The Becker Twp. Board met Monday evening, dealing with a variety of housekeeping items, in addition to receiving an update from Sherburne County Assessor Michelle Moen.
Moen discussed efforts by her department to try and keep up with the frenzied real estate market and the efforts to assess residential and seasonal properties within the county.
In 2021, a low supply and strong demand for homes led to an approximately 15% increase in values within Becker Township, while 2022 is off to an equally torrid pace.
Moen noted that the median sale price in the township was $345,000, while the estimated market value was $325,000.
“This is the highest market trend that I’ve seen in my 24 years of experience,” Moen said.
At the end of the presentation, Supervisor Brad Wilkening noted that just because a property value goes up by 20% or some other amount, that doesn’t mean the taxes will increase by that much.
Moen agreed, saying that increases in the commercial and other rates across the county means that everyone’s property value can go up but their actual tax payment won’t increase by the same percentage.
Roads
In a move that shocked no one in attendance, 67th St. made another appearance on the official agenda.
Road supervisors Joe Danielson and Robin Boros noted that they had not had official contact with the Santiago Township Board since an article from that jurisdiction appeared in the Patriot last week.
The board demurred from discussing the central portion of the roadway that has led to the contrasting opinions over the past year, but did note that if the two boards cannot come to an agreement about its status, then the issue could be decided at the county level.
In addition, they reported that the gravel work on the portion of the road east of Co. Rd. 11 and the asphalt work on the western portion near Co. Rd. 23 are still slated to be completed in 2022.
In other road news, the acquisition and installation of new fire signs was discussed and Danielson plans to have quotes available by the February meeting. Currently, there are 1,887 fire signs located within the township, and the board is also considering making changes to the standard mailbox structures to ensure it can better withstand the snow plowing season.
Broadband
The board tabled a request from Sherburne County for a funding request to include 22 more homes in a broadband project.
The project, which would provide fiber direct connections to a few underserved areas mostly in the northern part of the township, comes with a hefty price tag and the supervisors felt more information was needed.
Of the 49 possible residences to be served, the county had approximated that 22 would accept the service.
It was the consensus of the board that in order to allocate the significant funds requested, more information was needed about how, when, why and where the money would be spent.
In Other Business, the Board:
• Heard the Sheriff’s report from Sgt. Dan Frank, who detailed 177 calls for service in the last period;
• Directed Clerk Lucinda Messman to gather more information about the finances and cost appropriations of adding a trail along Co. Rd. 23 to City Park;
• Approved a variance for Carefree CC resident Linda Meyer;
• Approved partial payments for 142nd St. and 164th St. projects, while discussing the 97th St. project, which is slated for construction in 2023;
• Tabled the discussion about Recycle Day and co-hosting with the City of Becker. The board felt that the former version of the day, including garbage collection, could be a better fit for residents and they will explore what options exist to host their own event if needed.
• Set the Board of Audit meeting for Feb. 23 at 6 pm.
