At the recent Orrock Town Board meeting, Janine Arnold and Greg Felber officially assumed their new positions with the board and staff. Janine Arnold, formerly serving as a town board supervisor, was elected to the position of treasurer. Likewise, former treasurer Gary Goldsmith was elected to Arnold’s former seat on the board of supervisors. 

In other election news, Anne Felber was elected over current supervisor Bob Hassett. Felber will take her position on the board in January. 

State Forest Complaints

One resident stopped by the monthly meeting to air complaints about the state forest. He said that some “unsavory” characters would camp out in the area, many of whom appeared to be high. Due to squatters, hunters were also having difficulty getting into the parking lot. 

The resident, after some investigation, stated that the problem could be solved by the prohibition of remote/dispersed camping. The resident, along with members of the board, planned to contact local contact for the Minnesota house of Representatives, Shane Mekeland, for assistance in bringing about the prohibition. 

Open Forum

Jerry Peterson spoke to complain about the snow plowing that had been done in his neighborhood. As a previous board member and a plow truck driver for many years, he offered a few suggestions to the board on how to improve the process. 

Later in the meeting, the board discussed the issue further, and opted to allow greater leniency to the road authority to send out plows when they deemed it necessary. This was already written in ordinance, but the road authority had previously kept to a two-inch threshold of snowfall before sending out plows. The road authority is allowed to send plows out before this threshold is met, however. For example, plows may be sent out to clean up melted slush. 

In Other Business,the Board: 

• Gave favorable comments to a petition to re-plat a few parcels, with the intent being to develop and sell the property;

• Accepted the new BLFD fire services contract, contingent on a couple of minor changes;

• Recapped how election day went;

• Accepted a rate increase for road engineering services;

• Discussed ongoing pest control issues with beavers building dams in a culvert, which has lead to some flooding;

• Resolved to close a portion of 180th St., a minimum maintenance road, for the winter season.