She hasn’t been counting, but when pressed Vi Novotne figures she’s recorded the minutes at about 500 Corinna Township Board meetings and missed only two or three over the past two decades. And that’s only one measure of her longtime tenure as township clerk. She’s conducted numerous elections, compiled hundreds of reports, handled tons of paperwork and helped countless residents with questions and concerns. But all that will be behind her Thursday, Oct. 1, when she steps down after 22 years of being what one official described as "the face of the township." Novotne will be honored at an open house from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, in the township hall, 9801 Ireland Ave NW. Mary Barkley Brown, who has worked as deputy clerk since January, will move into Novotne’s job, and the township will hire a replacement for Brown. "My job involved 181 different things, not many big things but a whole bunch of little stuff," Novotne said in an interview last week. "But the people that called and the people you worked with made it interesting. It was never a drudgery." She wasn’t complaining about the twice-monthly board of supervisors meetings either. She actually enjoyed them, Novotne said, because they got her involved in everything and were a way of working with people. The township appointed her clerk in March 1987 to fill out the elected term of Jim Monson, who resigned to run for a seat on the board. Novotne won election twice, then the board appointed her to the combined clerk-treasurer job and she’s been there ever since. Before that, Novotne had been a secretary to the principals at Annandale High School and later Annandale Middle School for many years. Novotne said what she’ll miss most is working with township boards that have succeeded in improving the community and township. Present and previous board members "were all very capable. I am really proud of each board member." She’ll also miss communicating with people. She couldn’t mention anything she’ll miss least "because I just tackled everything that came along and hoped I did it well." Corinna’s population growth has been "steady and significant" in her years as clerk to the point where it now has 2,428 people and 1,007 households. "We have more homesteaded property owners, and they’re demanding more services," she said, referring to the increase in full-time residents. "So more roads have to be maintained in the winter," and there are a lot of other issues. Other changes include the new township hall with offices and meeting space, which in 2006 replaced a maintenance building where space had been set aside for meetings. Novotne said township roads have nearly all been improved from gravel to pavement, residents have curbside recycling and definite fire department routings with 9-1-1 address signs, and the township administers planning and zoning with authority to issue permits. "I call her the face of the township," board chairman Dick Naaktgeboren said. Novotne did a good job dealing with the public’s questions and concerns, he said. Many times she would take care of an issue without it having to come to the board’s attention. "She’s got a wealth of knowledge and knows people. It’s phenomenal." Novotne’s had to deal with more paperwork and more involvement of the state and other agencies over the years, he said, and "she brought us into the computer world." Asked what her retirement plans are, Novotne, 79, smiled and said: "Enjoy each day." She and husband Leland have no travel plans, she said. "We’re enjoying where we’re at." Born in western North Dakota and raised in Rochester, she’s lived just north of Annandale for 37 years. She likes walking down the street where people know her and say hi. "We just love the atmosphere of everybody knowing each other." Novotne said she plans to continue volunteering in the schools, at her church where she’s treasurer and active in the Christian Women’s Organization, as secretary of the Clearwater Lake Property Owners and for Friendship Ventures. "I will become the typical grandmother for the families of our six children and spend more time in the flower and vegetable garden. "That’s me. I love gardening," Novotne said, and with 17 grandkids in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Arizona she’s looking forward to doing more grandmothering.
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