(Reporter’s note: this article covers both the August 6 and August 19 meetings of the Becker City Council.)

During their August 6 meeting, the Becker City Council discussed some topics on road safety, including crosswalk safety and ebike laws. 

Crosswalks

Mayor Mark Kolbinger took some time during the meeting to acknowledge the recent tragedy where a minor using the crosswalk was killed by a car. The mayor promised the city was taking steps to increase enforcement of crosswalk rules and make them safer for pedestrians. 

“We just want the citizens to know we hear your concerns,” Kolbinger said. 

In addition to increased patrols, the city is moving forward with a redesign of Edgewood St., where the incident occurred, which was already underway. During this process, the city intends to take special care to evaluate the safety of the road and the trail. 

E-Bikes

Chief Chris Lindbloom of the police department gave a brief lecture during the council meeting regarding the laws behind e-bikes. He said anyone using these bikes must be at least 15 years old. The police have contacted the parents of the riders who were under 15 to explain this law. 

The city is looking to establish its own ordinance regarding e-bikes, which would further direct how these vehicles should be used. 

Lindbloom also said they were considering adding some new stop signs to pedestrian trails to make sure the bikers are stopping for walkers on those paths. 

GRRL Presentation

The Great River Regional Library (GRRL) gave their annual update to the city council. GRRL has 32 locations spanning six counties. There are 96,317 borrowers across the GRRL network, and 2,528 of those borrow from the Becker location. Last year, 56,424 items were circulated through the Becker location. 

The Friends of the Library organization was able to secure a $12,000 grant which paid for new furniture at the library. 

The library offers more than just physical books. They have a service which can provide patrons with ebooks and audiobooks, as well as items for streaming. The library is part of a partnership with libraries across Minnesota to borrow books from other libraries if a patron happens to want an item not in the GRRL collection.

Last year, the library offered 141 programs throughout the year, including storytime readings, art programs, and many other fun activities. They also have outreach programs with other community groups.