Confirmation of board officers and committee status, the annual report from the sheriff’s department and a discussion of procedures for moving road projects forward were among the items on the agenda at the regular meeting of the Haven Township Board of Supervisors Monday night.  The board normally meets on the third Monday of each month, except for January and February because of the Martin Luther King and President’s Day holidays.

 

The board unanimously returned Chairman Jeff Schlingmann and Vice-Chairman Mark Knowles to those positions Monday night.  The board voted to discontinue participation in the North Star Corridor Executive Board and the St. Cloud Area Planning Organization, with the latter resulting in a savings to the township of an estimated $1,050.  No changes were made to any of the other committees and organizations the board is currently involved with.

 

The board also approved the same financial repositories for the coming year, retained “The Citizen” as the official newspaper of record, and approved the current compensation rates, with the exception of mileage, which is not .575 per mile per the new IRS standard.

 

Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott appeared before the board to present his annual report on activities in Haven Township.  The department maintains records of contacts including traffic offenses,  accidents, medical alerts, burglary and thefts, narcotics arrests, DUI, criminal sexual conduct, property damage and death investigations.

 

The 2014 statistics showed a total of 801 calls for service in Haven Township, down from 827 calls in 2013 and higher than the 707 calls received in 2012, Brott said.

 

Other 2014 statistics showed one assault for the year, two burglaries, three narcotics arrests, three DUI arrests, 22 thefts reported and nine criminal damage to property complaints.  There were no reported homicides or criminal sexual activity complaints for the year, Brott said.

 

Brott also said that the Tri-County Regional Forensic Lab has received national accreditation in the areas of biology, drug chemistry, toxicology and alcohol testing and in processing latent fingerprints.  He also stated that the sheriff’s department is approaching 100 per cent training for patrol officers in dealing with heroin overdoses, and that medication to deal with the problem is routinely carried by officers now.  He also reemphasized the presence of drop boxes around the county and at the sheriff’s office in the county government center for unwanted prescription drugs, which are a source for “opiates” through unintended use.  The lab is also certified in DNA testing, with access to the national FBI database, Brott said.

 

Several officers have graduated from Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety Graduates programs, with the remaining members of the department set to enter the program soon.  Brott also noted the accomplishments of the Emergency Response Unit, which won the “Top Gun” and “Iron” team awards at the Minnesota Tactical Training Conference last September.

 

In discussing upcoming road projects, Knowles asked why Sherburne County can apparently do as it wishes in terms of clearing trees from right-of-way and doing road renovation projects, when the township seems to need 100 per cent participation from landowners for similar projects.  Schlingmann said the township can do the same, but would have to first notify property owners, then condemn the property if consensus cannot be reached, and compensate the landowners for lost property before completing the project.

 

Schlingmann, Knowles and Supervisor Mike Pesch all agreed the board has a responsibility to maintain the roads, and that the issue must be pursued further.  Pesch also suggested that the matter be discussed at the upcoming annual meeting next month.

 

The annual Haven Clean-Up Day will be held Sat., May 16 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Haven Town Hall.  The Board of Equalization will meet at 1 p.m. on Thurs., April 16.