The Becker Twp. Board met Monday evening and made commitments to work with the City of Becker on a pair of issues that are of interest to both entities.

Moving forward, the two bodies will create working groups to look at solar farm locations in the great Becker community, as well as the expired lease that leaves the Becker Legion in limbo.

Solar Farms

At the meeting, it was announced that the City and Township have dropped their objections to the Sherco Solar Farm, which is being constructed adjacent to the city limits near the industrial park.  Through negotiations with Xcel Energy, the parties came to an agreement that would remove the solar farm designation from 250 acres that the city would like to use for future expansion.  Because of Xcel’s agreeing to scale back the acreage of the project, the Twp. and City agreed to drop their objections to the proposal and withdraw the contested language that had been placed into record before the MN Public Utilities Commission.

City of Becker Interim Administrator Jeff O’Neill was present at the meeting to discuss plans for moving forward with a joint planning effort to try and shape any future solar projects within the area.

According to O’Neill, the rapid expansion of solar farms in the area “puts the community in a very vulnerable position”.

By working tougher, O’Neill felt the city and township could gain more of a say as to where the solar farms wold be located and guide some of the conditions such as setback requirements and screening around the panels.

He further explained that even if the two entities weren’t allowed more of a say in future solar developments, the joint recommendations would put them in a better position to seek legislative relief in the future.

O’Neill and Twp. Chair Brian Kolbinger explained that currently, several private companies are going out and getting leases signed across the township and by working together, it would give the council and board more say in setting the boundaries and talking through what the projects might look like.

O’Neill mentioned that supply chain restraints may already delay the Sherco Solar project construction by up to one year so now would be a good time to try and regulate any expansions for the future.

Chair Kolbinger noted that the board hoped to move fast on the issue and a joint meeting between the two entities could happen in a matter of weeks.

Becker Legion

Another joint discussion occurred between O’Neill, the board, and members of the Becker Legion, who were present at the meeting to seek clarification and assistance in addressing their unique situation.

Currently, the Legion leases the old Fire Hall building on a monthly basis from the City of Becker for $50 a month. While the structure itself is owned by the City, the land under the office portion of the building is owned by the Twp.  

The original 99 year lease for the Fire Hall itself was originated in 1908 and technically ran out around 2003 when the new Fire Hall was constructed.  However, the documents that outlined the lease were lost when the Town Hall burned down in 1911 so the only standing information comes from the official township minutes from that time period.

With all of the ownership questions and nebulous lease status, it leaves the Legion in a difficult spot as it tries to make needed repairs to the building.

Every time they apply for a grant, the issues surrounding building ownership and no long term lease leaves the Legion unqualified for the funds.

All the parties seemed to agree that the issue has been ongoing for nearly 20 years and leads to much uncertainty.

O’Neill described the situation as a “conundrum,” while the township assured the Legion members that they support the Post’s current location and usage of the building which sits on the Twp. property.  

The Legion members noted that the site is also used for Boy Scouts and other functions, such as the Twp. elections and they just want some clarity moving forward.

Twp. Supervisor Luke Babler spoke in favor of setting up a meeting in the near future and volunteered to serve on the committee.

“For what these men and women did for our country, we need to figure this out,” Babler said, noting that there may be ARPA or other Federal funds that could be used on the project.

Members of the Legion mentioned that the roof leaks badly in many areas and they have received quotes in the $60,000-$80,000 range just to address that situation. There are also issues with the stucco siding, as well as HVAC upgrade issues.

O’Neill and the supervisors agreed to get something on the calendar soon to review the building itself, the city’s zoning ordinances in the surrounding area and at least begin the planning process.

In Other Action, the Board:

• Heard from Sheriff Joel Brott regarding last year’s 2,125 total calls for service, which included very little serious criminal activity;

• Heard an update from ICS Consultants, which is leading the efforts for the construction of the new transportation building for Becker schools. Because the building is being constructed in the township at the intersection of 150th avenue and 107th St., there is a discussion of extending the city sewer and water services to the new structure;

• Approved positive comment for a variance request from Deb Johnson of Carefree Country Club;

• Acknowledged a $5,000 donation from the Becker Lions to the Becker Fire Department;

• Heard from Engineer Wes Davis regarding 2022 road projects;

• Approved a fire sign replacement quote from J&R Services;

• Heard an update on Town Hall repairs and paining projects coming up in May.