Last Thursday, representatives from the Big Lake City Council, Big Lake Town Board, Big Lake School Board, Orrock Town Board, and Sherburne County Commissioners met to discuss the past year for each of the entities represented and plans for the future. 

Sherburne County

Representatives from the county kicked off the meeting. County administrator Bruce Messelt mentioned that the county would be reviewing its comprehensive plan, and that it was looking for input as they go through this process.

Messelt went on to state that the county is looking into planning the next big road project after the overpass in Zimmerman is completed. More specifically, they are looking into improving the traffic conditions on Co. Rd. 11, which tends to carry a lot of state traffic rather than just county traffic, causing the road to back up significantly at the intersection of 11 and Hwy. 10. A possibility of improving this situation is to “switch” it with Hwy. 25. Hwy. 25, which connects Big Lake to Monticello, tends to carry more local, county traffic and therefore could serve well as a county road. Instead, Co. Rd. 11, between Hwy. 10 and the current Hwy. 25, could be made a state highway, with turn lanes, frontage road, and other highway amenities that improve traffic flow. Messelt said he hoped the county’s partners (the cities and townships within the county) would support a project like this, since the county will not be able to afford the work that needs to be done on 11 by itself and will need MnDOT support and government grants to get the project done, neither of which will happen if all parties involved are not on board with the project. 

The county continues to investigate adding another bridge over the Mississippi, but this project is expected to take a long time. 

ARPA funding for the county has been channeled into several areas, including support for housing, county organizations, businesses and nonprofits, community, mental health, and broadband accessibility. The county has partnered with both Midco and Arvig to bring broadband to underserved areas in the county. Messelt mentioned Big Lake Twp. and Orrock Twp. areas in particular. Currently, the county pays for a portion of the costs for installation, but Midco has stated an interest in bringing service to more of the county on their own dime.

Gina Hugo of the county parks department gave a brief overview of the successes of the department over the last year. Last summer, work was completed at Bridgeview Park off of Co. Rd. 11. The project increased the accessibility of the park, added a trail leading to the river, a scenic seating area, and river overlook. The county also partnered with the city of Elk River and Great River Regional Library to put up some “story strolls” at county parks. Story Strolls promote literacy and activity with children. Pages from a story book are printed on cardboard signs and posted alongside a walking trail. Families walk down the trail to read the story. Hugo said families should keep an eye out for these story strolls on Facebook to stay informed on where they will pop up. 

Going forward, the county hopes to bring more trails into the area, eventually connecting the trail system at Big Lake Lions Park to the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and the Great Northern Trail. They also hope to add a footbridge over Elk River, parallel to the one on Co. Rd. 5. The current bridge is heavily trafficked and not very safe for pedestrians and cyclists.  

Big Lake Twp.

Dean Brenteson, a supervisor on the Big Lake Town Board, gave the overview for the township. Results from the 2020 census showed a township population of 7,400. In 2021, 30 new homes were constructed, which is down from 42 in 2020. Last year the township completed eight miles of overlay projects. Road work was also done on 205th Ave. by Liberty Elementary School. A new process was used which allowed faster access of traffic after the road work was completed. The township traded roads with the county, giving them a township road which has become the new Co. Rd. 94 and turning the old Co. Rd. 79 into a township road. 

Recycle day was successfully held again last year, and the township renewed their contract with Metro Alliance Recycling. Dog vaccination day once again took place in the fall. This year, the township also offered free nitrate testing for water samples brought from home. The township plans to offer this service annually. 

New trail signs have been made for Lions Park, and they will be put up as soon as the ground thaws. 

Birch Lake has been removed from the impaired waters list after work was done to restore it. As a result, the county Soil and Water Conservation District awarded the township an award for being an “Outstanding Cooperator.”

Orrock Twp.

Paul Ellinger, supervisor for the Orrock Town Board, gave the update for Orrock. He started out by saying they are about half the size of Big Lake Twp. in most respects, with a 2020 population of 3,544.

A new development has come to the area, the Shores of Eagle Lake. So far, 32 building permits have been pulled to develop these lots. Over the next three years, the township expects that about 84 lots will be built out. The roads for the development were recently adopted by the township.

ARPA funding for the township will go towards expanding the current town hall. The building is very small and old and cannot serve the current population during elections. The town board hopes to have the work completed by November, in time for the elections. 

School Board

Tonya Reasoner of the school board gave the update for the schools. Last year, voters approved a bond referendum to pay for infrastructure updates around the school grounds. Thanks to getting a good deal on the bond sale, the school will save the taxpayers $2.6 million in interest. Projects on campus will be completed during the next three summers, including roof replacements at three of the schools, high school gymnasium improvements, building control updates, and other items. In an effort to remain transparent during implementation of the projects, the public is invited to visit the Big Lake Schools website and select “Bond Referendum” under the community tab. This page will outline the progress of the projects and will show how every single tax dollar was used. 

Enrollment is rising. The schools anticipate a huge kindergarten class this fall, as many students were held back due to uncertainty about the pandemic. Big Lake Online has helped the schools retain and attract some students during the pandemic, and has become a great complement to the expanding apprenticeship program. This program allows students to work and pursue an apprenticeship during the day and complete their schoolwork online in the evenings. 

Big Lake City

City administrator Clay Wilfahrt gave the update for the city. During 2021 and continuing into 2022, the city has taken on some street projects. Because they got a good deal on the bond sale, they moved up some projects that were scheduled for the future, as well. 

The Freedom Rock came to Big Lake last year. This project was completed without using taxpayer money, but relied solely on donations and sale of pavers. The rock is available to view now at Lakeside Park. It was painted by an artist who has completed similar projects all over the United States (he hopes to one day have at least one painted rock in every state.)

The industrial park is expanding, with Arrow Components and Premier Marine recently making the move. Other commercial development in the city included the new Nystrom facility, Liberty Bank, Great River Regional Credit Union, and the Big Lake Car Condos (second series).