Last week’s Big Lake Twp. board meeting covered plans for CARES funding, and an upcoming event that will interest voters in and around the community.

Candidate Election Forum

There will be a Candidate Election Forum Oct. 19 where local and state politicians will appear to inform the public on their platforms. There will be a candidate meet-and-greet at 6 p.m. and the forum will begin at 6:30. The forum will be recorded and will be available for streaming after the event. More information on how to stream the forum will be provided at a later date.

CARES Funding

The township has a few plans for spending the CARES money it has received.

Firstly, $150,000 will be spent on new radios and turnout gear for the BLFD.

Next, the township plans to spend the money on technology that allows staff and board members to work remotely when necessary. This will include purchasing wireless landline phones for use in the town hall, new laptops for staff, and a docking station to keep everything charged and organized. The tech update is expected to cost just under $8,000.

It is likely that some money will be allocated to the city to supplement some of the grants for businesses. The amount allocated for each business will not exceed the original amount requested, but the township is willing to chip in funds wherever the city may fall short.

Finally, all money that is not spent before the deadline will be returned to Sherburne County by law. The board considered surrendering remaining funds willingly with the stipulation that the county should try to use the funds within the Big Lake area if at all possible.

A special meeting will be held Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. to finalize plans for CARES funding.

BLFD August Update

In the month of August, the Big Lake Fire Dept. responded to 37 calls. Six of those calls were fires, and three of those fires happened within minutes of each other. Monticello, Elk River, and Becker fire depts. helped to respond to those calls. Seven calls were in reference to gas leaks or other hazardous situations.

In other news. BLFD welcomed six new firefighters onto the force; updated their workout area; and hosted an annual family picnic at Oaks on the River.

Dog Vaccination Clinic

Big Lake’s annual Dog Vaccination Clinic was a big success. Residents and their pets started lining up before the official start of the event, so the veterinarians got started nearly an hour early. Several types of vaccinations were available, as were dog licenses. Licenses were not required for dogs to receive vaccinations. The board is looking forward to hosting the event again next fall.

Roads

Big Lake board members will be participating in a fall road tour to see how township roads are holding up. The road tour will take place Oct. 7.

The construction on Co. Rd. 79 is rapidly coming to a close.