The Becker Twp. Board of Supervisors met Monday evening and navigated an agenda heavy with transportation issues.  

Twp. Engineer Wes Davis updated the board on several road projects, including the striping needed on 142nd St, which was recently resurfaced. The estimated cost was in the range of $3,000, therefore he was authorized to seek a quote to finish the work as soon as possible. Supervisor Joe Danielson questioned the top layer wear course application on Garden Grove, and it was decided that the supervisors would make that a stop on their fall road tour, which was scheduled for Friday (yesterday). Supervisor Robin Boros mentioned that the driveway approaches on that same road will also have to be looked at, as some appear in need of additional work in that area.

Davis also provided an update for the shared project on 97th St, which will include the City of Becker and Clear Lake Twp. Because there is a state grant involved, the process and coordination will require a high level of pre-planning and Davis is already speaking with the stakeholder groups in an effort to create an application and construction timeline.

Other stops on the road tour will include 157th Ave., 67th St. and 127th Ave., as the supervisors will get to take a firsthand look at all the roads so they can plan accordingly for maintenance issues and budgeting in the future.

The board next discussed the minimum maintenance status of the connection between the cul-de-sac on 67th Street and Co. Rd. 11. Davis will create a plan to maintain the route in the most economically feasible manner and present it to the board in the future.

In another road related issue, Davis and attorney Kelli Bourgeois were asked to move forward with the agreement for 67th Street, since Santiago Twp. has requested to take over the construction supervision on the asphalt portion of the shared project.

Sheriff’s Report

Sgt. Dan Frank updated the board on last month’s statistics, which included well over 200 calls for service, including 87 traffic complaints. In addition, Frank noted that there have already been several school bus stop arm violations in Becker Twp., with deputies taking swift and decisive action to put a stop to these dangerous situations.

County Update

County Administrator Bruce Messelt appeared before the board for his annual update, proving a wide array of information for the supervisors. He spoke of the current real estate market conditions and the effect this is having on the county’s efforts in properly assessing property values.  Because of the large increase in home sales and with many properties selling higher than the asking price, most residents can expect a significant upgrade to their assessed property values.  

Messelt also discussed transportation issues, as well as several ARPA funded broadband projects. Currently, the county is doing broadband on a piecemeal basis, as there are 17 different internet providers servicing addresses in Sherburne County. Because there is not just a couple major providers, it is more difficult to accomplish larger projects that can serve a high number of residents.

Zoning

In zoning related news, Planner Mary Roe presented the supervisors with an encroachment and waiver of liability agreement for a property on 175th ave. After the current owners Joe Brenteson and his wife recently purchased the property and applied for an accessory structure permit, it was learned that a septic system had been constructed in a drainage and utility easement by the previous owners. The permitting process, as well as the title company, had failed to identify the issue, meaning an agreement was needed. The supervisors approved the agreement and the Brenteson’s will review it in the coming days before deciding to whether or not to agree to the verbiage. 

Supervisor Luke Babler asked what could be done to ensure these situations do not occur in the future and staff will investigate the most economically feasible and accurate solution for trying to catch easement issues before issuing permits.

The board will meet next for a regularly scheduled meeting Monday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. to review the 2022 budget.