During the recent Big Lake Twp. regular meeting, there was a lighter than normal agenda, as the supervisors wrapped up the meeting in under an hour in order to make it to the SCAT (Sherburne County Association of Townships) meeting later in the evening.

Hope Stables

Andy and Jolene Thelen of Hope Stables approached the board seeking positive comments on a variance. They wished to no longer compost manure, but instead have it shipped off their property, and they wished to have a maximum of 40 horses on their land.

The property was found to not be in compliance by the county earlier in the year, as they had begun shipping manure off the property even though that was not part of their conditional use permit with the county. This issue was quickly resolved, as shipping the manure away from the property. 

The other issue that needed resolving was the number of horses on the property. Currently, the couple had 34 horses on site, but were supposed to be limited to 32. Two of those horses were miniature horses, which the owners didn’t realize added to the total count. 

When the board asked if there was any public comment, one neighbor to the property stated that she didn’t want the business around any more. It was revealed that there had been some personal history between the neighbors.

The board sent positive comments on to the county, who will make the final decision. 

In Other Business, the Board:

• Adopted the roads in the wheat fields development;

• Discussed the progress on 205th Ave.;

• Considered a request from the county attorney to submit ordinances, which they will discuss again at the next regular meeting, Wednesday;

• Was visited by Rep. Paul Novotny who encouraged the supervisors to reach out regarding any issues they felt the legislation should address.