Fire, Road & Bridge, Park & Rec without Town Board approval.

11. Reimbursed expenses. Expenses incurred in the service of approved Mission Township business are reimbursed only with proper documentation (as described above #2). Mileage is paid at the current IRS allowable rate and verified by the Liaison or Department Mgr.

12. Signing Authority. Signing authority or authorization for contracts, assignments, leases, grants, or legally binding documents shall only be authorized by vote of the Town Board.

13. Grants. Grant applications and grant writing expenses must have prior Town Board approval before applying for the grant.

14. Public Financial Data. All data, documents, historical records, bids, contracts, and information related to the Township are property of Mission Township. The public may request this information in accordance with existing laws or state statutes unless prohibited by the same (Examples are personnel information or pending litigation). The Town Clerk shall initially determine what information will be released to the public and may charge a fee that is based on the estimated cost of the Township to locate, produce and copy such documentation. If the requestor does not agree with the determination of the Clerk, such person may appeal the Clerk’s decision to the Town Board for a final determination on the issue.

15. Surcharges, Fees, and Overruns. Mission Township shall not be subject to fees, charges, or penalties incurred on claims paid later than the vendor’s payment due date because of the payment cycle Mission Township is subject to for all claims. Arrangements for timely payments are made by the Mission Township purchaser, at the time of purchase, to relieve any such charges. The Township Board may vote to pay late fees or overruns at its discretion.

Policy 3 – Township Equipment and Assets

1. Equipment owned or leased by the Township, including the fire department assets, cannot be purchased, acquired, disposed, or sold without prior Township Board approval.

2. Equipment owned or leased by the Township may not be operated or used outside the Township or for purposes other than Township business without prior Town Board approval.

Exceptions:

  • Mutual aid by Mission Township Fire Department (MTFD) to surrounding Fire Departments emergencies.
  • Limited short term use outside the township for miscellaneous items. Examples are supplies, gas, and maintenance.
  • Fire Department training outside the Township with prior approval from the Board Liaison.
  • Mission Township Hall tables and chairs are available to Mission Township residents for limited time personal use. The tables and chairs must checked out & in by a Mission Township Officer. Damage to the tables and chairs will be charged a replacement cost to the user.

3. It is the responsibility of the Department manager or Board Liaison assigned to the Township asset, to insure all equipment is maintained in a safe and working condition.

4. Only personnel qualified and properly trained, as determined by the Town Board, the Department Manager, or Board Liaison, may operate Mission Township equipment.

5. Department manager or Board Liaison assigned to the Township asset are required to insure that all Township equipment has adequate property, casualty, & liability insurance, permits, safety inspections (if required), and licensed as required by law.

6. Department manager or Board Liaison assigned to the Township asset will develop and maintain an equipment inventory and an equipment retention or replacement plan to be used as a guide in the budgeting process. Such equipment replacement plans shall be submitted to the Town Board by November 1st of each year so that the Town Board may consider such items when setting the proposed budget and proposed levy to be voted on by the Town Electors at the next annual meeting.

7. Inventory and Assets. Once per year, supervisory personnel shall conduct a sample equipment inventory audit for each department.

8. Use of Mission Township assets, including the Town Hall, Township Lands, Cemetery, Transfer Station, and Mission Park, must have prior approval from the Town Board or its designated representative.

Section 4 – Personnel

1. Safety is a priority with Mission Township. Any employee or contracted vendor acting in an unsafe manner shall be subject to disciplinary measures up to termination or cancellation of vendor contract with Mission Township.

2. Personnel determined to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol while in the employment, a contracted service, operating on Mission Township property, or operating Mission Township equipment, will be dismissed from the Township position or suspension of the contracted service.

3. Conflicts of interest are identified by Town Supervisors employed by the Township as
a paid employee or a contracted vendor. The Township Supervisor should abstain from participating in votes or motions of the Town Board affecting their area of employment or contracted service. This includes but not limited to Motions, Ordinances, or Resolutions relating to wages, benefits, retirement, funding, budgeting, personnel decisions. In cases where a Town Board Supervisor is contracting with the Township, no such contract shall be entered into unless a conflict of interest resolution as required by Minn. Stat. § 471.89 has been unanimously passed by the Town Board with the interested Supervisor abstaining from such vote.

No Supervisor shall vote on any matter where such supervisor has a direct conflict of interest unless such vote is necessary to break a tie and such vote, in the opinion of the Township Attorney, is permissible under Minnesota law.

Any Supervisor may abstain from any vote for any reason. Supervisors are encouraged to abstain from voting where there is an appearance of a conflict of interest on the part of such Supervisor.

4. It is not permissible to store, promote, or display any personal materials on Mission Township property or use personal equipment in the service of a Mission Township contract without prior Town Board approval. Current proof of insurance for personal property or equipment used in Township service must be on file with the Clerk.

5. It shall not be permissible for a Town Officer or employee to use Township equipment for personal use.

6. Department Managers shall have an annual performance/department review conducted by the Town Board or Town Board Liaison. This review may include drafting long term and operating plans for each department to aid in the budgeting process.

