The Big Lake Town Board held a public hearing regarding having Co. Rd. 79 once again becoming a township road, and having 209th Ave. become a county road. The reason for the trade is CR 79 does not have nearly as much traffic as 209th, which is a straight, through road, while CR 79 tends to meander and turn. Because of the high volume of traffic on 209th, the county is better equipped to deal with the road, between improving the road quality and adding shoulders to increasing patrols from the sheriff’s office. Meanwhile, since not many people use CR 79, the township is perfectly capable of maintaining the road. 

Carey Adler, a resident of 209th Ave., came to speak during the open forum. He was concerned that turning 209th into a county road would lead to an increase in traffic, and noted that the traffic situation was already bad. He has clocked many motorists driving at increased speeds. He mentioned that little kids like to fish in the brook along the road, and worried about their safety. 

The board assured Adler that converting 209th to a county road should only improve the road’s safety. With wider shoulders, there should be room to allow residents to walk alongside the road if they so choose. The board did not expect the amount of traffic on the road to increase once it becomes a county road, but merely wanted to make it as safe as possible for the motorists and residents who use the road. 

The board proceeded to approve the plan to trade roads.

Audit

The board reviewed their annual audit from 2020. Schlenner Wenner, the auditor who was hired for the project, reported that they did not find any significant issues with the township budget. The only issue was the segregation of duties, a finding that is very common in townships that have few staff members. The auditor also reported that the township forgot the annual delegation of electronic fund transfer last year, though the situation was corrected this year.

In Other Business, the Board:

• Passed on the opportunity to appoint a board representative to work with the Mississippi Watershed District, trusting the county to represent their interests for them;

• Approved the treasurer move forward with creating a plan for the American Rescue Plan funds that will be distributed this year and next year.