7. All employees of the Township will have an annual review on their performance by their respective Department/Board Liaison (for Fire Department employees) and the review document is retained for future reference. The performance of non-Fire Department employees shall be reviewed by the Town Board annually at a Town Board meeting. Such meeting shall be closed to the public unless the employee requests that it remain open.

8. Wage Documents and Time Sheets. All work wage documentation or time sheets must be submitted to the Treasurer at least 5 business days before the regular monthly meeting to be eligible for authorization of payment at the meeting. Exceptions are at the discretion of the Treasurer but must be noted with written documentation and submitted to the Board.

Department/Committee Managers must verify and reconcile employee hours of work with documentation and their signature.

Wage claim documents (time sheets, etc.) without Supervisor signature or supporting documents can be refused payment or delayed payment by the Town Board.

9. Employee Conduct. Employees of Mission Township are expected to act in a professional manner and maintain high ethical standards, not engage in malicious acts towards the Township or its assets, and in compliance with the Mission Township Operating Policies.

Employees are expected report incidences of violations of these policies, unlawful acts, and unsafe practices to the Town Board.

10. Employees who violate these policies or who engage in acts of insubordination may be subject to disciplinary actions up to and including dismal from employment.

11. Clerk. The Town Clerk’s role is vital to Township business for legal reasons and accurate recording of Township business. The Town Clerk will appoint a Deputy Clerk which will serve in her absence. The Deputy Clerk does not have residency requirements and the wage rate is set by the Town Board.

12. Meeting Minutes. Meeting minutes for all Township meetings with the Town Board shall be drafted within 5 business days from the conclusion of the meeting. This includes all Regular monthly meetings, or other scheduled meetings.

13. Town Board Liaison. The Liaison role of a Town Supervisor is primarily to implement actions of the Town Board, oversight of the Department or Committee employees, inspection and verification of vendor contracts, and expense and time sheet approval prior to submitting to the Clerk. Supervisors shall be assigned Liaison duties by vote of the Town Board.

14. This set of Township policies shall not be deemed to be terms of an employment contract between the Township employees and the Town Board.

Section 5 – Budgeting

1. The Township Budget is a planning tool and not an approval of expenses. Expenditures are approved per the guidelines as described in the Financial Section 2 -9.

2. At the annual Budget meeting to determine the subsequent year’s budget, the Department Supervisor or Committee chair are required to have financial information for each account available for review by the Town Board and Treasurer.

Section 6 – Levy

1. The special account funds [Fire, Roads, Park] are levied to bring their balance to zero each year. Excesses or deficits in special funds are transferred to or from the General fund reserves.

2. Future capital projects reserve funds are held in the General fund or can be assigned in each special fund for the project by approval of the Town Board.

3. Reserve cash balance target is eight (8)months of the total annual total Operating Budget Disbursements, not including assigned or committed capital project funds.

Section 7 – Annual Meeting

1. The first order of business is to accept nominations for a Meeting Moderator and approved by the majority of the Electorate attending. The previous year’s minutes must be approved by the Electorate.

2. The purpose of the annual meeting is for the Electors to vote on the proposed Levy & discuss other items. Regular Township business is not conducted at the annual Township Meeting. Please refer to document TM6000 in the MAT information Library.

3. At conclusion of the annual township meeting a motion to close the meeting is required or adjourned to a later date.

Section 8 – Fire Department

1. All Fire Department personnel are required to know and follow The Standard Operating Guidelines for the Mission Fire Department.

2. The Fire Dept. may conduct a maximum of Four (4) meetings or training sessions per month (excluding live burn training).

3. The Fire Chief is responsible to inform the Township Board of any involvement by the MFD in a public activity at the regular monthly meeting, prior to the date of the activity.

4. The Fire service contract with other townships is negotiated and approved by the Town Board with assistance from the Fire Chief.

5. The Fire Chief will annually submit to the Town Board the Mission Fire Service Requirement report for approval.

Section 9 – Contracted Services

1. All services provided by vendors will have a signed contract and must comply with the contract requirements (insurances, permits, licenses, etc.) before any work can begin in performance of the contract.

2. Vendor contracts will include:

  • A description of the service/equipment/materials being provided by the vendor to Mission Township
  • Indemnification and hold harmless statements where applicable by the Town Board.
  • Dates(s) when service is provided and completed.
  • Non -Performance clauses and liquidated damages when deemed necessary by the Town Board.
  • Rate per unit, lump sum price, or total cost.
  • Insurance requirements and bonding if deemed necessary by the Town Board.
  • Adherence to safety procedures in accordance to Federal, State, local, or OSHA regulations or the governing body.

3. While routine contract documents may be prepared by Township personnel, the Town Board should refer to the Township attorney those contract formats that have not previously been reviewed and approved by the Township attorney.

4. Bid requirements of contracted services in Mission Township will follow contracting guidelines as described in State Statute 365.37, 471.345 and Town Law Chapter 9.


Policy Revision History
Section and Item Revision Date

1. Policy Section 4, item 12 & Section 1, item B July 7, 2020